Learning Academy: Women in Corrections

Heidi Washington

Board Member, ICPA, United States

Governor Rick Snyder appointed Heidi E. Washington as the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2015 and she was then reappointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019.  As director, she is responsible for overseeing the administration of Michigan’s correctional system, which includes the state’s prisons, probation and parole supervision, the Parole Board, and other administrative functions, in addition to managing a $1.9 billion budget.

Director Washington has served in a number of leadership positions during her career with the Department of Corrections.  Prior to her appointment as director, she was warden of the Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center and the Duane L. Waters Health Center.  She also held positions as warden of Robert Scott Correctional Facility and administrative assistant to the department’s executive bureau and director, where she provided oversight for the Legislative Affairs Office and represented the MDOC before the Legislature.  She has additionally served as acting assistant deputy director, overseeing the 19 prison facilities in the southern region of the state, and acting operations administrator for the Correctional Facilities Administration.  She joined the MDOC in 1998 as a legislative assistant after working for the Legislature for several years.

Director Washington holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Michigan State University and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.  In 2017, she was named Public Official of the Year by Habitat for Humanity of Michigan for her outstanding vision, dedication, and commitment to excellence, and she was also named the Newsmaker of the Year by the Grand Rapids Business Journal for creating the Vocational Village, the nation’s first skilled trades training center for prisoners.  In 2018, she was honored to receive the national Tom Clements Award for her vision and innovation in corrections.  Director Washington also serves on the Executive Committee for the Correctional Leaders Association as the Vice President. In 2023 Director Washington was appointed to the board of the International Corrections and Prison Association and in 2025 became the President of the North America Chapter for International Corrections and Prison Association. Director Washington is also a board member of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections and is a member of Law Enforcement Leaders.

Angelene Stevenson

Deputy Superintendent of Programs, New York Dept. of Corrections

Kellie Wasko

Director, South Dakota Dept. of Corrections

Kellie Wasko has dedicated 28 years in adult and juvenile corrections. Ms. Wasko’s most recent assignment was serving as the Secretary of Corrections for the South Dakota Department of Corrections. During this tenure, Wasko established numerous fundamental operating tasks and successfully designed and secured funding for two new prisons: one for females and one for males.  Ms Wasko led the South Dakota Department of Corrections for over 3 ½ years. 

Before her appointment as Secretary of Corrections in South Dakota, Ms Wasko served in the Colorado Department of Corrections.  Ms. Wasko served as the Deputy Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Corrections from 2013 to 2019, where she was responsible for the daily operations of 23 prisons, housing as many as 20,000 offenders; 19 parole offices with jurisdiction over more than 10,000 parolees; and over 6,600 state employees. In that role, she also served as the Health Authority for the department, overseeing all clinical care operations provided to the offender population of all custody levels.

Prior to serving as Deputy Executive Director, Wasko served several roles in her career as the Director of Clinical and Correctional Services, Director of Strategic Planning and Process Improvement; Assistant Director of Prisons; Warden of four adult institutions to include all custody levels for males and females; Associate Warden to a male close custody facility and female medium custody facility; Health Services Administrator, Nurse Manager, and line staff nurse.

Wasko has worked on numerous reform efforts in her career, and she is active on several national committees.  She has served as the Chair of the American Correctional Association’s Healthcare Committee as well as co-chair of the Coalition of Correctional Health Authorities, where she remains active.  She has served on numerous subcommittees and restrictive housing working groups and has presented nationally and internationally on corrections operations, healthcare, and successful reforms.  She currently serves as the Chair for the ACA Adult Corrections Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Women Executives in Corrections.  Wasko was awarded the American Correctional Association’s National Correctional Healthcare Leadership award in 2018 and the Colorado Corrections Medal of Valor in 2005.

 Wasko has earned nursing degrees from Weber State University and Boise State University.