Roseland, NJ, Oct 12 -  Sheila Leonardo has been named Director of CEC’s Talbot Hall. Ms. Leonardo, long-time Deputy Director of Administration at Talbot Hall, succeeds Alan Hoffman who passed away this month.

“I am very pleased to name Sheila Leonardo as the new Director of Talbot Hall. Ms. Leonardo’s commitment to Community Education Centers combined with her excellent management skills will continue the tradition of excellence we have come to know at Talbot Hall,” said John Clancy, President and CEO of Community Education Centers.

Ms. Leonardo, an established employee of Community Education Centers, began her tenure with the company in 1994 at CEC’s first facility, The Harbor, a 152-bed residential treatment center located in Hoboken, New Jersey. While at the Harbor, Ms. Leonardo served as the Director of Program Activities managing the facility's work-release program. Ms. Leonardo was then promoted to Deputy Director of the Harbor in 1996, where she supervised various departments and acted as a liaison to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

In 1998, Ms. Leonardo was named Deputy Director of Administration at Talbot Hall, CEC’s 500-bed residential treatment center in Kearny, New Jersey. In 2000, Ms. Leonardo changed roles and served as the Director of Job Development at Talbot Hall where she addressed the reentry needs of CEC program graduates. A year later, Ms. Leonardo returned to the position of Deputy Director of Administration.

“I look forward to working with the staff and agencies I have come to know over the years. Most important, I look forward to continuing the excellent leadership at Talbot Hall. As we all know, Talbot Hall plays an important role in New Jersey’s correctional system, functioning as the State’s largest assessment center,” said Ms. Leonardo.

Before joining Community Education Centers, Ms. Leonardo worked for the New Jersey Department of Corrections. In the early nineties, she served as a Community Release Coordinator and Inmate Placement Coordinator at the Department’s Northern Regional Pre-Release Center. Prior to that position, Ms. Leonardo worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer for the Hudson County Probation Department.

“Ms. Leonardo’s vast professional experience with Community Education Centers and in New Jersey’s criminal justice field makes her the perfect individual to now head Talbot Hall. She will absolutely provide the quality leadership needed to keep Talbot Hall a facility of distinction,” said Dr. Robert Mackey, Chief Operating Officer of Community Education Centers. 

Talbot Hall opened in 1998 to provide assessment and treatment to adult male offenders in a structured and secure environment. The 500-bed facility is located on nearly 10 acres of land. Talbot Hall incorporates an assessment and treatment model that combines standardized assessment of offender risks/needs and cognitive-behavioral techniques in a modified Therapeutic Community environment. While residing at Talbot Hall, residents are assessed for levels of re-offense risk and intervention needs. The assessment findings are conveyed to the New Jersey Department of Corrections to aid in the determination of halfway house placement. The treatment component consists of individual and group counseling, substance abuse treatment, educational services, vocational training, skills-based trainings, family services, and aftercare/alumni services.