Luke Yoder has been the Executive Director of the San Luis Valley based, youth-serving Restorative Justice non-profit Center for Restorative Programs since 2010. Luke first began working in RJ in 2004 as a full-time Americorps/Mennonite volunteer at the Center for Restorative Programs, attended the University of Denver to pursue Master’s Degrees in Conflict Resolution and Business Administration, and returned to the Center in 2010. The Center provides RJ services within the 6 counties of the 12th Judicial District, and to the 14 school districts of the San Luis Valley. Luke has actively worked with community partners to continue to build on the efforts of founding director, Alice Price, and has continued to establish Restorative Practices as an accepted practice for diversion, school culture building, and community intervention. The Center was also integral in implementation of the RJ Pilot Project (based on HB 13-1254) in the 12th Judicial District. Luke often trains on a variety of RJ related topics in the local area and around the state. Luke also enjoys presenting at statewide and national conferences on RJ related topics.
Luke was appointed in 2016 and succeeds Perrie Mc Millen who was appointed in 2011, succeeding Amanda Nagl, all as representatives of the Colorado Coalition of Restorative Justice Directors.