Liz Frederick, Recognized by Influential Women, Leads Justice Reform and Youth Advocacy Through Leadership
Liz Frederick is a respected nonprofit executive, justice reform advocate, and community leader serving as Executive Director of Avenues for Justice (AFJ), a historic organization dedicated to supporting young people impacted by the criminal legal system through community-based alternatives to incarceration, mentorship, advocacy, and long-term, holistic support services.
Appointed Executive Director in May 2024 after 18 years of service to the organization, Liz’s journey with AFJ is both deeply personal and profoundly mission-driven. What began in 2006 as a graduate student’s curiosity about the gap between criminal justice theory and lived experience evolved into a lifelong commitment to social justice, youth empowerment, and systemic reform.
At the time, Liz was studying at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and scheduled what was intended to be a brief 30-minute meeting with AFJ Co-Founder Angel Rodriguez. Instead, the conversation lasted more than two hours and ultimately became a defining moment that shaped both her professional future and personal purpose. Through that interaction, Liz discovered not only a career path, but a mission centered around dignity and creating pathways for young people too often unheard, overlooked, or criminalized by the criminal legal system.
Over the next two decades, Liz steadily rose through nearly every level of the organization. Beginning in operational and development roles before advancing into senior leadership positions, including Chief Operating Officer, she developed a comprehensive understanding of every aspect of AFJ’s work. In 2024, she was unanimously appointed Executive Director, becoming the leader of the very organization that first inspired her as a graduate student.
Her rise within AFJ reflects far more than institutional knowledge or professional advancement. It reflects a leadership philosophy grounded in authenticity, accountability, resilience, and unwavering belief in the power of community-centered solutions.
Under Liz’s leadership, AFJ has continued deepening its impact across all five boroughs of New York City while remaining deeply rooted in neighborhood-based support and youth-led advocacy. She has played a critical role in strengthening operational infrastructure, securing major grants, scaling financial capacity, and helping position the organization as a leading voice in youth justice reform and alternatives to incarceration.
Liz’s work consistently focuses on shifting the public conversation away from punishment and incarceration toward prevention, rehabilitation, mentorship, and opportunity. She strongly believes young people should never be permanently defined by where they begin in life or by the mistakes they may make as adolescents.
As a Black woman leading within the criminal justice reform space — an industry she acknowledges remains heavily white male-dominated — Liz fully understands both the visibility and weight of leadership. While she admits leadership can at times feel isolating, she remains deeply grounded in the mission of serving young people who deserve pathways toward healing, growth, stability, and success rather than cycles of incarceration and exclusion.
Throughout her career, Liz has become known for her authenticity, courage, and commitment to empowering others. She often says she does not need to fill anyone else’s shoes because she has earned her own. When people told her she had “big shoes to fill” after succeeding a respected leader, Liz responded by saying she liked her own shoes because they represented the work, growth, and leadership she personally earned over nearly two decades.
That philosophy continues to shape how she leads both internally and externally. Liz strongly believes leadership is not about titles or authority, but about investing in and empowering people. One of the most important lessons guiding her career is the belief that “bosses have titles and leaders have people.”
As a result, mentorship and professional development remain central priorities within her leadership style. Liz is deeply committed to helping her team grow professionally, create advancement opportunities, and develop long-term leadership skills. She believes organizations should not only prepare employees for future opportunities, but should also create cultures where people feel respected, valued, supported, seen, and inspired to stay.
Beyond AFJ, Liz has emerged as an influential voice throughout the nonprofit, philanthropic, and justice reform sectors. She recently joined the Board of IMPACT 100 NYC, a women-led collective focused on transformational grantmaking and nonprofit support. She also serves as a NationSwell Council Member, collaborating with leaders and changemakers across sectors to drive social impact and systems-level change.
Her leadership and impact have earned recognition through numerous prestigious programs and honors. Liz is a member of the 2024–2025 Robin Hood Foundation New ED/CEO Peer Leadership Group and is an alumna of Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Program for Nonprofit Professionals. She is also a Cause Effective Fellow focused on advancing Leaders of Color in Fundraising.
In Spring 2025, Liz was selected for the Greater New York Partnership’s two-year leadership initiative as part of the Class of 2027. In February 2026, during Black History Month, she was honored by Congressman Daniel Goldman with a Congressional Proclamation recognizing her leadership and impact within the communities AFJ serves.
Liz is also a frequent guest on podcasts and leadership platforms focused on justice reform, nonprofit leadership, and Black women in leadership, including appearances on programs such as You’re In Black Women’s Business, Unshackled Leadership: A Lantern for Black Women, Pursuing Justice, and Breaking the Bias. Through these conversations, she continues amplifying the voices and experiences of young people impacted by the justice system while advocating for more equitable and community-centered public safety solutions.
Liz attributes much of her success to her ability to transform negative experiences into positive purpose and motivation. One pivotal moment early in her career involved a Wall Street interview where she felt judged based on how she looked compared to her name. Rather than allowing that experience to discourage her, she used it as motivation to commit herself more fully to nonprofit leadership, social justice, and advocacy work.
She encourages young women entering the field to pursue their passions relentlessly and refuse to allow others to define their limitations. Liz believes resilience, confidence, and dedication are essential for proving that women — especially Black women — belong in every leadership space they choose to enter.
She frequently references Shirley Chisholm’s famous words, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” as a reflection of the confidence and determination she hopes young women carry throughout their careers.
As a mother to her teenage daughter, Bella, Liz also recognizes the importance of visibility and representation. She believes the way she leads demonstrates to young women that there is space for women like them to lead boldly, be heard, and create lasting impact.
One of the most significant challenges Liz currently faces within the nonprofit justice reform sector is funding instability. She notes that shifting political climates and reductions in funding for diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice initiatives have significantly impacted organizations serving Black and Brown communities.
Within the past year alone, AFJ lost over a million dollars in funding despite increasing demand for services and serving nearly 700 participants annually. Liz explains that much of her time is now dedicated to securing sustainable funding while continuing to advocate for the value and measurable impact of community-based alternatives to incarceration.
Despite these obstacles, she remains optimistic because the organization’s outcomes clearly demonstrate success. AFJ’s recidivism rates and cost-effectiveness compared to incarceration provide compelling evidence that community-based intervention programs create meaningful public safety outcomes while offering young people genuine opportunities for transformation.
At the center of Liz’s work and leadership are the values of service, passion, integrity, honesty, and accountability. She believes her work must always remain rooted in improving lives, strengthening communities, and creating opportunities for those who are too often left behind by traditional systems.
For Liz Frederick, justice reform is not simply a profession — it is deeply personal, generational, and mission-driven. Through her leadership, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to young people, she continues building pathways toward empowerment, healing, and long-term opportunity across New York City and beyond.
Learn More about Liz Frederick:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Liz-Frederick
Influential Women
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