Cynthia Simons is the Grant Me The Wisdom Foundation (GMTW) Women's Justice Director at the Texas Center for Justice and Equity, having joined the organization in mid-2020. Her passion for civil rights and justice reform stems back to the age of 16, when she graduated from high school and attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. That passion has since been fueled by a firsthand view of the criminal punishment system: As a formerly incarcerated woman, Cynthia works to protect women’s rights and ensure that women have access to resources and rehabilitative services before, during, and after interactions with the system. This includes the critical need for strategies that promote family connection and reunification. At TCJE, Cynthia works to end mass incarceration and support women and families who have been impacted by the criminal punishment system; she coordinates the Texas Women’s Justice Coalition in support of trauma-informed programming and gender-responsive reforms. She also oversees the Statewide Leadership Council (SLC) on behalf of TCJE, coordinating with the Steering Committee to support and expand the advocacy work of system-impacted Texans. Cynthia holds Re-Entry and Mental Health Peer Specialist Certifications. In 2023, Cynthia was named one of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats' 40 Under 40 and was honored by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus as an Outstanding Texan.