Thena is the Vice President of Programs for Public Welfare Foundation. She is a racial justice lawyer with nearly two decades of experience advancing community-led efforts for transformative justice. Previously, Thena served as the Program Officer for Communities for Just Schools Fund, a national donor collaborative, where she managed a grants portfolio of grassroots community organizations leading efforts to end the criminalization of Black and Brown youth in schools and communities. Prior to her work with Communities for Just Schools Fund, Thena served as Director of the Advancement Project's Opportunity to Learn Program, supporting local organizations across the nation working at the intersection of education and youth justice. Earlier in her career, Thena served as a Staff Attorney for the New Orleans office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Thena is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and Hampton University in Virginia.