Acting Executive Director – Melissa Brandenburg

Melissa was appointed Acting Executive Director of PRB in September 2026. Prior to that appointment, she served as the agency's first Chief of Staff beginning in 2024. In her current capacity she provides direction and oversight to staff engaged in executing and fulfilling PRB’s statutory functions. She additionally facilitates the agency’s long-term goals, and evaluates policy and practices to ensure efficiency, consistency, and compliance.

Melissa began her professional career in the field of criminal justice, serving six years as a Probation Officer in both Christian and Vermilion Counties. While at Christian County Probation, Melissa helped implement and facilitate that county’s first Adult Drug Court Treatment Program.

Prior to joining PRB, Melissa spent 12 years at the Office of Executive Inspector General (OEIG) for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor serving first as an Investigator and then as a Supervising Investigator. At the OEIG she led and later supervised confidential investigations aimed at combatting fraud, waste, and abuse in State government.

Melissa received her MA in Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago in 2006, and BAs in Sociology and Psychology from Greenville University in 2004.  She is also a 2026 Fellow in the Governor's Office Academy of Leardership (G.O.A.L). 

Director of Clemency & Release Programs - Matthew Coates

Matthew joined PRB staff as Director of Clemency & Release Programs in October 2026. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Prisoner Review Board from July 2022-October 2026. He also served as the Director of Communications at Bloomington Public Schools, District 87, and as a McLean County Board Member. Prior to these roles, Matthew spent his career in juvenile justice, juvenile prevention, and human services.

These roles included serving as a Restorative School Specialist at Project Oz. responsible for improving adolescent behavior, decision making, and also teaching a restorative communication framework to staff and faculty in order to improve student-teacher communication. While at the Children’s Home Association of Illinois, Matthew served as Clinical Coordinator of Youth Services. He oversaw three state-funded youth programs, including the Redeploy Illinois program, a juvenile reentry program designed to decrease youth recidivism and to support youth during aftercare with rehabilitative services.

Matthew earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from Illinois Central College and a Bachelor of Science in communications from Illinois State University, where he was also a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team. He also earned a Master of Arts in Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations from Bradley University. 

Director of Victim & Witness Services - Mary Ratliff

Mary is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in violence prevention and intervention.  Before joining PRB in 2025, she served as the Director of Strategic Project Administrators at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA).  She has also held the role of Program Director of the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Councils and the Safe From the Start Program at ICJIA. 

Throughout her career, Mary has worked extensively with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, serving as both a legal and medical advocate.  Her experience spans a range of roles, including volunteer coordination, prevention education for audiences from kindergarten through college, and program development and technical assistance for violence prevention grants.  She has provided professional training to criminal justice and social service personnel; administered state and federal level intervention and prevention funding, and led the management of task forces, boards, and commissions focused on improving community safety and support for victims.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in criminal justice and women’s studies from the University of Illinois at Springfield

Public Information Officer & Legislative Liaison – Liz Mitchell

Liz Mitchell joined the PRB as Legislative Liaison and Public Information Officer in February of 2026. In her current capacity as Legislative Liaison she serves as the primary link between the agency and the legislative bodies. She establishes and maintains working relationships with legislators and staffers, monitors legislative activity and advocates for the agency’s interests. Additionally, as Public Information Officer, Liz is responsible for managing and communicating information between the agency and the public, including the media.

Prior to joining PRB, Liz served on staff at the Illinois State Senate for nearly a decade, first as a senior writer in the Senate Democrats’ communication department and then as deputy press secretary for Senate President Don Harmon. She also has a professional background in public relations and newspaper journalism. Originally from Georgia, Liz received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Mercer University in Macon, GA in 2012, and her master’s degree in journalism from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2014.