MBA Team

Dr. Mel Brown is a nationally recognized professional as an administrator, teacher, trainer, consultant, and author. After a successful career working for governmental agencies, he left the public sector to form his own consulting company. In addition to his work as a public speaker, trainer/consultant and Executive Coach, Dr. Brown:

• Is a Past-President of the Board of Trustees for Conroe Independent School District which has 60 campuses, more than 60,000 students, and more than 6000 full-time employees,
• Has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Texas at Arlington, in the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University in the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology at Prairie View A&M University, and in the Social Work Department of the College of Education at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary,
• Has written extensively for state and national publications,
• Served on the Texas Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee during the terms of Republican Governor William P. Clements and Democratic Governor Ann Richards,
• Served as a member of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (an accrediting body for prisons, probation agencies, parole agencies, juvenile detention facilities, jails, halfway houses and other correctional programs),
• Served as a member of Texas Judicial Advisory Council—appointed by the Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and
• Has provided expert testimony in court cases, as well as before committees of the U.S. Senate, the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives,

  An avid learner, he has earned five academic degrees including a doctorate and three master’s degrees. His graduate studies are reflective of his diverse interests and include courses in the fields of education, criminal justice, social work, theology, psychology, counseling, and administration. He is also a John Maxwell certified speaker, trainer and coach.

Dr. Brown’s humorous and informative presentation style has made him a popular speaker at civic club luncheons, professional conferences and retreats and organizational training events across the United States.

When Renea Morte joined Mel Brown and Associates in March of 2007, her primary responsibilities were bookkeeping and payroll.  She quickly began to assume other responsibilities. Now, as Executive Assistant to the President/CEO, she manages the central office and is involved in nearly every area of MBA’s operations.

Prior to her employment with MBA, she held positions in the healthcare and computer aids industries in a variety of positions of administrative assistant, purchasing, billing, auditing accounts and issuing refunds, etc.

She majored in Accounting at Harding University and in Business at Abilene Christian University.

Jim Stott began his career in criminal justice in 1973 as a corrections officer with the Texas Department of Corrections.  In 1976, he began his career in adult probation, where he remained for the next 38 years, retiring in July, 2014.  His experience as a Probation Officer, a Probation Officer Supervisor, a Deputy Department Director and, lastly, as Department Director provided him with a wealth of knowledge related to offender supervision, personnel enhancement, budget planning and development, and the design and development of community justice plans.

As a lifetime member and Past President of the Texas Probation Association, a past board member of the American Probation and Parole Association and current President of the Texas Institute on Children and Youth, Jim strongly believes that becoming involved with your chosen profession and developing relationships is the key to a successful and rewarding career.  Good planning, good people and good staff morale are paramount to a good agency.  Everyone wants to feel good about what they do.

Jim can provide technical assistance on community justice planning and budget development.  He can also help develop organizational needs, focusing on what is important in meeting the needs of the offenders and the agency and, at the same time, keeping the morale of the staff at an all-time high.

Jim obtained his degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 1976.

Mike Griffiths brings to the MBA team a strong background in the juvenile justice arena.  Not only has he served as Executive Director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), but also as director of the Dallas County Juvenile Department (DCJD). He assumed the position at a time when the average tenure of a Director of that department was less than two years. With a quiet leadership style, a depth of experience and significant knowledge of the field of probation, Griffiths led the department for approximately 15 years.

Widely recognized in the juvenile justice arena, Griffiths served on the Governor’s State Juvenile Justice Task Force and was a member of the Juvenile Justice Leadership Network for the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University Public Policy Institute.

In addition to his work with TJJD and DCJD, Griffiths’ experience also includes serving as Chief Juvenile Probation Officer for Nueces County, Assistant Director for Juvenile Services for the Montgomery County Probation Department, and Program Administrator for Tarrant County Mental Health-Mental Retardation.

Griffiths’ academic credentials include a Master of Public Administration from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Sam Houston State University.

Dr. Sumpter brings to MBA more than a quarter of a century of experience in Juvenile Justice including the position of Assistant Chief Probation Officer for Grayson County (Tx) Juvenile Probation Department. Prior to assuming his position with Grayson County, he was employed by Tarrant County where he began as a detention officer and later served as a Court Intake Officer, A Drug Court Supervisor, and Training and Quality Assurance Coordinator. He also served as a Juvenile Probation Officer for Poinsett County, Arkansas.

As an MBA Associate, Dr. Sumpter’s primary focus is the delivery of quality training to MBA clients through webinars, MBA Regional Training Events and on-site training. He will also serve on project teams for various types of technical assistance.

Sumpter’s academic credential include a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Arkansas State University, Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Management from Sam Houston State University, a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies from Dallas Baptist University. He has also done graduate work in Social Justice at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In addition to his academic education, Sumpter holds a number of certifications including certifications as a Motivational Interviewing Trainer, a Mental Health Trainer for Juvenile Justice, in Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), as a Restorative Justice Circle Facilitation and as an Educator in Restorative Practices.

Spencer Washington brings to the MBA Team a strong background in the behavioral and mental health arena. As an MBA Associate, his focus is on training and other projects in the areas of mental and behavioral health, therapeutic interventions with offenders, and human growth and development and program assessments.

Washington’s career includes serving Clinical Director Clinical Director for the Texas Juvenile Justices Department’s Giddings Campus, Clinical Supervisor for that same campus, Behavioral Specialist for the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston Texas, a Contract Therapist with Unity Children’s Home in Houston, Mobile Crisis Assessment Clinician for Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare in Conroe, Texas, HCS Services Manager for Empowerment Options in Conroe, and an Associate Clinical Psychologist V for San Angelo State Supported Living Center in Carlsbad, Texas.

He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Park University, where he taught courses in Introduction to Psychology, Human Growth Development, Social Inequality, Social Institutions, Social Problems, and at Nevada State College, where he taught Developmental Psychology –Infants and Children.

Washington’s academic credentials include Master of Science (General Psychology) and Bachelor of Science (Psychology) degrees from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. He is currently a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) candidate (Executive Leadership in Mental Health and Human Services) at Houston Baptist University.

Washington is licensed by the State of Texas as a Psychological Associate and a Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern.

In addition to  his current role as Clinical Director for Forensic Mental Health Services at the Texas Juvenile Justices Department’s Giddings Campus, Washington’s career also includes positions as a Behavioral Specialist for the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston Texas, a Contract Therapist with Unity Children’s Home in Houston, Mobile Crisis Assessment Clinician for Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare in Conroe, Texas, HCS Services Manager for Empowerment Options in Conroe, Texas Adjunct Professor for Park University at the Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas; and an Associate Clinical Psychologist V during his employment San Angelo State Supported Living Center in Carlsbad, Texas.

Ken Maaz brings to MBA experience in both the governmental and non-profit sectors. Ken has spent most of his career building effective organizations to address community needs in the areas of criminal/Juvenile Justice, mental health, physical health, child welfare, and family services; In addition to being involved in training and technical assistance projects in the areas of leadership and organizational development, he will serve as the coordinator of business development in the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Following college, Maaz began a career in juvenile justice for the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) where he served as a dorm parent, caseworker and as a parole officer for a six county region. He left TYC to accept a position as a probation officer with Montgomery County Juvenile Probation Department as a probation officer, where he later served as Supervisor of field services and then as Assistant Director.

He left Texas to accept a position as Assistant Director of Second Chance, a nonprofit agency in Seattle, Washington where he was responsible for the operation of a 99-bed adult work release. He soon became President/CEO of Second Chance and under his leadership the agency expanded to twelve programs operated in five Washington counties for the Department of Corrections, the Division of Children and Family Services, the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, the King County Family Court, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

He left Second Chance to become Executive Director of Episcopal Services for Youth in Tacoma, Washington. The agency provided services to approximately 320 teen girls/young women annually through the operation of group care facilities, transitional housing, emergency shelter, foster care and a crisis residential center.

He then accepted a position as Executive Director of Vashon Youth and Family Services in Vashon, Washington. VYFS operated programs providing mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, section 8 voucher management, low income family assistance, before and after school care, an early learning center, a federal substance abuse eradication program, all while providing leadership for the local state community network.

Maaz left VYFS to accept the position of Executive Director/CEO of Ashley House, a nonprofit agency which operates five community-based care facilities where basic care and nursing services are provided to medically fragile children, teens and young adults. The agency will soon begin operating the first skilled nursing facility for pediatric patients in Washington state, add a community based care facility in Spokane Washington, and a second facility serving young adults.

In addition to having had a successful career in both government and the non-profit sectors, Maaz has impressive academic credentials which include a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University (Majors in Social Work and Sociology), a Master of Public Administration degree in Public and Non-Profit Management and Governance from the University of Washington, and a Doctor of Education degree in “Leadership and Learning in Organizations” from Vanderbilt University.\

As an MBA Associate, Mr. Payne’s primary focus is the deliver of quality training to MBA clients through webinars, MBA Regional Training Events and on-site training. He will also serve on project teams for various types of technical assistance.

In addition to serving as an MBA Training Associate, Darius Payne is a (TBRI)Training Program Manager At Harris County (Texas) Juvenile Probation Department and was employed as a Juvenile Supervision Officer at HCJPD prior to accepting his current position.

Mr. Payne is currently enrolled as a graduate student at The University of Houston and anticipates receiving a Master of Social Work degree in the Fall of 2022. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Social Work from Jarvis Christian College and is also credentialed as a TBRI Practitioner by Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development.