Degrees
Yolande A. Cadore holds a B.S. in Urban Policy and Advocacy from SUNY Empire State University, a master’s in public administration from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and a doctorate in Education from St. John Fisher University.
Yolande was the director of movement strategy at the Vera Institute of Justice, where she connected Vera’s internal advocacy strategy to broader movement goals to end criminalization and mass incarceration in the United States. Prior to joining Vera, Yolande served as the director of strategic partnerships at the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), where she connected local drug policy reform partners to DPA’s national and broader drug policy reform movement goals.
Yolande was also the interim director for reinvestment at Community Change, where she worked with Black-led organizations to address issues of marginalization and disinvestment and partnered with formerly incarcerated women of color to innovate local policy initiatives to end overcriminalization in their communities. She was also previously the acting executive director of New York State Tenants & Neighbors. Yolande began her career as a community organizer with ACORN and later served as director of organizing for WE ACT for Environmental Justice in West Harlem.
Recent News
- B.S. Empire State University 2015 (Urban Policy and Advocacy)
- MPA Columbia University 2017 (International Political Economy)
- EdD St. John Fisher University 2021 (Education, Social Justice, and Leadership)
Selected Publications
Courses Taught
- Causes and Consequences of Mass Incarceration in the United States
- Mass Incarceration and Public Policy
- Social Action Research and Community Organizations
- Urban Social Problems
- Introduction to Non-Profit Leadership
- Management and Governance
- Social Movements
Areas of Experience
- Community Organizing and Leadership Development
- Environmental Health and Justice and Climate Change
- Drug Policy and Criminal Justice Reform
- Non-Profit Leadership and Management
- Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
Research
- Black Church and Mass Incarceration
- Social Justice Advocacy
- Social Movements and Systemic Change
Boards and Organizations
- Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition
- Corbin Hill Food Project
- Action Corps
- Grenada Education and Development Organization
- Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race
Grants / Awards
- Scholarship Award, St. John Fisher University