Sam Heath

About Sam Heath

Engaging, collaborative, creative, and meticulous. A ten-year high school history teacher turned organizer and advocate working in community safety and death penalty repeal spaces while managing a national network of thousands. Excels at advocacy, mobilizing communities for social change, live webinar interviews, connecting people and communities to needed resources, and critical thinking.

Experience

1. Co-founder & Executive Director

   Commonwealth Justice Coalition

   Nov 2025 — Present · Charlottesville, VA, US

   The Commonwealth Justice Coalition is an organization that reimagines public safety in the Commonwealth of Virginia and puts it into practice. Partner with local advocates, justice-impacted families, and policymakers to advance reforms and strengthen community engagement around incarceration issues Coordinate public forums and educational events highlighting the impact of jail policies on families and communities Collaborate with coalition partners to win reforms on phone call costs and jail uniform policies Lead coalition communications strategy, including designing graphics and flyers, managing social media and email outreach, and facilitating meetings Bring national narrative and digital engagement expertise to local coalition work, ensuring alignment of grassroots organizing with broader justice reform efforts

Education

• University of Virginia

  Master's degree, Theology, Ethics, & Culture

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Bachelor's degree, Education & Psychology