Justice Center Offices

Agency Leadership Team

Acting Executive Director Maria Lisi-Murray

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Maria Lisi-Murray was appointed as Acting Executive Director of the Justice Center in March of 2024.  In this role, she oversees the agency’s nearly 500 employees across New York State.  Maria joined the Justice Center in 2023 as the Deputy Director for the Office of Audit, Control, and Quality Management.  In that role, she oversaw internal audit, internal controls, and quality management.  

Prior to joining the Justice Center, Maria served as Chief Risk Officer at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles where she supervised Internal Audit, Internal Controls, the Office of Risk Management, and the Office of Compliance Counsel. 

Maria is an admitted attorney with more than 20 years of private and public litigation experience in both state and federal courts, most recently as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the New York Attorney General.  She is also a former police officer/SIU investigator with the City of Binghamton Police Department. 

Maria holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from the Syracuse University College of Law and a bachelor’s in Economics from S.U.N.Y Binghamton.

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Executive Deputy Director Robert Miller

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Executive Deputy Director Robert Miller joined the Justice Center when the agency first opened in 2013, bringing with him extensive experience in State government. In his current role, Rob manages operations for all Justice Center regional offices and maintains key relationships with State leaders on behalf of the agency.  

In his previous position as Deputy Director of Administration, Rob led several significant initiatives at the agency, including expansion and improvement of the Justice Center’s regional office infrastructure, realization of federal Medicaid reimbursement, and substantial improvements to the Justice Center’s information technology program.

Prior to joining the Justice Center, Rob worked at the NYS Division of the Budget, focusing on criminal justice related issues including analyzing and assessing the impact of proposed changes to the State’s drug laws.  Additionally, he worked on various policy and legislative issues at the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Rob completed his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and has studied Constitutional Law at SUNY Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.


 

General Counsel Christa Book

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General Counsel Christa Book has been working to protect vulnerable populations for her entire career.  In her current role, Christa oversees several units involved in the agency’s legal functions.   Prior to becoming General Counsel, Christa was the Deputy Director of Incident Management and Investigations.  Additionally, she had an integral role in forming the Justice Center Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART).

Before joining the Justice Center, Christa held positions at the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) as well as the District Attorney’s office in Rensselaer County where she served as an Assistant District Attorney and Bureau Chief of the Special Victims Unit. 

Christa received her Juris Doctor and graduated magna cum laude, from Albany Law School and her bachelor’s degree from Towson University.


 

Chief of Staff Emily Steinbach

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Emily Steinbach was appointed as the Justice Center’s Chief of Staff in October 2024. Ms. Steinbach brings over a decade of experience in healthcare and human services, most recently serving as Chief of Staff at the Office of Children and Family Services and as a member of the Governor’s taskforce to assist the Office of Cannabis Management. 

In her role with the Justice Center, Ms. Steinbach works with executive leadership to help the agency achieve its strategic goals. She serves as a liaison with the broader agency staff to facilitate the day-to-day operations in pursuit of the Justice Center’s mission. This can include overseeing policy initiatives, maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, representing the agency Executive Director at events, and helping to shape public perception of the agency.

Ms. Steinbach holds a master’s in public administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management and leadership from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at SUNY Albany, as well as a bachelor’s degree in economics from Smith College.

Following her post-graduate career, Ms. Steinbach was awarded the Excelsior Service Fellowship, was placed at the New York State Department of Health, and stayed after the fellowship ended. She worked in Medicaid on policy design and implementation, running large stakeholder workgroups, project management and more. Prior to the Excelsior Fellowship, Ms. Steinbach was a Women & Public Policy fellow at the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society assigned to the New York State Office of Mental Health where she assisted with the New York State Behavioral Health transition to managed care and other behavioral health initiatives.

Ms. Steinbach began her career working at Albany Medical Center and later served as a senior contract negotiator with the Capital District Physicians Health Plan.

Additionally, Ms. Steinbach is an active member in the community. She is the Vice President of the East Greenbush Central School District Board of Education and a board member of the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society. As a lifelong resident of the capital region, she resides with her spouse, two children and dog.