Rite of Passage co-founder, President, and CEO Ski James Broman has evolved Rite of Passage into a nationally-acclaimed organization providing a wide spectrum of treatment options, including trauma-responsive care, family preservation initiatives, specialized residential programs, and non-residential mentoring that works with 2,000 youth daily. By emphasizing our strategic role as a learning, growing, dynamically-evolving institution, Mr. Broman ensures Rite of Passage remains firmly committed to developing and implementing effective, mindful, compassionate programs that improve lives and prepare our youth for success. Holding dual Master’s in both Family & Children’s Counseling and Business Administration, he solidifies ROP partnerships with researchers, universities, and private enterprise. He is a proven youth advocate, experienced licensed counselor, and has served on the Annie E. Casey Juvenile Justice Strategy Group taskforce that devised principles to transform care for young people in juvenile justice.

Rite of Passage Chief Administrative Officer Lawrence Howell has devoted more than 30 years to the organization’s ethical growth and advancement, galvanizing its efforts as a mission-driven organization dedicated to improving lives by rigorously upholding both the quality and effectiveness of its programs. A certified U.S. Department of Justice PREA auditor, Mr. Howell continuously monitors all ROP operations at a comprehensive level, enacting progressive quality improvement and securing thorough, multi-level compliance. Through his work, he has fortified Rite of Passage as a leader in delinquency prevention and youth rehabilitation on a national stage. Appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval to serve on the Nevada Coalition to Prevent the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, a current member of the Nevada Association of Juvenile Justice Administrators, and a volunteer member of multiple local Nevada planning and community boards, Lawrence Howell strongly advocates for at-risk and vulnerable youth.

Owing largely to CJ Bower’s 20-year tenure as Chief Financial Officer at Rite of Passage, the agency has greatly expanded its youth care continuum. Ms. Bower has finance experience in the banking, hospital and manufacturing sector and, together with her sound fiscal and accountability practices, has afforded ROP the opportunity to serve youth in 40 active programs on campuses across 15 states. With her industry-leading financial experience, she has also personally developed our innovative employee benefit plans and programs, strengthening our team and guarding our financial safety. Holding a Master’s in Business Administration and currently serving as a member of both the Arizona Business Partnership and the Passageway Scholarship Foundation, she continues to define the financial mechanics of youth care.

Our National Director of Education has assured curricular and instructional excellence in all Rite of Passage schools for more than a decade. Holding a Master’s in Educational Leadership and currently completing her Doctorate of Education, she continues to develop creative alternative programs and rigorous educational paradigms that challenge and empower our teachers to foster critical thinking, emotional resilience skills, and applied academic knowledge in our students. She personally observes instruction to develop groundbreaking lesson plans and high-caliber classroom best practices tailored to the unique gifts and diverse needs of our youth. Her strengths-based implementation and staff development methodologies ensure teachers adapt their pedagogy in tandem with cutting-edge, evidence-based disciplinary trends and initiatives; her development of holistic, effective special education services also allows ROP to serve and advocate for a wide spectrum of at-risk youth.