LEADERSHIP TEAM
VERNON PITTMAN
FOUNDER
Breaking Chains Making Amends is the vision of retired Senior Warden Vernon K. Pittman. Warden Pittman grew up in the small town of Bryan, Texas. He and his siblings Timothy, Wayne, Tracey and Clarissa were raised by a single parent mother. Vernon’s mother divorced his father when he was a youth. Vernon’s father was in and out of prison the majority of his young life. He doesn’t remember holding a conversation with his father until he was 35 years old.
While growing up, Vernon excelled in high school both academically and athletically and as a result of his athletic ability, Vernon received a track scholarship to attend Texas A & M University.
At the end of his track eligibility Vernon still needed a few semesters to complete his degree so he took a job with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a Correctional Officer. After completing his degree, he begin to rise through the ranks within the Texas Prison System.
By the conclusion of his 30 year career, Vernon had been assigned to 18 different facilities. During his career Vernon served as both Vice-Chairman and Chairman for the ACE Committee (Advisory Council on Ethics). In 2010, Warden Pittman received the Texas State Governor’s Award for Most Innovative Program for his work with violent offenders. In 2012, while still serving as the Senior Warden of John M. Wynne Unit, he was instrumental in creating many of the faithbase and Christian initiatives that TDCJ now uses as a base for allowing similar initiatives to enter into the Texas prison system.
Vernon is married to Tiffany Pittman and the father of 9 children.
LAKEIDRU BLAYLOCK
executive director
Lakeidru Blaylock currently serves as the Executive Administrator of BCMA since 2016. The Daughter of an incarcerated father, whose drug addiction kept him cycling through the revolving doors of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the majority of her life, so LaKeidru knows all to well the affect incarceration has on the family, especially when that loved one is a parent.
In an effort to help other children and adult children alike cope with the stigma, that comes along with having an incarcerated parent she decided to become a part of the solution and become actively involved by serving as a support system, resource and advocate to the children an/or caregiver alike. As well as providing a voice for the children and family members through her volunteer efforts and public speaking.
She Co-hosted Set-The Captives Free Prison Radio Show every weekend for 2 years – where along with her co-host provided a platform for the family members of incarcerated individuals to communicate with their loved one on a weekly basis, while providing an outlet for the family members to get the support and encouragement they needed for the journey. LaKeidru also serves as the Chair of the Houston Chapter of Texas Inmate and Families Association.
LaKeidru believes that serving others is the greatest work you can do, it takes all of us to make a difference, we must always remember “None of Us, Is Greater Than All of Us”.
LaKeidru lives in Houston, Texas and is the mom of two wonderful young men, Seyvion 16 and Bryson 13.