Violence Reduction Management Institute

David Muhammad is a leader in the fields of violence reduction, youth development, and criminal justice reform. David is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. 

Through NICJR, David provides leadership and technical assistance to gun violence reduction strategies (GVRS) in cities across the country. In Oakland, David helped lead a partnership of organizations and technical assistance providers that achieved a 50% reduction in shootings and homicides. NICJR’s work in Oakland and David’s own experiences as a justice-involved youth in the city were profiled in the New York Times Magazine in January 2025. In Indianapolis, David led the NICJR team that worked with the City to implement the successful Indianapolis Gun Violence Reduction Strategy. In the first three years after the launch of GVRS (through the end of 2024), Indianapolis saw a 29% reduction in murders and nonfatal shootings.  

David also helped lead development of the national CVI Action Plan, which set out a groundbreaking, community-led vision for the field of community violence intervention. 

David’s prior experience leading nonprofit organizations includes serving as the first Executive Director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) in Los Angeles. ARC has grown to become one of the largest and most prominent service providers and policy advocacy organizations for the formerly incarcerated in California. He also previously served as Executive Director of The Mentoring Center in Oakland. During his tenure there, David was contracted by the City of Richmond, CA, to help design the Office of Neighborhood Safety, which has since been credited with bringing significant violence reductions to the city.

David has worked to implement positive youth development into youth justice systems around the country. For three years, he was extensively involved in developing a detailed reform plan for the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the largest probation department in the country. He also served as the technical assistance provider for the Sierra Health Foundation’s Positive Youth Justice Initiative, providing training and consulting to several California probation departments.

David has also supported justice system reform as a monitor in several jurisdictions. He was the federal court appointed monitor overseeing reforms in the Illinois juvenile justice system in the MH v. Monreal Consent Decree. He was also the federal monitor in the Morales Settlement Agreement, which requires the Illinois Parole Review Board and the Illinois Department of Corrections to reform its parole system. In addition, for six years David was a member of the Antelope Valley Monitoring Team, which is charged with monitoring the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department’s implementation of a federal Settlement Agreement. He has also served as an expert witness in numerous juvenile and criminal justice federal lawsuits.

David also spent nearly a decade leading justice agencies in three major jurisdictions: He is the former Chief Probation Officer of Alameda County, CA (Oakland); he was the Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation; and he served as the Chief of Committed Services for Washington, DC's juvenile justice agency, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

A graduate of Howard University’s School of Communications, David has an extensive journalism career and has authored numerous op-ed articles in prominent media outlets, including the Washington Post, LA Times, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, and many others. David also completed a course on “Systems Dynamics for Senior Managers” at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, MA. In August of 2008, David completed a certificate program on Juvenile Justice Multi-System Integration at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute.

DeVone Boggan is CEO and founder of Advance Peace. Advance Peace interrupts gun violence in American urban neighborhoods by providing transformational opportunities to young men involved in lethal firearm offenses and placing them in a high-touch, personalized fellowship. By working with and supporting a targeted group of individuals at the core of gun hostilities, Advance Peace bridges the gap between anti-violence programming and a hard-to-reach population at the center of violence in urban areas, thus breaking the cycle of gun hostilities and altering the trajectory of these men’s lives.

DeVone is the former Neighborhood Safety Director and founding director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) for the City of Richmond, California. The ONS is a government, non-law enforcement agency that is charged with reducing firearm assaults and associated deaths in Richmond. Under his leadership as Neighborhood Safety Director, the city experienced a 71% reduction in gun violence between 2007 when the office was created and 2016. His work with ONS and Advance Peace has been recognized in national publications and media, including the New York Times, Mother Jones, The Nation, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, Fortune, The Economist, Harpers, The New Yorker, PBS NewsHour, The History Channel, NPR, Fox News, NBC Nightly News, ABC Nightline, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, and 60 Minutes.

DeVone is a Visiting Scholar at the University of California at Berkeley, he is published in several academic journals and periodicals, and is the recipient of several honors including the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, a NationSwell All-Star, and Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation supported social entrepreneur. Prior to his tenure in Richmond, DeVone served as Policy Director for Safe Passages, a nonprofit public/private partnership focused on improving urban health outcomes for children, youth, and families.

Vaughn Crandall is Technical Director of the Crime and Justice Policy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania where he leads the Labs technical assistance support to cities seeking to reduce violence, improve public safety and produce rigorous research findings.

Previously, Vaughn served as Co-Director and Executive Director of the California Partnership for Safe Communities, supporting cities to apply evidence-based strategies to reduce violence, reduce the use of incarceration and build police-community trust. Vaughn has over 20 years of experience in local violence reduction and justice reform efforts and has led and supported violence reduction efforts in over a dozen major cities in the U.S. and Mexico. Rigorous impact evaluations have documented the impact of these strategies on community levels of violence; individual victimization and recidivism and police-community trust.

Previously, Vaughn also served as Deputy Director of The Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the New York City Departments of Correction and Probation. He holds an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the Kennedy School at Harvard, a Master of Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ohio University.

Cecilia Oregón is the executive director for Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Health Policy (IHP) and a member of the faculty at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (SOM). In her role at IHP, Cecilia leads strategy, program, and operations. Her areas of expertise include access to health care for underserved populations, trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), school-based health, and early childhood issues. At the SOM, Cecilia lectures on health policy and hosts student practicums at IHP. Cecilia joined Kaiser Permanente in 2013 as the director of safety net partnerships for National Community Benefit. In her role, Cecilia developed and executed Kaiser Permanente’s national safety net grant strategy.

Before joining Kaiser Permanente, Cecilia served as a Program Officer for Blue Shield of California Foundation where she managed the portfolio of grants focused on strengthening California's healthcare safety net. She has also served in program roles with The California Endowment and the California Health Care Foundation. Outside of philanthropy, she has served as a legislative analyst for the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in Washington, D.C. and a special projects consultant with the Alameda County Public Health Department in CA.

She earned her Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, and is an alumnus of the Presidential Management Fellows program. She received a Latino Heritage Leadership Award in 2018 from California Senator Bob Wieckowski for her record of leadership and service.

She is chair of the Alameda County First 5 Commission and sits on the boards of Insure the Uninsured Project and the national School-Based Health Alliance.

Dr. Mikaela Rabinowitz is a long-time social science researcher who believes that rigorous investigation can help drive more just and equitable public policy. Prior to joining NICJR, she held a number of policy, research, and advocacy positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Until July 2022, she served as the Director of Data, Research, and Analytics for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office under DA Chesa Boudin. In this role, she was responsible for establishing a research agenda aligned with the office’s strategic priorities and policy initiatives and overseeing the implementation of this agenda through internal projects and partnerships with academic and nonprofit research organizations. As part of the DA’s senior leadership team, Mikaela was part of an unprecedented effort to reduce the footprint of the criminal justice system in San Francisco, while increasing the infrastructure for diversion and restorative justice.

Mikaela is also an advocate for improving the quality, uniformity, and transparency of criminal justice data. To this end, she has been involved in local, state, and national criminal justice data transparency efforts, including the BJA-sponsored Justice Counts initiative and the recently signed Justice Data Accountability and Transparency Act in California.

In 2021, Mikaela published her first book, Incarceration without Conviction: Pretrial Detention and the Erosion of Innocence in American Criminal Justice with Routledge Press. Based on the results of a mixed-methods analysis of pretrial detention in Cook County, IL, she argues that the Supreme Court’s increasingly narrow interpretations of the presumption of innocence and due process protections for pretrial defendants, and the corresponding increase in pretrial detention, have fundamentally undermined the meaning and value of innocence in the criminal justice system.

Mikaela holds a PhD in Sociology from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in African American Studies from Columbia University.

Leah Wilson was appointed to the position of Executive Director for the State Bar of California in 2017 and reappointed in 2021. In that capacity, she manages a $280 million budget and over 600 staff who are responsible for regulation, licensing, and discipline of California attorneys, as well as for promoting access to legal services and diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Before joining the State Bar Ms. Wilson served as the Court Executive Officer for the Alameda County Superior Court. There, in addition to being responsible for overall court operations, personnel, budget and policy, she took a particular interest in collaborative courts, and advocated for the use of risk assessment tools and an expansion of effective alternatives to incarceration.

Ms. Wilson holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and a Juris Doctorate, both from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a member of the California State Bar. She also served as President of the Berkeley Unified School District’s Board of Education.

Ashley Rayment joined the Public Welfare Foundation in 2023 as Communications Director, overseeing the Foundation’s communication efforts and narrative change grantmaking strategy.

Before joining the Public Welfare Foundation, Ashley provided communication and social impact consulting to mission-driven organizations. Previously, Ashley served as Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, driving efforts to successfully close two of Illinois’ eight juvenile prisons.

Ashley also served as Press Secretary and, subsequently, Communications Director for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. Before that, Ashley was Communications Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and spent seven years with the Allstate Corporation managing internal communications, employee engagement, and corporate reputation.

Ashley earned her Master’s of Nonprofit Management from North Park University and has a bachelor’s degree from Butler University.

Candice Jones joined the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC as its President and CEO in 2017. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago. In that role, she worked on securing greater investments for violence intervention programs as an alternative to the criminal justice system. Prior to her work with Chicago CRED, she served as Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, a cabinet level state agency where she supervised operations, programming, budget matters, and communications. During her tenure, she pushed significant reforms that reduced the number of youth in state custody.

She also served as a White House Fellow, managing a portfolio within the U.S. Department of Education that included developing education strategies for correctional institutions and shepherding a plan to reinstate federal Pell grants for youth and adults in custody.

Earlier in her career, Candice served as a program officer with the MacArthur Foundation, where she managed a grant portfolio focused on decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system and on improving the quality of defense for indigent youth.

Candice received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. is the President of the historic Howard University Hospital. Dr. Mitchell also serves as the 126th President of the National Medical Association (NMA), the oldest and largest group of Black physicians in the United States. He is a board certified forensic pathologist and recently served as tenured Professor of Pathology and Chair of the Department of Pathology at Howard University College of Medicine. He also served as Chief Medical Officer for the Faculty Practice at Howard University just prior to his role as President. 

Dr. Mitchell’s leadership also included service as Chief Medical Examiner for Washington, DC as well as Interim Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice. There he developed and supported numerous programs and policy for violence prevention for the District of Columbia. He recently co-authored the book entitled Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It, published by John Hopkins Press. He recently appeared on the PBS Frontline documentary, Documenting Police Use of Force. He is the co-host of the recent NAACP Image Awards nominated podcast entitled Official Ignorance – The Death in Custody Podcast. 

Dr. Mitchell received his bachelor of science degree from Howard University, medical degree from Rutgers – New Jersey Medical School, pathology residency from the George Washington University Hospital, and forensic pathology fellowship from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – New York City.

Dr. Theron Pride is a consultant and strategic advisor who helps organizations strengthen their management of violence reduction programs, advance racial justice, and design strategies that deliver measurable community impact. He brings more than 20 years of experience leading initiatives across government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector, with a particular focus on equity and opportunity for young men and boys of color.

Previously, Theron served as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, overseeing more than $5 billion in funding for criminal justice, victim services, and public safety initiatives. At DOJ, he helped launch President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, contributing to Milestone 6, which focuses on keeping youth safe from violent crime while expanding access to education, training, and second-chance opportunities.

Theron has also held senior leadership roles with the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Violence Prevention, New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, and the Yale Child Study Center. Most recently, as Managing Director of National Initiatives and Research at the Center for Justice Innovation, he oversaw efforts to expand problem-solving courts, promote evidence-informed justice reform, and apply data-driven strategies to strengthen fairness and effectiveness in justice systems nationwide.

With dual training in social work and law, Theron is recognized for his ability to bridge policy, practice, and community leadership. His expertise spans strategy design, organizational management, cross-sector collaboration, and systems change. He holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Fatima Angeles is the Executive Director of the Levi Strauss Foundation (LSF), which advances pioneering social change in the areas of worker rights and well-being, democracy, reproductive justice, and immigrant rights in communities touched by Levi Strauss & Co.’s business. Before joining LSF, Fatima was Vice President of Programs at The California Wellness Foundation, where she provided executive leadership and strategic vision for the foundation’s programs in grantmaking and program-related investments. Fatima also held other positions at Cal Wellness, including Director of Evaluation and Learning, Program Director, and Program Officer. Before joining Cal Wellness, she was a Program Associate at the Hasbro Children’s Foundation in New York City.

Fatima’s other philanthropic experience includes work with The Commonwealth Fund and the corporate philanthropy program of Pfizer Inc. Fatima has experience working with youth in San Francisco, where she served as Director of the South of Market Teen Center and Project Coordinator for Asian American Communities Against AIDS. Fatima currently serves on the boards of directors for John Muir Health, CARESTAR Foundation, Confluence Philanthropy and the Sisters of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation. Previously, Fatima served on the boards of Grantmakers In Health and Northern California Grantmakers. Fatima served as chair of the board of the Asian and Pacific Islander Health Forum and as a board member of the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center and of Funders Concerned About AIDS. Fatima earned her Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrative Biology, with a minor in Asian American Studies, from the University of California, Berkeley.

Raymond Colmenar is the President of Akonadi Foundation, bringing over two decades of experience in philanthropy, policy analysis, and community development focused on racial equity and social justice.

Prior to joining Akonadi, Ray spent 16 transformative years at The California Endowment, where he most recently served as Managing Director overseeing the Northern California regional team and the statewide Inclusive Community Development team, managing an annual grantmaking portfolio of nearly $20 million. During his tenure at The Endowment, he led significant investments in Oakland and Alameda County, played a key role in the 10-year Building Healthy Communities initiative that prioritized power building as a core component, and co-led the development and implementation of the Sons & Brothers program addressing structural racism facing boys and young men of color.

A recognized coalition builder, Ray collaborated with foundation leaders to establish California Funders for Boys and Men of Color, a network dedicated to removing barriers and advancing opportunities for youth of color and their communities. His impressive career also includes being among the founding staff of PolicyLink, a leading national institute advancing racial and economic equity; serving as a Senior Research Associate at The Rockefeller Foundation and as Executive Director of South of Market Problem Solving Council (now South of Market Community Action Network); and working as a Policy Analyst for the San Francisco Department of Human Services.

Ray holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy. Born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in San Diego, Ray now resides in Albany, California, with his wife, Fatima Angeles, while their children, Isabela and Alessandro, pursue their studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and San Diego State. When not advancing social justice causes, Ray enjoys playing golf with friends.

Dr. Holly Joshi is currently the Chief for the City of Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention Dr. Joshi has vast leadership experience and a track record of successfully implementing evidence-based, violence prevention and intervention strategies. Prior to taking on the leadership of the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP), Dr. Joshi served as Senior Director at GLIDE, where she led the Center for Social Justice, a department focused on improving housing access, gender and racial equity, and community health and safety. Dr. Joshi previously served as a Director at Bright Research Group (BRG) leading criminal justice reform work, community-centered research, and organizational change and capacity building for government, non-profit, and philanthropic organizations in the Bay Area. Dr. Joshi also served as the Chief Executive of the non-governmental organization, Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth (MISSSEY), providing trauma informed, healing centered, direct services to survivors of gender-based violence. Dr. Joshi is an Oakland native, a Merritt College alum, received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cal State East Bay, and her master’s and doctorate in leadership from St. Mary’s College of California.

Ersie Joyner was born and raised in Oakland and still resides in the city. He attended Bishop O’ Dowd High School prior to attending Cal State Hayward (Criminal Justice). After college, he joined OPD in 1991 and early in his career he became a member of the narcotics enforcement team, working as an undercover officer. He was then loaned to the FBI as an undercover case-agent, cross-designated as a DEA agent for 18 months. As a Sergeant, he worked in the Criminal Investigation Division as a Homicide Investigator. He created and supervised the Targeted Enforcement Task Force which focused on violent individuals to address violent crime and gang activity, using conventional and non-conventional methods of enforcement. As a Lieutenant, he served as Section Commander of Homicide and then Watch Commander in the Patrol Division. As a Captain of Police, he served as an Area Commander prior to his assignment as the Commander responsible for Ceasefire. He was responsible for commanding/directing the City of Oakland’s city-wide violent crime fighting strategy, an approach based upon the nationally recognized, evidence-based “Operation Ceasefire” strategy that has produced multi-year reductions in serious violence in a variety of cities across the country. He provided guidance, strategy development, and coordination for the implementation of this program involving the Mayor’s Office, OPD, community leaders, local clergy, community-based organizations, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and state and federal law enforcement partners. This strategy led to sustained historic reductions in violent crime. Captain Joyner is a certified instructor with POST and the ATF. He has instructed over 300 classes for agencies throughout the US, including the FBI, POST and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Captain Joyner was recognized as OPD’s Officer of the Year in 2002 and has received a departmental record six medals of merit for his meritorious work. He retired after 28 1/2 years of service as the most decorated officer in OPD history. Ersie is now a senior consultant and nationally recognized violence reduction strategist. He has designed, implemented, and operationalized shooting reviews in over 20 cities nationally and internationally which have led to considerable and sustainable reductions in violent crime. Ersie is currently a senior consultant for NICJR serving as their law enforcement subject matter expert.