The Violence Reduction Management Institute is a training program focused specifically on improving the management skills of current and aspiring directors of violence reduction strategies, city or county public safety directors, directors of offices of violence prevention, and leaders of nonprofit organizations.
One of the primary challenges to successfully implementing effective violence reduction initiatives is dedicated, competent, and active management. NICJR and our partner organizations have consistently found gaps and challenges in local management of violence reduction strategies. This new Management Institute seeks to address this issue.
Meet the 2026 Cohort!
We're thrilled to introduce the sixteen professionals selected for the 2026 Violence Reduction Management Institute Cohort! This group brings together extensive expertise from across government agencies, philanthropic organizations, and community-based organizations—all united by their work and leadership in the violence reduction field.
Over the next nine months, these participants will engage in an intensive learning journey, each contributing unique perspectives and valuable experience to create a rich and collaborative environment. The program will focus on developing advanced management skills for participants to apply within their own jurisdictions, creating meaningful impact in communities nationwide.
Cohort 2: Participant Hometowns
2026 Cohort Members
Victor Alvelais
Victor Alvelais is an activist, community violence intervention specialist, and nonprofit executive dedicated to transforming high-risk communities through direct engagement, resource navigation, and faith-informed service. He serves as Executive Director of the Oak Cliff Empowerment Center (OCEC) in Dallas, Texas, where he leads initiatives focused on violence reduction, community stabilization, and support services for underserved residents.
Having served more than 26 years in prison before his release in 2020, Victor brings a rare level of lived experience, credibility, and insight to violence prevention, reentry, and transformational community work. He previously served as a Director of Dallas Cred, a City-funded violence interruption initiative, where he helped implement strategies to de-escalate conflicts, mentor high-risk individuals, and connect participants to critical support systems.
Victor also serves as a “Voice of Hope” for the Dallas Police Department’s Focused Deterrence Neighborhood Outreach (FDNO) program, volunteering his time to conduct outreach and home visits aimed at reducing violence and encouraging positive change among high-risk individuals. His role reflects the uncommon trust he has built between community members and public safety agencies.
He is the founder of the National Second Chance Organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on helping justice-involved individuals and at-risk populations achieve transformational change. He is also the principal consultant of Alvelais Advancement Consulting, where he advises organizations on community engagement, violence prevention, and program development strategies.
A sought-after speaker, Victor has presented at conferences and institutions across the country, bridging the gap between street-level intervention and systems-level solutions. His work is informed by his Islamic faith and a commitment to service, accountability, and transformational change.
ChaRon Brabham
ChaRon Brabham, Brooklyn Borough Manager for New York City’s Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), brings extensive experience in community development, public safety, and program management to her role. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to community empowerment, sustainability, and long-term violence prevention. Within ONS, ChaRon serves as a critical liaison between government and the community, offering direct programmatic oversight to Crisis Management System (CMS) organizations and gun violence prevention sites across Brooklyn. She ensures quality assurance, strengthens operational effectiveness, and supports credible messengers in implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce violence and promote community healing. Her leadership helps sustain safe, responsive environments where frontline organizers are equipped with the tools, training, and resources they need to guide individuals toward conflict resolution and nonviolent pathways.
A core component of her role is supporting the strategic planning, coordination, and execution of major citywide initiatives and deployments under CMS. Throughout her tenure at the Office of Neighborhood Safety, ChaRon has successfully led complex operational initiatives, including high-profile public safety activations such as the city’s largest J’ouvert and Labor Day deployments, while developing and advancing a forward-looking operational vision. As initiative lead, ChaRon coordinated closely with community-based service providers and the New York Police Department to establish clear communication protocols and ensure strong interagency alignment. Equally central to ChaRon’s role is fostering strong cross-agency collaboration to support coordinated crisis response and community stabilization efforts, working closely with internal teams and external partners to ensure that responses to community incidents are comprehensive, timely, and resource-informed.
Driven by her belief in the power of community-led solutions, ChaRon has strengthened her ability to navigate complex institutional systems, foster productive cross-sector relationships, and ensure that communities receive critical support services—including therapeutic resources, referrals, and stabilization support—during both crisis response and community engagement efforts.
Anamaria Dahl
Anamaria Dahl is a second-generation Puerto Rican, born and raised in Willingboro, New Jersey. After many years of working in the legal field, she began her public service career by serving numerous governmental agencies, including working in the areas of police reform, as a use-of-force auditor in the Internal Affairs Department of a local police agency facing a Department of Justice consent decree; corrections reform, as an auditor in a new department designated to ensure that the release of imprisoned individuals is conducted in an accurate legal manner; and reform of a DWI program within a local DA’s office that had been in the national news due to a bribery scandal.
Following nearly three years working for Everytown for Gun Safety, where she supported volunteers around the country, Anamaria wanted to dig deeper into preventing violence for her fellow New Mexicans. She returned to public service and currently serves as the Violence Prevention Program Unit Manager for the New Mexico Department of Health’s Office of Violence and Injury Prevention within the Public Health Division. In this role, she manages a budget of more than $2 million for statewide violence prevention programming and oversees violence prevention program coordinators in the areas of suicide prevention, violence prevention, gun violence prevention, and sexual violence prevention.
Anamaria earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the Arizona State University (ASU) Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, then completed a Master of Public Safety Leadership and Administration degree, also from ASU.
She enjoys home improvement projects on the weekends as well as trying new restaurants around town. Travel is always on her mind, so she plans to continue to visit the wonders of the world. Anamaria has a son who just graduated from high school and is studying dental hygiene.
Johnnie Graham-Wicks
Johnnie Graham-Wicks is a dedicated community advocate and violence prevention professional committed to strengthening families and uplifting underserved communities. Johnnie currently serves as the Director of the Office of Violence Prevention in Kankakee, Illinois.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Johnnie brings both lived experience and academic training to her work. She earned an Associate degree in Liberal Arts from Kankakee Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Hospitality from Olivet Nazarene University. She furthered her expertise through studies in Community Violence Intervention at the University of Chicago.
Johnnie’s work centers on youth development, community engagement, and violence prevention initiatives. She has played an active role in organizing events, building partnerships, and supporting individuals and families impacted by community violence. Known for her hands-on approach, Johnnie blends leadership, compassion, and strategic coordination to create meaningful impact at the grassroots level.
With a deep commitment to service, Johnnie continues to advocate for safer communities while mentoring youth and collaborating with local organizations to drive sustainable change.
Bobby Hamilton
Bobby Hamilton serves as a Program Manager within the City of Portland, Oregon, Office of Violence Prevention. In this role, he oversees initiatives that bring together City agencies, schools, community-based organizations, mental health providers, community members and leaders, and justice system partners to reduce violence and support youth and adults who are most at risk of involvement in gun and group violence.
Bobby’s commitment to violence prevention is both professional and deeply personal. Growing up in Portland, he experienced firsthand the impact of gang and group violence, family incarceration, and community trauma. These experiences, along with the loss of friends and family members to violence, shaped his dedication to ensuring that all people facing similar circumstances have access to opportunities and support systems that can interrupt cycles of violence.
With over two decades of community safety professional experience, Bobby now oversees violence prevention programming, manages community partnerships, and coordinates cross-sector strategies focused on prevention, intervention, and long-term community safety. His work centers on collaborative, trauma-informed, and equity-driven approaches that combine lived experience, community partnership, and data-informed strategies to improve safety outcomes in Portland’s most impacted communities.
Damita Jefferson
Damita Lane Jefferson, MSW, serves as the Chief Programs Officer at VOICES Corp., a Black-led nonprofit in Indianapolis dedicated to youth and family empowerment. With a deep background in probation, reentry, and systems-involved family support, she brings a unique blend of frontline experience and visionary leadership to her role.
Throughout her career, Damita has championed trauma-informed practices, healing-centered engagement, and the seamless integration of child welfare and justice-involvement supports. She has worked closely with probation departments, community agencies, and justice systems to develop alternatives to incarceration, family preservation models, and supports for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering their communities.
At VOICES, she oversees the design and implementation of programming that spans adult services, family stabilization, behavioral health linkage, community reentry navigation, and youth violence reduction. Under her direction, VOICES has strengthened its capacity to bridge system gaps by partnering with child welfare, probation, and community providers to deliver holistic, culturally responsive services.
Damita is known for her skill in collaboration across sectors—convening justice stakeholders, nonprofits, and funders to align policy and practice changes. Her work emphasizes centering lived experience, elevating community voice in design, and dismantling structural barriers to equity. She regularly presents on dual-status youth, cross-system integration, and community healing. In all that she does, Damita remains committed to ensuring that children, families, and adults impacted by the justice or welfare systems are met with dignity, opportunity, and support.
Damita holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Social Work degree from Indiana University.
Shinese Johnson
Dr. Shinese Johnson is a dedicated public health advocate, youth development leader, and community strategist committed to advancing health equity and empowering the next generation. With a strong foundation in prevention science and community engagement, she has built a reputation for leading impactful initiatives that address substance use, violence prevention, and overall community wellness.
As Director of School-Based and Community Programs under the Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan, Dr. Johnson designs and implements evidence-based programs that center education, empowerment, and collaboration. Her work brings together schools, law enforcement, faith-based organizations, and community stakeholders to create sustainable solutions that improve outcomes for youth and families.
A passionate mentor, Dr. Johnson is deeply committed to developing young leaders through intentional guidance, coaching, and exposure to opportunities that build confidence and purpose. She integrates mentorship into all aspects of her work, ensuring that youth are not only participants, but also emerging leaders and change agents within their communities.
Dr. Johnson’s leadership reflects a transformational approach, particularly in the areas of prevention, violence (of any kind), and conflict resolution. She equips youth with critical life skills such as decision-making, emotional intelligence, and peer mediation, empowering them to navigate challenges and resolve conflicts in healthy, constructive ways.
In recognition of her impact and leadership, Dr. Johnson received the 2026 Administrator of the Year award from the Michigan chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She was also a nominee for Advocate of the Year. This honor highlights her commitment to mental health awareness, prevention, and community advocacy.
John Jones
A native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, John Jones serves as inaugural Director of the city’s growing Office of Community Safety, where he leads the development of a coordinated, community-centered approach to public safety. Appointed to this position in June 2025, he is responsible for advancing citywide strategies across violence prevention and intervention, behavioral health response, homelessness, and youth opportunity, with a focus on building non-enforcement responses, expanding access to services, and strengthening community-based safety infrastructure.
John brings a strong background in violence reduction and cross-sector coordination. Prior to his current role, he worked within Chicago’s Community Safety Coordination Center, supporting multi-agency efforts to prevent violence and coordinate responses to critical incidents across the South and West sides of the city. His work contributed to the development and implementation of Chicago’s Rapid Response Plan, strengthening the city’s ability to respond to and stabilize communities impacted by violence.
John has experience working across public health agencies, community-based organizations, and local government to align efforts and improve outcomes. This includes supporting large-scale initiatives and coordinating complex, citywide efforts. His work is grounded in a public health approach, emphasizing prevention, coordination, and long-term systems change.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Pastoral Theology from Columbia International University.
Anthony McCrady
Anthony McCrady II, a husband and a father of three, serves as a Life Coach Supervisor with the City of Oakland, California, Department of Violence Prevention (DVP).
Born and raised in Oakland, Anthony always dreamed of giving back and making the city better. His work began in the mental health field, providing wraparound services to youth on probation and their families. After 10 years of partnering with different service providers, he made a seamless transition into social justice work. As a life coach and case manager, he began navigating the community-based organization (CBO) space in Oakland and gained experience with several CBOs before joining the DVP as a life coach in 2023. Anthony became a Life Coach Supervisor in 2024, just as the office made a shift in its approach and began focusing on the highest-risk individuals, those drawing or driving gun violence in Oakland.
Sta'fon McCray
Sta'fon McCray is a violence prevention professional based in Houston, Texas, with a strong commitment to reducing community violence and improving outcomes for individuals most at risk. In his current role, Sta'fon oversees outreach and engagement efforts that focus on building trust within communities, connecting residents to critical resources, and supporting intervention strategies that disrupt cycles of violence. His work centers on meeting people where they are, both geographically and personally, to create meaningful and lasting change.
Sta'fon has experience leading teams, coordinating with cross-sector partners, and implementing data-informed approaches to ensure accountability and impact. Through community engagement events, conflict mediation, and direct service referrals, he works to bridge gaps between systems and the communities they serve. He is particularly focused on ensuring that outreach efforts are not only consistent, but also intentional and responsive to the needs of the population.
Sta'fon's leadership approach emphasizes communication, structure, and continuous improvement. He sets clear expectations, supports staff development, and promotes a culture of responsibility and service. At the same time, he remains grounded in the day-to-day realities of the work, recognizing the importance of presence, relationship building, and credibility in violence prevention.
Sta'fon is passionate about advancing strategies rooted in equity, collaboration, and long-term sustainability. As a VRMI participant, his goal is to contribute to safer, more resilient communities through thoughtful, people-centered violence prevention efforts.
Oscar Medina
Oscar Medina, MA, is the Violence Prevention and Intervention Manager for the City of Tucson, Arizona, where he leads the Office of Violence Prevention and Intervention’s efforts to strengthen a comprehensive, community-centered approach to public safety. He has over a decade of experience spanning education, community organizing, and public service, and his work is grounded in advancing equity, building community power, and implementing public health strategies to reduce violence.
Oscar coordinates City and County departments, community-based organizations, and public health partners to design and implement evidence-based violence reduction strategies. He plays a key leadership role in the Violence Interruption and Vitalization Action initiative, a place-based strategy focused on reducing gun violence through community engagement, violence interruption, and neighborhood revitalization. His work emphasizes data-informed decision-making, trauma-responsive practices, and elevation of the leadership of residents most impacted by violence.
A former middle and high school educator, Oscar brings a strong foundation in youth development and culturally responsive practice. His experience in the classroom shaped his commitment to addressing the root causes of violence by creating supportive systems, expanding opportunity, and strengthening community connections. He has led initiatives such as the Community Safety Leadership Institute, a program designed to build leadership capacity among residents, service providers, and grassroots leaders to drive community safety.
Oscar’s approach is informed by both lived and professional experience, including his upbringing in Los Angeles and his understanding of systems impacted by inequity. He is dedicated to building a coordinated violence prevention and intervention ecosystem that integrates community voices, strengthens partnerships, and promotes healing and long-term stability. He remains committed to reducing violence through community-based solutions that foster safety, resilience, and wellness.
Oscar holds a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jaime Meekins
Jaime Meekins is a dedicated community leader, violence prevention advocate, and program administrator committed to addressing gun violence as a public health crisis in Philadelphia. As a Program Administrator with Pushing Progress Philly (P3), Jaime plays a key role in strengthening the organization's impact while helping to build and elevate its image across the city. Through strategic programming, relationship building, and community engagement, he works to ensure that those closest to the pain are also closest to the solutions.
Jaime's leadership extends into policy and systems change. He was appointed to the Philadelphia Special Committee on Gun Violence, where he has helped inform strategies that center prevention, intervention, and community-based solutions. His voice brings both lived experience and professional insight to conversations that shape the City's response to violence. In recognition of his integrity and commitment to accountability, Jaime was elected to serve on the City’s Citizens Police Oversight Commission, a role he turned down to focus more on his professional goals.
His journey from past challenges to present leadership reflects a deep belief in transformation, justice, and second chances. Jaime is also a graduate of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago, a nationally recognized program that equips leaders with tools to professionalize and advance the CVI field. His work, alongside P3, has been formally recognized by the Philadelphia City Council through a resolution honoring their commitment to ending gun violence as a public health crisis. Grounded in purpose and driven by impact, Jaime continues to lead with authenticity, bridging community voice with meaningful change.
Deven Rivera
Deven Ray Rivera is a National Offices of Violence Prevention Network (NOVPN) Program Manager at NICJR. In this role, he provides technical assistance to NOVPN members and supports other innovative initiatives related to reducing gun violence.
Deven is passionate about addressing both the prevention and intervention aspects of community violence. His focus has been on ensuring that organizations and institutions work together to tackle root causes while securing the necessary resources to achieve meaningful impact. Before joining NICJR, Deven served as the Community Safety Fund Program Manager at Everytown for Gun Safety, where he managed a multimillion-dollar grant program investing in community-based violence intervention and prevention (CVIP) organizations across the US. In this role, he delivered $5.5 million in grants to CVIP organizations across 36 cities. He also provided virtual and in-person convenings, capacity-building initiatives, and advocacy efforts for grantees. Before Everytown, Deven served as Director of Career Readiness for the Center of Community Alternatives, where he managed multiple projects, including grant operations, a tiered workforce development program for system-involved youth, peer mentorship, and access to sustainable employment. Deven also supported New York’s Raise the Age legislation that increased the minimum age for youth held on Rikers Island to 18 years old.
Sandra Sadduk
Sandra Sadduk serves as the Focused Deterrence Project Implementation Manager for the Dallas Police Department (DPD), where she leads strategic violence reduction initiatives designed to improve public safety outcomes and strengthen community trust. With over five years of experience in public safety and community violence intervention, she specializes in implementing data-informed, collaborative approaches that align law enforcement, community-based organizations, and government partners.
In her current role, Sandra oversees the execution and continuous improvement of DPD’s Focused Deterrence strategy, which serves as the long-term component of the Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Plan. She ensures fidelity to evidence-based practices while adapting to local community needs, coordinating cross-sector stakeholders, and advancing accountability through performance measurement.
Prior to joining the Dallas Police Department, Sandra managed community violence intervention initiatives within the City of Dallas Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions. In this role, she supported the development of infrastructure for community-based violence reduction, facilitated cross-sector partnerships, and contributed to the expansion of programs serving individuals who are at the highest risk of violence.
Sandra is known for translating strategy into action, bridging policy, practice, and community engagement. Her work is grounded in a commitment to equitable public safety and strengthening systems that support prevention, intervention, and reentry efforts.
Though not originally from Dallas, Sandra is deeply invested in the city and its communities and remains committed to advancing sustainable, collaborative approaches that drive meaningful reductions in violence.
Starlandria Starks
Star Starks is a dedicated community leader, strategist, and advocate committed to strengthening communities and the families within them. Throughout her career, she has focused on developing, advancing, and sustaining initiatives that create meaningful and lasting impact.
Star currently serves as the Partnerships and Programs Coordinator within the Knoxville, Tennessee, Office of Community Safety, where she leads efforts to reduce violence through strategic program development and community investment. In this role, she supports violence prevention and intervention initiatives by providing funding, operational guidance, and sustainability planning for organizations working on the front lines of community safety and development.
Prior to her work with the City, Star served as Associate Director at Girl Talk Inc, where she played a key role in enhancing programming, strengthening internal operations, and building strategic partnerships to support organizational growth. A cornerstone of her work included preparing high school students for successful transitions to college and beyond. She helped equip more than 100 students with essential life skills such as financial literacy, independent living, and career planning. As a result, many of these students earned full scholarships to prestigious institutions, including the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Johns Hopkins University; and the University of Virginia.
Driven by a deep commitment to service, Star continues to champion initiatives that empower individuals, strengthen families, and create pathways for long-term success. Her work reflects a passion for building sustainable systems that uplift communities and foster generational change.
Michael Yezzi
Michael Yezzi is a Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Detective with over 12 years of experience focused on intelligence-led policing and violence reduction. Currently assigned to the Group Violence Unit of BPD, he plays a key role in implementing the Group Violence Reduction Strategy, using data-driven analysis to identify high-risk individuals and groups driving violent crime. His work has contributed to the development of structured data systems and weekly multi-agency violence review meetings that bring together law enforcement, prosecutors, and community partners to coordinate real-time responses.
Throughout his career, Michael has emphasized the importance of moving beyond traditional reactive policing toward evidence-based, collaborative approaches. He has worked closely with local and federal partners as well as community-based organizations to align enforcement efforts with outreach and support services, helping reduce retaliation and recidivism among those most at risk.
His experience includes analyzing homicide and nonfatal shooting data, building actionable intelligence products for command staff, and supporting strategic decision-making across agencies. While not currently in a formal leadership role, he has consistently taken on responsibilities that require coordination, problem-solving, and initiative, contributing to program development and operational strategy.
Michael is committed to advancing sustainable violence reduction through strong partnerships, analytical rigor, and continued professional growth, with the goal of expanding his leadership impact within BPD and the broader public safety field.
Faculty
David Muhammad
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
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
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.
Candice Jones
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.
Holly Joshi
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.
Dr. Roger Mitchell
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
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.
Cecilia Oregon
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.
Mikaela Rabinowitz
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.
Ashley Rayment
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.
Leah Wilson
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.
Presenters
Fatima Angeles
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
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.
Ersie Joyner
Captain Ersie Joyner is a retired law enforcement professional whose career with the Oakland Police Department (OPD) spanned 29 years, including 25 years in supervisory and command roles. As Ceasefire/Compstat Commander, Ersie was principally responsible for directing the City’s highly successful Ceasefire strategy. He provided guidance, development, and coordination for the strategy’s implementation, which involved 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. In the first six years of implementing Ceasefire, the city experienced a 49% decrease in homicides and 53% decrease in shootings—the largest year-to-year sustained decrease in violent crime in OPD history. Key to this strategy is the Shooting Review meeting developed by Ersie, which is now a nationally recognized best practice.
Before serving as Ceasefire/Compstat Commander, Ersie was a Patrol Division Area Commander responsible for providing direction to more than 150 staff. In this role, he developed and implemented strategic action plans to address violent crime, including adopting new technology and data tools to improve policing and investigations. He also directed staff trainings and coaching to increase confidence and skills and decrease the use of lethal force, and he prioritized community policing efforts and relationship-building in the community.
Ersie retired from OPD in 2019 and now provides technical assistance and training to police departments across the country.
Inaugural 2025 Cohort
2025 Cohort Members
Kareem Brown
Dr. Kareem Brown is a dedicated community leader, educator, and advocate with over 16 years of experience serving marginalized and high-risk populations. He currently serves as the Director of Pushing Progress Philly, the City of Philadelphia’s community violence intervention model, where he leads citywide efforts to reduce gun violence and support returning citizens. His work has contributed to a 38% decrease in gun violence in Philadelphia, demonstrating the power of community-led, data-informed solutions.
Formerly, as Director of Interventions in the Philadelphia school system, Kareem developed programs centered on restorative practices, youth development, and systems change. He is passionate about empowering others to lead, especially those impacted by violence and incarceration, and he continues to champion healing, equity, and transformation in every space he enters.
Kareem holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Drexel University, with a research focus on social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care.
Thomas Crees
Thomas Crees currently serves as the Director of Violence Reduction for St. Louis County, where he leads the countywide implementation of trauma-informed crisis response and community violence intervention strategies. In this role, he works across sectors to align law enforcement, behavioral health systems, and community partners in reducing gun violence and improving public health outcomes.
Prior to his current role, Tom held leadership positions in nonprofit behavioral health and homeless service organizations, where he supported access and continuity of care for underserved populations. He oversaw operations, clinical teams, and street outreach programs, emphasizing integrated care for individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, and behavioral health crises.
Tom previously served nearly a decade in law enforcement, including as the first Homeless Outreach Officer in the St. Louis region and as a Crisis/Hostage Negotiator. In these roles, he helped develop regional crisis response programs and provided direct support to individuals in need. Tom is also a US Army combat veteran, having served with the 101st Airborne Division.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from Webster University and a Professional Certificate in Data Science from Harvard University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University.
Dante Dauz
Dante Dauz was born and raised in San Diego and is currently the Director of Prevention, Diversion, and Reentry with the County of San Diego. His role primarily involves management of the County’s Alternatives to Incarceration Initiative and the Gun Violence Reduction Program. Both programs demand high levels of planning, engagement, and implementation through comprehensive, collaborative efforts with multiple County justice and health departments, the City of San Diego, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, faith-based entities, and community leaders.
Prior to this role, Dante served as a Director with the nonprofit Union of Pan Asian Communities for 15 years, developing and overseeing numerous impact programs focused on community violence and gang prevention, crisis response, youth mentoring, business development, social enterprise, supported employment, and neighborhood empowerment.
Dante is well respected, with a reputation for being on the front lines of issues that impact San Diego’s most vulnerable populations. Throughout his career, the heart and motivation of all his work has been providing genuine care, support, advocacy, and empowerment for the community.
Dante received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University and his Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Ariana Donaville
Ariana Donaville serves as Communications Director for the Public Health - Seattle and King County Regional Gun Violence program. In this role, Ariana focuses on communicating the urgent public health crisis gun violence presents and reshaping the narrative around gun violence by amplifying the voices of directly impacted communities through intentional and balanced storytelling.
Ariana is an experienced communications professional who began her communications career in San Francisco, where she developed an impressive client portfolio including numerous Fortune 500 companies and organizations in the tech, government, and healthcare industries.
After graduating with her Master of Science degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications, Ariana continued to grow her client portfolio in Portland, Oregon, with clients in national and local nonprofit, healthcare, and public administration spaces.
Increases in violence during the pandemic, coupled with her lived experience with gun violence, called Ariana to action and redirected her focus to violence prevention efforts. She joined the Public Health - Seattle and King County communications team as the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention liaison in August 2022.
Hailing from Oakland, California, Ariana is a proud University of Oregon double-duck who enjoys serving alongside her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., sisters, practicing yoga, taking long scenic walks, and cheering on her fellow ducks (#GoDucks).
Lili Gamero
Lili Gamero is a dedicated violence prevention professional with over 11 years of experience in victim advocacy, public safety policy development, and intervention program management. She currently oversees the Violence Reduction Initiative (VRI) for the San Francisco Police Department.
Lili previously worked as a victim advocate with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and as a mayoral public safety advisor under Mayor Edwin M. Lee's administration. Throughout her career, Lili has led key public safety initiatives, strategic partnerships, and community engagement, with a commitment to addressing community violence, fostering community trust, and developing data-driven strategies that reduce harm. She brings a wealth of experience in cross-sector collaboration, trauma-informed care, and policy development.
Darcell Harrison
Darcell Harrison currently serves as Violence Reduction Program Coordinator at the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. At NICJR, Darcell provides leadership, training, and technical assistance for organizations across the country. He also supports a team of Life Coaches in the Bay Area.
For more than 17 years, Darcell has worked on the frontlines of violence reduction, reentry, and youth development. He has served in several capacities, including mentor, case manager, life coach, violence interrupter, and youth workshop facilitator. Prior to joining NICJR, Darcell served as Program Supervisor at Community and Youth Outreach in Oakland. Previously, he spent several years as a Life Coach supervisor in Oakland’s successful Gun Violence Reduction Strategy.
Darcell has been directly impacted by violence and the criminal justice system, having been seriously injured as a victim of violence and having been formerly incarcerated. For nearly two decades, Darcell has been an example and source of inspiration for others through his personal transformation and his exceptional work as a mentor, violence intervention specialist, and supervisor.
Joshua Jones
Joshua Jones, Director of Mobile’s first Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program at USA Health, brings a wealth of diverse experience to the role.
Joshua previously served as Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator for the City of Mobile and as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service. Joshua also dedicated six years to the City of Mobile as a Police Officer and contributed eleven years of service as an Officer in the Army National Guard.
With over a decade of experience in law enforcement, Joshua has emerged as a prominent advocate for implementing 21st Century Policing Practices, violence prevention strategies, and community mobilization tactics.
Beyond his professional role, Joshua serves as Treasurer for Mobile United and as a board member of the Helios Alliance. He was a graduate of the 2023 Leadership Mobile Class and a 2017 graduate of Connect Mobile. He is also an active member of the esteemed 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile.
Joshua was honored by Mobile Bay Magazine in 2017 for his outstanding work with the Santa with a Badge initiative, and he was recognized in Mobile Bay’s 40 under 40 class of 2023. Through his multifaceted contributions, Joshua continues to be a driving force for positive change in Mobile.
Joshua is a proud alumnus of the University of South Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2011. He later obtained a Master of Arts degree from Liberty University in 2017. Of all of Joshua’s accomplishments, his most cherished role is that of husband to Dr. Alicia D. Evans and father to Ava Lynn, Eva Rose, and Mia Joi.
Courtney Lange
Courtney Lange currently resides in Denver, Colorado, where she is a Public Health and Safety Consultant with the Steadman Group; holds a grant funded, part-time position implementing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design for the City of Denver; and serves as a Research Fellow for the Community Justice Action Fund, developing the National Violence Prevention Index.
Courtney’s passions are rooted in violence and criminal legal involvement prevention, especially for underrepresented youth and young adults experiencing high levels of trauma. She has managed programming for the most at-risk youth in the juvenile correction system as well as for youth and adult diversion, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's housing and high-acuity client initiatives, and City youth violence prevention.
Courtney is also a board member for two nonprofits: Restorative Justice Healing Collaborative (a Denver-based Restorative Justice initiative) and Royal Mentoring (a Denver-based mentoring agency for at-risk and criminal-legal involved youth). She originally moved to Denver to obtain a Master's degree in Criminology from the University of Colorado, Denver, specializing in program development, implementation, and evaluation within criminal justice reform efforts.
Outside of work, Courtney is an avid reader, consistent weight lifter, and highly dedicated baseball fan. Most importantly, she is mother to her 12-year-old daughter, Karsyn, and the majority of their free time is dedicated to competitive softball and volleyball. At night, you will find them cuddled up with their 10-year-old German Shepherd, Rogue.
Tony Lopez
Tony Lopez has served as Deputy Director of Community Violence Reduction for the Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) since January 2022. He joined OPHS in February 2020. As Deputy Director, Tony oversees the Indy Peace Program, a partnership between OPHS and the Indy Public Safety Foundation. Indy Peace is one part of the City of Indianapolis Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, which has resulted in a 32% reduction in criminal homicides since the program launched in 2022.
Previously, Tony worked in reentry case management for local nonprofits Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry and Community Alliance of the Far Eastside. Through this work, he was able to provide a variety of services to formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, equipping them to lead productive and responsible lives. Prior to that, Tony worked as a Security Manager for ESG Security, Inc., overseeing both in-house and event security for Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Tony also previously worked for the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC), where he was first assigned as a Correctional Officer at Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility and later promoted to State Parole Agent assigned to Indianapolis Parole District 3. At IDOC, Tony worked on the Indianapolis Parole Accountability Team program, a partnership with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department working with serious violent felons within specific police districts. During his career at IDOC, Tony was a member of the Emergency Response Team and was a certified trainer in Defensive Tactics, Transportation Skills, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, OC/SICDS, and CPR/First Aid.
Tony holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Ball State University.
Jazzika Matthews
Jazzika Matthews is a passionate public safety strategist and servant leader with over 20 years of experience in youth development, community-based violence intervention, and ecosystem coordination. She currently serves as a Project Director at Cure Violence Global, where she leads technical assistance and grant management for national violence reduction efforts.
Jazzika previously directed Safe Hopeful Healthy Baton Rouge, a citywide initiative under the Mayor’s Office that advanced a public health approach to violence prevention through community engagement, mental health support, and high-risk intervention strategies. She is also the founder of PULSE Forward, a dual-entity initiative designed to build community violence intervention capacity and advocacy in the Deep South by equipping grassroots leaders with the tools, training, and policy support needed to sustain their work.
Rooted in her lived experience and driven by purpose, Jazzika brings a collaborative, data-informed, and equity-centered approach to public safety. She is honored to join the Violence Reduction Management Institute to strengthen her ability to lead and support holistic, community-led solutions that save lives and restore hope.
Mercedes Mayers
Mercedes Mayers is a Bakersfield native who currently works as the Outreach Program Supervisor in the City of Bakersfield Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention. In this role, she supervises daily intervention outreach services and actively fosters outreach in identified hot spots for violent group-related activity as needed. Her work also includes conducting community outreach and assigning tasks to build strong relationships with high-risk individuals, residents, businesses, and community groups.
Before working for the City of Bakersfield Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention, she served as a project manager for a nonprofit, where she undertook community violence intervention and prevention work with adults and justice-involved youth.
Mercedes is a servant first, and her heart lies within her community. She gives back to others and builds lasting connections. Mercedes actively attends Chester Avenue Community Church as the Women’s Ministry Leader and Fourth through Six-Grade Educational Teacher. She sits as one of the Church Elders (Board Member) and participates in community outreach, food distribution, and prison ministries.
Mercedes holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a collateral field in Chicano Studies. She is actively working toward a Doctoral degree in Management and Organizational Leadership.
Latisha McNeil
Latisha McNeil is a dynamic leader with over 17 years of experience in criminal justice and community safety. She has served as Director of the Community Safety Department for the City of Greensboro since its launch in September 2022. Latisha is passionate about enhancing public safety through community-driven strategies, and she is dedicated to creating safer, more resilient neighborhoods for all. She prioritizes service over enforcement and focuses on the intersectionality of social determinants of health and public safety.
Under her guidance, the Community Safety Department has initiated key programs like the Behavioral Health Response Team, Law Enforcement Assistance Diversion Program, and Violence Prevention Initiative (GSO Peace on Purpose). Latisha also trains law enforcement agencies and communities on collaboration and engagement, fostering a cooperative environment to improve public safety. She consults on civilian oversight for cities nationwide and contributes to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement under the training committee. Additionally, she has collaborated with the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing on officer retention research and worked with the US Department of Homeland Security on community-police co-production strategies.
Before her current role, Latisha served as a Criminal Justice Administrator for Greensboro, managing the Greensboro Criminal Justice Advisory Commission and the Police Community Review Board.
Latisha is a proud graduate of the University of Chicago Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy. Her commitment to community engagement and policy advancement is evident in her active involvement in various boards, including the North Carolina Office of Violence Prevention Advisory Council.
Latisha holds a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with a focus on Police Organizational Studies from the University of Cincinnati. She is a certified law enforcement auditor. Her training spans law enforcement oversight, community violence intervention, leadership, grant writing, and racial equity.
Daniela Medina
Daniela Medina is the Deputy Chief of Direct Practice in the City of Oakland Department of Violence Prevention, where she leads efforts to reduce community violence through culturally rooted focused deterrence strategies. In her current role, she bridges direct practice with systems-level strategy, ensuring that the voices and needs of impacted communities guide violence prevention efforts.
An Oakland native, Daniela brings over a decade of experience in direct services and systems change focused on healing and safety for historically marginalized communities. Her leadership is shaped by lived experience, a commitment to equity, and a passion for community-led solutions.
Daniela’s previous roles include serving as Associate Director at Berkeley Underground Scholars and Direct Services Supervisor at Community and Youth Outreach. She has also served on multiple boards focused on restorative justice, youth development, and reentry support.
Daniela holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California, Berkeley, grounding her work in a strong academic foundation and a deep commitment to public service.
Through the Violence Reduction Management Institute, Daniela looks forward to strengthening cross-sector collaboration and deepening her impact in building safer, more resilient communities.
Shenna Oriabure
Shenna Oriabure, LCSW, is the Focused Deterrence Program Manager at the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. She oversees the operational planning, statistical analysis, establishment, execution, and evaluation of the Focused Deterrence Program.
Shenna has spent her career securing resources, resolutions, and hope for individuals and the Dallas County community. Through policy formation, strategic planning, decision making, and organizing, Shenna supports others in the improvement of their quality of life. Her areas of expertise include mental health and program management.
Shenna has been an agent of change employed by Dallas County for 15 years. She has experience in all three components of the criminal justice system: police, courts, and corrections. Shenna brings the values of making a difference, competent work, reliability and dependability, ethical work, and inclusion to wherever she operates.
Shenna is a continual learner. She is a proud graduate of Sam Houston State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. Shenna has been a licensed social worker for 15 years and has earned her clinical certification. She was previously certified by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education as an Advanced Telecommunicator, and she is a certified Moral Reconation Group Therapist.
Shenna is native and current resident of Dallas County. She enjoys photography and spending time with her family.
Rena Shak
Rena Shak is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, but she has called central Ohio home for almost two decades. In 2023, Rena was appointed to a cabinet position by Columbus, OH, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, to serve as Director of the Columbus Office of Violence Prevention—the first office of its kind in the State of Ohio. In this role, she coordinates all violence prevention efforts and leads criminal justice policy initiatives for the City of Columbus on behalf of the Mayor.
Rena is committed to working collaboratively with federal, state, and local government partners as well as community organizations and city residents to reduce violence and enhance safety initiatives for all.
A graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, Rena dedicated her previous legal career to working in the fields of criminal justice and justice policy, most notably as a tenured public defender, Franklin County judicial candidate, and In-House Counsel and Assistant Policy Director to the Office of Mayor Ginther.
LaToya Wilson
LaToya R. Wilson currently works as a Public Health Administrator with Community Safety within the Behavioral Health and Wellness area of the Nashville Metro Public Health Department overseeing Group Violence Intervention work.
LaToya is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. She is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in public safety, violence mitigation, and community development. With a strong background in law enforcement coordination and cognitive-behavioral interventions, she is committed to fostering safer communities through strategic programming, outreach, and collaboration. Her leadership, analytical skills, and commitment to social change make her a driving force in violence prevention and community transformation.
LaToya previously served as a Program Manager for Violence Mitigation and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions at the Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she designed and implemented evidence-based violence prevention strategies. Notably, she was the first Black woman to acquire this role on the Adult Field Services side and the second woman to be promoted from line staff to a management position. In this role, LaToya worked closely with law enforcement, social service agencies, and community organizations to enhance communication, promote resilience, and reduce risk factors associated with community violence.
Throughout her career, LaToya has held multiple leadership roles in corrections, including Acting Corrections Unit Supervisor, Senior Probation Officer, and Career Probation Officer. She has played a pivotal role in developing and overseeing community corrections programs, managing staff, and advocating for policy enhancements to improve rehabilitation services. She has also shared her expertise as an Adjunct Instructor at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Additionally, she is an expert in training stakeholders on conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques.
LaToya holds a Master of Science degree in Public Safety with a Criminal Justice Specialization from Capella University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Child Psychology from Metropolitan State University.
Rena is committed to working collaboratively with federal, state, and local government partners as well as community organizations and city residents to reduce violence and enhance safety initiatives for all.
A graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, Rena dedicated her previous legal career to working in the fields of criminal justice and justice policy, most notably as a tenured public defender, Franklin County judicial candidate, and In-House Counsel and Assistant Policy Director to the Office of Mayor Ginther.
Learning, Leadership, and Collaboration in Action
