Workgroup Members
The chairs and members of Transform911’s six workgroups have a range of expertise that drives this work forward.
911 Professional Career and Supports
Co-Chairs
George Rice, Managing Partner, SkyHawk Global
George Rice is a Managing Partner at Skyhawk Global Associates. He has a diverse background covering 35 years in public service and global engagement. He is a former American enforcement and intelligence agent and has headed a series of programs and organizations directed at public sector and emergency services efforts, with a focus on the technologies that enhance these vital interests. He is the former Executive Director of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), leading both organizations into significant growth periods.
Lora Ueland, Executive Director, Valley Communications Center 911
Lora Ueland is the Executive Director of Valley Communications Center 911 in Washington State. She began her career as a dispatcher at Valley Com and has held multiple roles, culminating in her current position as Executive Director since 2011. Lora is the immediate past-president of the Washington APCO/NENA Chapter, Board Chair of the Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network, and Board member of the Community Connectivity Consortium, a fiber-optic network serving cities, schools, hospitals and 911 Centers in the greater Puget Sound region. With nearly 40 years’ experience in the 911 field, Lora has earned APCO certifications as a Registered Public-Safety Leader and Certified Public-Safety Executive. Continual improvement, growth mind-set and being of service are part of Lora’s core values.
Members
Jill Baldassano, Senior Manager, SkyHawk Global
Jill is Senior Manager at SkyHawk Global where she develops strategic and integrated content to help clients advance overall business objectives. In her diverse background, she has helped companies from small startups to multi-billion-dollar global organizations develop their own brand and increase share of voice in their own unique way. Jill has expertise in helping transform companies through customer service content, digital strategies, user engagement campaigns and overall marketing communications. She has spent her career collaborating with subject matter experts, thought leaders, stakeholders and ultimately, the audience, to engage in meaningful content. Jill holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brigham Young University.
Jeremy Hill, 911 Center Co-Manager, Amarillo, TX
Captain Jeremy Hill currently serves as Co-Manager of the consolidated 911 center in Amarillo, TX. He has served in a First Responder capacity since 1999, where he performed duties in the communications center as a Dispatcher and Call Taker. Captain Hill also leads the Critical Incident Stress Management team at his 911 center and at the regional level. He cites employee health and wellness as core values to be championed.
Yolanda L. Lewis, Executive Vice President, Justice and Health, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Yolanda Lewis is the Executive Vice President of Justice and Health for the Meadows Institute, focused on improving outcomes for individuals with behavioral health conditions in the criminal justice system. Before joining Meadows, she served as the Senior Director for Safety and Justice at The Pew Charitable Trusts, overseeing work to improve justice-related efficiencies at the state and local levels of government. Formerly the District Court Administrator for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, Lewis designed initiatives in judicial administration, court and jail management, mental health, and justice reinvestment. A certified court manager, Lewis is an appointee to the Racial Equity Advisory Board for the District Court of Columbia, and a board member of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System. She has served as faculty for Michigan State University’s Judicial Administration program, vice president of the National Association for Court Management, a founding member of the Fulton County Smart Justice Advisory Council, and president of the Georgia Council of Court Administrators. Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and a master’s in public administration from the University of South Alabama and is a graduate of the executive leadership program at Yale University.
Monica Million, 9-1-1 Business Development Manager, Amazon Web Services
Monica Million began working in 2001 as a telecommunicator at the Grand Junction Regional Communication Center in Colorado. Well respected within the industry, she advanced to serve as the president of NENA, the National Emergency Number Association. With 20 years of service, Monica currently works in the role of 9-1-1 Business Development Manager for Amazon Web Services.
Keris Myrick, Director at JED Foundation/Co-Director S2i (The Mental Health Strategic Impact Initiative)
Keris Jän Myrick is a Co-Director of The Mental Health Strategic Impact Initiative (S2i) which aims to advance the transformation of mental health by catalyzing cross-sectional reforms, strengthening collaborations, and bridging gaps, she serves on the Board of the National Association of Peer Specialists (N.A.P.S.) is a Certified Personal Medicine Coach and Therapeutic Game Master. Keris previously held positions as the Chief, Peer and Allied Health Professions for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs for the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the United States Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), President and CEO of Project Return Peer Support Network, a Los Angeles-based, peer-run nonprofit and the Board President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Keris is a leading mental health advocate and executive, known for her innovative and inclusive approach to mental health reform and the public disclosure of her personal story. Ms. Myrick has over 15 years of experience in mental health services innovations, transformation, and peer workforce development. In June 2021, Keris was the recipient of Mental Health America’s highest honor the Clifford W. Beers Award. Ms. Myrick has a Master of Science degree in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University. Her Master of Business Administration degree is from Case Western University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
Bob Patterson, Executive Director, Mercy EMS Springfield Communities
Tiffany Russell, Project Director, Mental Health and Justice Partnerships, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Tiffany Russell directs Pew’s mental health and justice work with a focus on improving justice-related efficiencies in state and local governments. This includes developing national standards for reforms that reduce the use of law enforcement and jails when responding to individuals with a mental health issue. Before joining Pew, Russell served as the director of planning and development for the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, where she was responsible for building the court’s capacity by developing policies, programs, and processes to enhance the administration of justice and increase access to justice for all. Russell also held several positions in grant management, research, strategic planning, public relations, and communications in nonprofit, government, and education organizations. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and a Master of Business Administration in innovation from Mercer University.
Brian Scott, Principal, BDS Planning & Urban Design
Brian Scott and has more than 40 years of professional experience and founded BDS Planning in 2009 to solve strategic puzzles toward more vibrant, just, and sustainable communities. His professional practice focuses on inclusive processes, consensus facilitation, organizational development, and place management. Strategic planning and racial equity in 9-1-1 communications are particularly relevant specialties. Brian a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from Portland State University.
Jeff Streeter, Executive Director, Jefferson County Communications Center Authority
Jeff Streeter currently serves as the Executive Director of the Jefferson County Communications Center Authority. He is a retired Chief of Police for the Lone Tree Police Department in Colorado, with more than 30 years of experience in the field. Streeter holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice/Police Science and Sociology from the Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado. He also completed the Senior Management, Leadership at the FBI National Class #241.
Adam Timm, Consultant and Founder, The Healthy Dispatcher
Adam Timm began his 17-year career in public safety as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department, where he spent over a decade under the headset. He left the LAPD after founding his training and consulting company to provide classes, conference sessions and culture change consulting services to dispatchers across the country. Adam’s energetic presentations and uplifting message have made him one of the most highly regarded speakers in the 9-1-1 industry.
Ashley Tjaden, Business Services/Equity & Diversity Coordinator, Bureau of Emergency Communications (9-1-1)
Ashley Tjaden currently serves as the Equity Coordinator at the Portland (OR) Bureau of Emergency Communications (9-1-1). She has a background in Code Enforcement and has worked in several public utilities departments including Water, Sewer & Stormwater, and Garbage. She specializes in community engagement with diverse communities. Tjaden holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Development with an emphasis on Community Organization and Change from Portland State University.
Vikki Wachino, Principal, Viaduct Consulting
Vikki Wachino has worked for more than 25 years to advance stronger health care systems for low-income people in the U.S. She is the former deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for which she oversaw all policy and operations for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and led historic efforts to expand Medicaid coverage, reduce the nation’s uninsured rate, and strengthen state health care delivery systems. Ms. Wachino is the author of many publications on Medicaid coverage and financing and speaks frequently on these topics, including in testimony before Congress. She is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Mount Holyoke College.
Kim Westcott, Senior Program Officer, Criminal Justice Grantmaking, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Kim Westcott is a Senior Program Officer in Criminal Justice Grantmaking with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, supporting the new portfolio focusing on ending mass incarceration, increasing opportunities for those impacted by the criminal legal system and promoting the health and safety of all communities. Throughout her career, Kim has been committed to addressing root problems and promoting systemic change that builds the power of communities of color. Before joining Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Kim served as Associate Counsel in the Community Service Society of New York’s Legal Department, where she developed human rights centered strategies and programming to remove barriers to employment for the formerly incarcerated and expand opportunities to fully participate in the life of the community.
Wes Wright, Executive Director, Next Generation 911 Institute
Wesley (Wes) Wright serves as the Executive Director of the Next Generation 911 Institute and is a recognized expert on federal and state rules relating to 911 services, including 911 reliability, interconnection, and outage reporting requirements. Wright holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster and a J.D. from the University of Akron, School of Law. As a Partner at Keller and Heckman, he also represents trade associations and corporate clients on policy matters before the FCC and assists clients with all aspects of FCC enforcement investigations. Prior to rejoining Keller and Heckman, Wes worked as an in-house attorney for a telecommunications company where he advised the company’s subsidiaries on federal and state regulations governing the 911 industry, VoIP requirements, and other telecommunications compliance matters of interest.
Research Delegates
April Feng, Senior Analyst, Center for Radical Innovation for Social Change at the University of Chicago
April Feng is a Senior Analyst at the Center for Radical Innovation for Social Change (RISC) at the University of Chicago. Feng worked previously as the Deputy Director of Economic Empowerment for the City of South Bend under Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and as a Legislative Aide in the UK House of Commons. Feng received a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, as well as a master’s in philosophy and Public Policy with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Lois James, Assistant Dean of Research, Washington State University College of Nursing
Lois James is an associate professor in the Washington State University (WSU) College of Nursing, where she focuses on bias, stress, sleep, and performance in “high stress” populations such as police officers, military personnel, nurses, and top tier athletes. She is one of a handful of research advisors for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, has received multiple honors and awards for her work, and is internationally recognized as a leading expert in her field. Dr. James’s simulation-based research on the impact of bias on police decision making has significantly advanced what is known about how suspect race and ethnicity (as well as other factors) influences police officers during critical encounters with the public. She is the founding director of Counter Bias Training Simulation (CBTsim), a novel and innovative simulation-based implicit bias training program that has been featured in National Geographic and the recent feature-length documentary “bias.” Dr. James’s work has been published extensively in academic journals, practitioner magazines, and mainstream media such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. During her time at WSU, James has brought in approximately $6,000,000 of extramural funding, making her an important contributor to WSU’s “Drive to 25” goal of being recognized as one of the nation’s top 25 public research universities, preeminent in research and discovery, teaching, and engagement by 2030.
Michelle Lilly, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University
Dr. Michelle Lilly is a licensed clinical psychologist, who received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan where she completed a post-doctoral fellowship before becoming a faculty member at Northern Illinois University. She has previously worked as a Co-Investigator on a federally funded grant examining the impact of NG9-1-1 on telecommunicators. In 2019, Dr. Lilly developed Illinois funded “Saving Blue Lives,” a two-day training for law enforcement on PTSD, suicide, peer support, and resilience.
Jim Marshall, Co-Founder, 911 Training Institute
Jim Marshall is a Co-Founder of the 911 Training Institute with his sister, Deborah Achtenberg, and his wife, Linda Marshall. He currently serves as the CEO and Lead Instructor for 911TI, strategically leading the organization in development of curriculum and resources to benefit the 9-1-1 industry. Jim is a leading voice in the 9-1-1 industry for mental health and dispatcher wellness. He is a mental health professional and educates telecommunicators in personal stress resilience and mastery of calls involving suicide and mental illness. Jim is co-editor of The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional: A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving & Thriving Together in the 9-1-1 Center. Jim has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Emergency Dispatch and as Co-chair of the NENA Working Group that produced the NENA Standard on Acute/Traumatic and Chronic Stress. He also served as the Chair/CEO of the 911 Wellness Foundation, a former non-profit organization that was devoted to fostering the well-being of 9-1-1 professionals through research, education, policy, and intervention.
Alternative First Responders
Co-Chairs
Sean Goode, Executive Director, Choose 180
Sean Goode is a speaker, facilitator, writer, podcast host, executive coach, and nonprofit leader who is driven by his mantra, “possibilities over problems,” which was born out of his lived experience growing up in what was overwhelmingly challenging circumstances. Through his stewardship of the now nationally recognized nonprofit, CHOOSE 180, he has worked to decriminalize youthful behavior and transform the very systems that have historically caused harmed to marginalized communities. Prior to leading this 2021 City of Seattle Human Rights award-winning organization he served as a chaplain in juvenile detention, championed gang and group intervention efforts, and worked to provide education and employment opportunities for youth in at-risk communities.
Sean Goode is considered a national expert on justice reform and has been appointed by the Washington State Governor to the Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice where he serves as the vice chair working to address statewide issues surrounding the criminalization of adolescent behavior. As a thought leader, Sean is regularly sharing his own personal journey, the transformative power of grace and the impact of elevating possibilities over problems with a diversity of audiences in both the private and public sector.
Gabriel Rodriguez, Chief of Police, Camden, New Jersey
Chief Gabriel Rodriguez assumed command of the Camden County Police Department on December 31, 2020. An East Camden native Chief Rodriguez has served the City of Camden as a police officer for more than seventeen years. Chief Rodriguez graduated from the prestigious Senior Management Institute for Policing in 2019, earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and is currently completing a master’s degree in public administration. Chief Rodriguez is recognized as a plank-holding member of the department, playing a key role in the creation and successful stand-up of the department in 2013. Throughout his career Chief Rodriguez has served in many capacities including uniformed operations, investigations, community leadership, and executive commands.
Members
Rebecca Brown, Owner and President, Further The Work
As founder and President of Further The Work, Rebecca seizes opportunities to build better justice wherever she can. Fiercely committed to both equity and excellence and noted for her uncommon ability to forge effective partnerships among highly diverse stakeholders, Rebecca has proven capacity to design progressive, effective, transformative, and fundable initiatives that significantly shift collective premises, policies, and practices. Among her other work, Rebecca has designed a nationally recognized Misdemeanor Early Representation program to advance procedural justice and reduce failures to appear and related warrants; designed a public/private collective impact reentry center that has served as a replicable model for other jurisdictions; and designed and is managing a national project to advance effective implementation of LEAD initiatives across the country. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree from Stanford University, where she is also completing her PhD.
Joseph Cortez, Associate Professor, University of Southern California
Joseph retired as the Executive Officer in the Office of the Chief of Police at the Santa Monica Police Department and currently employed as a faculty member at the University of Southern California, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in public policy and organizational leadership. Joseph is also a decorated NSW combat veteran and member of several veteran associations. Joseph represents the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs for the Los Angeles Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) program for Unmanned Aviation related matters, Chairs the Unmanned Aviation Working Group for the LA/LB UASI program, and is the Co-Chair for the Research and Policy Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Katie Camp, Senior Program Manager at The Policing Project, New York University School of Law
Brendan Cox, Director of Policing Strategies, LEAD Support Bureau
Brendan Cox is the Director of Policing Strategies for the LEAD Support Bureau. He was born and raised in Albany, NY and maintains his Bureau office there. Prior to coming to the Bureau, Brendan worked for the Albany Police department for 23 years and retired as the Chief. Albany was the third City to adopt and implement LEAD. Brendan enjoys the hands-on work at the Bureau and helping communities across the country work to reform how systems look at problematic substance use, mental health, and poverty.
Dolores (D.C.) Ernst, Program Administrator for Community Assistance Program, City of Phoenix
Dolores Ernst is the Program Administrator for the City of Phoenix Community Assistance Program. Ms. Ernst has been the Administrator since June 2021. She has been an employee with Community Assistance Program since 2006. For 3 years, Dolores served as Adjunct Faculty with Maricopa Community Colleges and taught a variety of social work courses. Dolores received a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University.
Naji Fenwick, Program Manager, Vital Strategies
Naji Mujahid Fenwick, Esq. is the Program Manager of Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) at Vital Strategies’ Overdose Prevention Program, a seconded position to the City of Philadelphia Managing Director’s Office of Criminal Justice. Among other duties, he supports the Assistant Director of Diversion and Deflection in their efforts to develop and implement improvements to the PAD program model and advance harm reduction approaches in law enforcement, including strategies to reduce overdose by diverting people away from arrest to supports and services.
David Heppard, Executive Director, Freedom Project Seattle
David knows first-hand the impacts of mass incarceration after being incarcerated at 16 years old with a de facto life sentence. Due to his juvenile status when he was convicted, and the passage of the 5064 bill, he was released after 24 years of confinement. He now works toward developing partnerships with other community providers whose mission is in alignment with making advancements in criminal justice and prison reform. He is also a Credible Messenger, which is a national initiative of adult men and women from similar backgrounds who equip young people with the tools to heal their lives and provide them with a living example of hope and transformation.
Daniel Kornfield, Executive Director, Dignity Best Practices
Dan Kornfield has led best-practices research, benchmarking, and consulting teams at Corporate Executive Board and Frontier Strategy Group, serving executives within large enterprises. In 2016 he pivoted to work with city governments, to help them pioneer their practices in public safety. He has served in Washington DC as a Senior Budget Analyst in the Office of the City Administrator, as a sworn reserve Police Officer and as Supervisor of the Research and Analytical Services Branch within the Metropolitan Police Department.
Lionel King, Program Specialist, Law Enforcement Action Partnership
Lionel King is a Program Specialist for Law Enforcement Action Partnership in addition to a ethnographer, author, and researcher. He holds a PhD in Intercultural Relations. His research centers on the use of religious/cultural practices in mental health treatment. Lionel is a New Orleans native and a proud husband and father.
India Hayes Larrier, State Advocacy Manager, Community Catalyst
India Hayes Larrier, MPH, is a state advocacy manager for Community Catalyst, a leading non-profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for health equity and justice. Through technical assistance, coaching, and coalition building, Mrs. Larrier builds and maintains relationships with national, state, and local partners. She especially works with those organizations seeking transformative approaches to addiction.
Before joining Community Catalyst, India worked as associate state director for advocacy at AARP NJ, where she organized community partnerships and coalitions. She also coached volunteer advocates and members of the 50+ community to inform peers and state and federal legislators on issues of concern and advocate for amendments and passage of legislation beneficial to New Jersey. Before AARP, as a health care organizer for the state-wide advocacy and social justice organization, New Jersey Citizen Action, she organized and spoke out at events in defense of the Affordable Care Act, expansion of substance use disorder treatment, and prevention services for youth and young adults. She served two terms in elected office as Township Committeewoman in Maplewood, NJ.
Janelle Marcellis, Police Commander, University of Chicago
Janelle is an experienced Police Commander at the University of Chicago who has demonstrated history of working in all levels of law enforcement including public, private, state, federal and the higher education industry. Janelle has served in law enforcement for more than twenty years and is skilled in Patrol Operations, Investigations, Community Relations, Emergency Management, and Crisis Intervention. Janelle graduated from Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and earned two bachelor’s degree in law enforcement justice administration and psychology from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in public safety administration from Lewis University.
Matthew Moody, Director, Contact Center Operations at Crisis Response Network
Matthew Moody serves as the Director of Contact Center Operations at Solari Crisis Response Network. In this role, he oversees 100 employees in a crisis contact center that fields over 25,000 calls per month. He also provides oversight to 2-1-1 Arizona, which offers information and referral services to the state of Arizona. He has over ten years of experience in the behavioral health field, specializing in case management, crisis, and counseling services. Matthew is passionate about veteran support, increasing public knowledge of mental health issues, and reducing mental health stigma. With a strong desire to prevent suicide, Matthew leads innovative change to improve the lives of those with mental illness. Matthew earned a Bachelor of Psychology degree and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Arizona State University. Matthew also serves on the Board of Directors for Mental Health America of Arizona.
Brianna O’Steen, PhD, Senior Public Policy Associate, Mark43
Brianna O’Steen is an interdisciplinary researcher whose expertise sits at the intersections of public policy, health, and safety. Brianna is particularly passionate about human-centered policy design and evaluation to promote equitable public policy and social programs. She is a mixed methods practitioner employing econometric, traditional qualitative, and content analysis aided by machine learning and natural language processing methodologies in her work. Currently, Brianna holds the position of Senior Public Policy Associate at Mark43 where she and colleagues leverage public policy and cloud-native software to connect communities and increase public safety. Prior to this position, Brianna O’Steen was a Doctoral Candidate at Oregon State University studying the social and economic costs and benefits of labor migration policies in the Philippines. Brianna also holds advanced degrees in Public Health and Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida.
Emily Perish, Co-Founder, Comprehensive Care Institute
Emily joined the CCP team while pursuing her Master of Public Policy at the University of Chicago where she focused on health policy, inequities, and economics. After graduating, she was selected to participate in the Administrative Fellowship at University of Chicago Medicine, continuing to work with the CCP program around development and expansion. Before graduate school, Emily managed district operations and strategic development within the Illinois House of Representatives and performed independent research about the use of mobile health interventions to improve maternal health outcomes. Emily is passionate about increasing access to high quality, holistic health care for all people.
Matt Perkins, Program Director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Matt Perkins is an expert in community-based crime reductions efforts and advocate for resident-based crime prevention efforts. Matt joined LISC in 2013, his work has included supporting community-based approaches to reducing crime and increasing safety. The goals of this work are to help residents improve their neighborhoods’ safety and health through community action and capacity building in equal partnership with local law enforcement agencies. He has been a lead technical assistance provider on multiple U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) programs, trainer for local LISC partners and collaborator with criminal justice policy and research organizations. Prior to working with LISC, Matt was a technical assistance provider for the federal Weed and Seed crime prevention program, provided crime reduction support to HUD and public housing agencies nationwide, and worked at DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Monika Witt, Policy Manager, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Monika is an experienced project manager and program evaluator working across sectors with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and higher education institutions. She has a strong interest and passion for working with individuals with complex health and social needs. She has specific experience breaking down structural and systemic barriers to accessible behavioral health care, and affordable housing. Additional experience includes working within the Sequential Intercept Model to decrease the number of individuals with behavioral health needs in the criminal justice system.
Research Delegates
Amir Chapel, Policy Analyst, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
Amir Chapel is a Policy Analyst at NICJR. Amir coordinates projects and initiatives, often with local government agencies or other stakeholders. Amir conducts research on policies, programs, strategies, and organizations in the fields of criminal and juvenile justice, youth development, violence reduction, organizational development, and other relevant areas through the collection and analysis of data. Amir also coordinates legislative and policy advocacy initiatives. Amir has been directly impacted by the criminal justice system as a formerly incarcerated person who is dedicated to improving the outcomes of those that cannot advocate for themselves.
Aili Malm, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, California State University, Long Beach
Dr. Aili Malm is a Professor in the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Emergency Management at California State University, Long Beach. She is interested in the assessment and evaluation of policing strategies and intelligence. She has worked as a PI or Co-PI for over $6 million in grants. She has published over 40 research articles and two books including Disrupting Criminal Networks with Gisela Bichler, and Cops, Cameras and Crisis with Mike White. She has also worked with several police departments across the globe, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, British Home Office, Danish National Police, and numerous local departments across the United States.
Amy Watson, Professor, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dr. Watson is a professor at Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Professor Watson has worked extensively on issues involving the relationship between the criminal justice system and mental health systems in Chicago and around the country. Her research has focused on police encounters with persons with mental illnesses, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, and opportunities to reduce police involvement. Dr. Watson has published extensively on this work and presented findings to local, national, and international audiences.
911 Hotline Alternatives
Co-Chairs
Jasmine Desiderio, Deputy Director of Albuquerque Community Safety Department, City of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jasmine Desiderio previously served as the Project Director of a Native American Youth Suicide Prevention program, where her roles included strategic action planning, policymaking, program development and evaluation, community outreach and engagement, data surveillance, grant administration and training facilitation. Desiderio brings eight years of experience in coordinating multidisciplinary, interservice and interagency teams to strategically design and implement injury prevention services ranging from crisis intervention, suicide prevention and postvention programs in northwestern New Mexico. She is currently in the Organization, Information and Learning Sciences Ph.D. program at the University of New Mexico. Her research interest focuses on applying innovative methods of human performance technology, organizational development, and evaluation research to address adversities amongst marginalized populations. Desiderio holds a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling and Guidance from New Mexico Highlands University, and a Bachelor of Arts in both Psychology and Criminology from the University of New Mexico.
Moki Macias, Executive Director, Policing Alternatives & Diversion
Moki Macias is the executive director at the Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative (PAD), which started as a pre-arrest diversion program in Atlanta for people detained for violations related to substance use, mental health, or extreme poverty. She says developing a non-police public safety response requires determining what drives police involvement in the first place. Prior to this position, Moki served as an Instructor for the Region IV Public Health Training Center. Moki Macias earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Mt. Holyoke College and a Master of City Planning in Land & Community Development from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Mary Naoum, Crisis Response Design Consultant, Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative
Mary Naoum serves Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD) through her role as Crisis Response Design Consultant. Mary has spent many years in relationship with communities directly impacted by over-policing and incarceration, particularly towards efforts to reimagine community safety and wellness using artistic expression and grassroots advocacy. Most recently, she supported the development of a Detroit-based social justice fund, helping steward a community-defined grantmaking strategy focused on moving significant resources to community organizing led by Black, Indigenous and people of color. Mary received her master’s degrees in Public Policy and Social Work from the University of Michigan, and is most passionate about moving forward tangible, community-driven solutions that are boldly designed to transform local systems.
Mariela Ruiz-Angel, Director of Albuquerque of Albuquerque Community Safety Department, City of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Mariela Ruiz-Angel is a proud Chicana, born and raised in the border city of El Paso, Texas. She understands the needs of diverse communities and works to empower, educate, and advocate for all Burqueños. Prior to her appointment as Director of ACS, Ruiz-Angel was the City Coordinator for the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA). In her new role leading the third branch of public safety, Ruiz-Angel is working to ensure that the department follows through with its mission of advocating and promoting a citywide culture that values the voices of all residents. She brings to the City of Albuquerque an extensive background in education, business development, and corporate customer relations. Ruiz-Angel holds a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources and a Master of Social Work in Leadership and Administration.
Members
Victor Armstrong, Chief Health Equity Officer, North Carolina DHHS
Victor Armstrong serves as North Carolina DHHS Chief Health Equity Officer, with responsibility for leading the overarching strategy and operational goals to promote health equity, diversity, and inclusion across all the agency’s health and human services. Victor joined NC DHHS as Director of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Services in March of 2020. Prior to accepting this role, Victor spent six years as Vice President of Behavioral Health with Atrium Health. Based in Charlotte, NC Victor had responsibility for operations of Atrium’s largest behavioral health hospital, Behavioral Health Charlotte. Victor currently serves on the board of directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) of NC. He is also former board chair of NAMI NC, and a member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Victor is a former member of the board of directors of National Council for Behavioral Health, i2i Center for Integrative Health, and RI International.
Phil Ashlock, Director of Data & Analytics, GSA Technology Transformation Services
Phil Ashlock creates digital civic infrastructure to support open government and civic engagement. He’s spearheaded community-driven civic technology initiatives with global reach like the Open311 standard for interacting with government through an open feedback channel. Currently he leads the Data & Analytics portfolio in the GSA Technology Transformation Services Division and serves as the Chief Architect for Data.gov where he oversees an open development process and a federated architecture supporting open data and APIs across government. Previously, he served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow working with the GSA and the White House Office of Digital Strategy. Before joining government, Phil was at OpenPlans, a civic tech non-profit where he served as the Open Government Program Manager and established the Open311 initiative. Open311 is a standard for publicly reporting and tracking civic issues and is now implemented by dozens of cities around the world. Through a partnership between OpenPlans and Code for America he then co-founded Civic Commons, a pilot initiative to help governments share technology and their experience using it.
Martin Bennett, Executive Director, Cook County Sheriff’s Police 911 Center
Martin Bennett is Executive Director of Emergency Communications/911 Center at the Cook County’s Sheriff’s Department. Martin’s experience includes redesign of two PSAPs, upgrade of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), cybersecurity, procurement, and implementation of NG911 services, hiring/recruitment, network infrastructure and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) development. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Political Science from MacMurray College and master’s degree in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University.
Tim Black, Director of Consulting, White Bird Clinic
Tim Black is director of consulting for White Bird Clinic in Eugene, Oregon. His primary focus is on development and support of behavioral health first-response programming in North America, based on the CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On the Streets) model run by the clinic. He is an experienced professional with extensive background in direct service, harm reduction and mobile crisis intervention. Black began working with White Bird Clinic in 2010 as a crisis intervention worker. He served as CAHOOTS operations coordinator from 2014 to 2020, overseeing the day-to-day operations of CAHOOTS, as well as relationships with local and national media, consultation, program development and expansion, fundraising, and communication and coordination with local and state government agencies. Prior to his work with CAHOOTS, Black worked with Looking Glass Community Services; with SageWalk, The Wilderness School; with the Northwest Youth Corps; as an Americorps volunteer; and with a youth environmental conservation program.
Greg Bloom, Founder, Open Referral Initiative
Greg Bloom is the founder of Open Referral, which is promoting open access to information about the health, human, and social services available to people in need. He is a strategic advisor on community resources and engagement for the Gravity Project. He is also a visiting scholar at Indiana University’s Ostrom Workshop on the Commons. Previously, Greg managed communications for Bread for the City in DC. He has been a fellow with Provisions Library and Civic Hall Labs, and has published writing in In These Times, Civic Quarterly, Personal Democracy Forum, and Code for America’s Beyond Transparency.
David Covington, CEO & President, RI International
David Covington serves as CEO and president of RI International, is an owner of Behavioral Health Link, and leads the international initiatives Crisis Now and Zero Suicide. He is a two-time national winner of the Council of State Governments Innovations Award, in 2008 with the Georgia Crisis & Access Line and again in 2012 with Magellan Health. For five consecutive years, he competed as a national finalist in innovations award competitions, including Harvard University’s Innovations in American Government in 2009. Mr. Covington has served as a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention since it was created in 2010, co-chairing task forces on clinical care and crisis services. He has served as vice chair of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline SAMHSA steering committee since it was created in 2005 and as the clinical division chair of the American Association of Suicidology since 2014. He served on the National Council for Behavioral Health board of directors from 2011 to 2014 and the Relias Learning Behavioral Health Advisory Board from 2014 to 2016.
Vinny Eng, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Safer Together SF Bay Area
Susan Frankel, Chief Executive Officer, National Runaway Safeline
Susan Frankel is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Susan is skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Customer Insight, Business Planning, Event Planning, and Sales, and withholds strong business development professional with a Master of Social Services Administration focused on Social Services & Public Policy from University of Chicago. Prior to their Chief Executive Officer position, Susan served as President & CEO of a nonprofit named Crayons to Computers.
Kevin Hall, Assistant Chief, Tucson Police Department, Arizona
Assistant Chief Kevin Hall is a thirty-year member of the Tucson Police Department, joining the department in 1992. He has held the position of patrol officer, detective, patrol sergeant, SWAT sergeant, investigative sergeant, patrol lieutenant, Field Services Bureau Executive Officer, patrol captain, and now assistant chief. He has worked in various assignments within the department to include Operations Divisions South, Midtown, East, the Gang Unit, Physical Child Abuse Unit, Internal Affairs, Homicide, and the Home Invasion/Kidnapping Unit. Assistant Chief Hall developed and implemented a comprehensive pre-arrest deflection program in 2018 in Tucson for both misdemeanor and felony non-violent charges associated with substance misuse.
Richard LaPratt, Member, 211 Database and Technology Director, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Jason Renaud, Program Coordinator, Law & Mental Health Conference
Jason Renaud is a Program Coordinator for the Law & Mental Health Conference and Board Officer for the Mental Health Association of Portland. Prior to this position, Jason devoted their efforts in research and development for an organization named Compassion & Choices. Jason Renaud earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from The Evergreen State College, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Portland State University.
Raymond Schwartz, Co-President, NAMI New York City Metro
Raymond Schwartz is a highly skilled nonprofit executive and manager with a deep knowledge of health care policy and over 35 years of experience in the mental health field. For over 20 years, first as associate executive director and then as executive director, Raymond guided Venture House, an accredited and respected New York City Clubhouse, to successfully support people with a serious mental illness to live in their community at the same time meeting the challenges of a changing health care financing environment. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Behavioral Health Care Agencies and the NY State Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS). Raymond is a member of the faculty for Clubhouse International. He holds a certificate in Non-Profit Management from Columbia University School of Business and a master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from New York University.
Jaime D. Young, Consultant, Mission Critical Partners, LLC
Jaime’s career has spanned 40 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she gained expertise in public safety communications management, including, administration, operations, technical systems, and personnel management in municipal and county government. She served on the California State 911 Advisory Board, the Executive Board of the California Chapter of NENA and is the current representative from the Public Safety Dispatch Advisory Council to the California Commission on Peace Officer’s Standards and Training. She is currently a consultant with Mission Critical Partners LLC, working with 911 and public safety clients to address a variety of challenges that impact their ability to optimize desired performance and outcomes.
Research Delegates
Amir Chapel, Policy Analyst, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
Amir Chapel is a Policy Analyst at NICJR. Amir coordinates projects and initiatives, often with local government agencies or other stakeholders. Amir conducts research on policies, programs, strategies, and organizations in the fields of criminal and juvenile justice, youth development, violence reduction, organizational development, and other relevant areas through the collection and analysis of data. Amir also coordinates legislative and policy advocacy initiatives. Amir has been directly impacted by the criminal justice system as a formerly incarcerated person who is dedicated to improving the outcomes of those that cannot advocate for themselves.
Soledad McGrath, Executive Director, Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative (N3)
Soledad A. McGrath is a Research Professor at Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research and the Executive Director of the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative (N3). Prior to joining Northwestern, she was a Senior Program Officer in the Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Program at the Joyce Foundation where she developed and led the foundation’s justice reform strategy, which included a focus on policing, criminal justice reform, and violence prevention. Prior to joining the Joyce Foundation, McGrath was a Program Officer with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Justice Reform program and was a member of a multidisciplinary team that designed and implemented its criminal justice reform strategy – a more than $200 million initiative focusing on a network of jurisdictions throughout the country targeting excessive and unjust incarceration at the local level. She led the foundation’s efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system.
Amy Watson, Professor, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dr. Watson is a professor at Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Professor Watson has worked extensively on issues involving the relationship between the criminal justice system and mental health systems in Chicago and around the country. Her research has focused on police encounters with persons with mental illnesses, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, and opportunities to reduce police involvement. Dr. Watson has published extensively on this work and presented findings to local, national, and international audiences.
Emergency Communications Center Operations
Co-Chairs
Edwin F. Huellstrounk, RN, BSN, NREMT-Paramedic, ECRN, TNCC, CEN, Emergency Room Nurse for Edward-Elmhurst Hospital in Naperville, IL
Edwin F. Huellstrounk is currently an Emergency Room Nurse for Edward-Elmhurst Hospital in Naperville, IL. Edwin started his career in 1994 as a volunteer on the Montgomery Countryside Fire Protection District in Montgomery, IL. He became a paramedic and later achieved the rank of Captain. While on the department, he was a key part in advancing effective communications between the 911 dispatch center and the department. Edwin went on to become the EMS System Coordinator for the Southern Fox Valley EMS System of Northwestern Medicine – Delnor Hospital, Geneva, IL., as well as being firefighter and paramedic. As coordinator, Edwin was in charge of the five 911 dispatch centers and twenty Fire/EMS Departments. As coordinator he was responsible for the education and EMS regulations of both departments.
Chad Kasmar, Chief of Police, Tucson, Arizona
Chief Kasmar oversees the Department’s four bureaus: Patrol Services, Investigative Services, Administrative Services, and Special Services and Innovation. Prior to being appointed Chief in 2021, he served as Interim Director of the City’s Public Safety Communications Department, where he led efforts to stabilize the department, reducing attrition and increasing staffing while moving from a co-located but separate police and fire 911 call center to a consolidated 911 call center. As a captain in the Tucson Police Department Chief Kasmar served as Deputy Chief, as Chief of Staff, and as the Eastside Patrol Division Commander. As a lieutenant, he served as an Office of Internal Affairs (now Office of Professional Standards) Commander, and as a Westside Patrol Division Commander. As a sergeant and officer, he served in the Street Crime Interdiction Unit, Operations Division South Community Response Team, Operations Division Downtown, Operations Division Midtown, Bicycle Patrol, Operations Division South Solo Motor, and Hostage Crisis Team.
Tyrell Morris, Executive Director, Orleans Parish Communication District
Executive Director Morris came to Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) with more than 15 years of success leading operations within high profile diverse public, private and non-profit organizations. During that time, he experienced repeated success driving and leading large-scale operations to ensure standards of excellence and business prosperity. Mr. Morris is a consummate communicator with expertise in cross-functional collaboration and the ability to ensure buy-in and engagement from all stakeholders. After becoming Executive Director of OPCD, Mr. Morris recognized an opportunity to challenge his staff to consistently seek ways to be their best selves during each and every shift, and so developed the acronym, SHOWUP (S-Sincere, H-Honest, O-Optimistic, W-Well-informed, U-Upbeat, and P-Procedurally compliant). The development of SHOWUP and the buy-in from OPCD staff has been a key factor in enabling OPCD to provide the citizens of New Orleans with top-notch emergency and non-emergency services when they need them most.
Members
Alicia Atkinson, Quality Assurance and Training Coordinator, Regional Emergency Dispatch Center, Northbrook, IL
With over 15 years of experience in the 911 industry in both the public and private sector, Alicia Atkinson is currently the QA/Training Manager for Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center in Northbrook, IL. RED Center serves as the dispatch center for fourteen fire departments in the near Chicago suburbs and Illinois MABAS Statewide and Special Teams responses.
Martin Bennett, Executive Director, Cook County Sheriff’s Police 911 Center
Martin Bennett is Executive Director of Emergency Communications/911 Center at the Cook County’s Sheriff’s Department. Martin’s experience includes redesign of two PSAPs, upgrade of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), cybersecurity, procurement, and implementation of NG911 services, hiring/recruitment, network infrastructure and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) development. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Political Science from MacMurray College and master’s degree in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University.
Ron Bruno, Executive Director, CIT International
Ron Bruno serves as the Executive Director of CIT International. Ron is a founding board member of the corporation and previously served as the corporation’s Second Vice President. Ron has been involved in CIT programing for over twenty years, serving the majority of his twenty-five-year law enforcement career as a CIT Officer, CIT Investigator, CIT Agency Coordinator, CIT Regional Coordinator, and as the State of Utah’s CIT Program Director. Ron has spoken nationally and internationally on crisis response system reform. Ron is an appointed member of the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC). This committee, that was established by the 21st Century Cures Act, reports to the United States Congress to make recommendations for actions that federal departments can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services for adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances.
Bill Duggan, Director, FreCom Dispatch Center, Florence, Colorado
Bill Duggan was appointed as director of FreCom dispatch center in Florence, Colorado in early 2020. He has been in public safety for over 30 years. He has been a volunteer firefighter Lieutenant/Safety Officer, an Emergency Medical Technician, and graduated first in his class from the 1991 Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center while being a patrol officer for the City of Andover, Kansas. Duggan became the 911 Director and the first Information technology director, serving with Andover for over 25 years. He then took on a new challenge of a newly consolidated center in Lyon County, Kansas, and again a newly consolidated center in Cochise County, Arizona.
Donna L. Carrell, Training Manager, Northeast Oklahoma Enhanced 911 Trust Authority
Donna is the Training Manager for the Northeast Oklahoma Enhanced 911 Trust Authority. She began in Emergency Communications in 2011 as a frontline telecommunicator. She became a training officer and shift supervisor and accepted her current position as training manager in 2018. Donna holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Missouri Southern State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Grand Canyon University. Her passion is leadership, and she is most proud of her APCO certification as a Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE). Her goal is to use her leadership skills to transform 911 into a partner that is deservedly recognized for the indispensable value it brings to the field of emergency services.
Don Champley, Deputy Director, Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center
Don Champley started his career with the Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center in Northbrook, Illinois in 1999. He was promoted to Deputy Director in 2020. He has a total of 35 years of experience in public safety with most of that time spent in the fire service where he has held every rank from Firefighter to Assistant Chief.
Margaret Fine, Chair, Mental Health Commission for the City of Berkeley, California
Margaret Fine serves as Chair of the Mental Health Commission and as a Mental Health Commissioner for the City of Berkeley. She is appointed to the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force for the City of Berkeley. Previously she served as a Deputy City Attorney in the Child Welfare Unit for the City of Philadelphia Law Department. Margaret Fine received her JD from the George Washington University Law School, MSc in Human Rights & Criminal Justice from Queen’s University Belfast, and PhD in Sociology from the University of Liverpool.
Audace Garnett, Technology Safety Project Manager, Safety Net at The National Network to End Domestic Violence
Audace Garnett has over a decade of experience working in New York City with victims of domestic violence. She began her career in 2004 as a disability advocate at a non-profit organization named Barrier Free Living. Audace has also worked at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office where she served as the Teen Services Coordinator in the Victim Services Unit. She was the liaison between survivors 24 and under the police department, courts, schools, and community organizations. After six years at the district attorney’s office, she then went on to prevention and intervention work at a Teen Dating Violence prevention and intervention program named Day One where she trained adult professionals around the intersection of teen dating violence and domestic sex trafficking. She is currently a Technology Safety Specialist with Safety Net at NNEDV, where she focuses specifically on the intersection between domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and technology.
Kelle Hall, Communications Manager for the town of Highland Park, Texas
Kelle Hall is a Communications Manager for the town of Highland Park, Texas where they manage and direct the Highland park Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Communications Center. Prior to this position, Kelle worked as lieutenant for the Randall County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years. As lieutenant, Kelle oversaw the emergency communications center, warrants division, and records division and served as a Personnel and Training officer.
Kim Lettrick, Communications Manager, Southeast Communications Center
Kim Lettrick is the Communications Manager for Southeast Communications Center providing 911 and emergency dispatch service to Benton and Franklin Counties in Eastern Washington. Kim has 34 years of experience as a 911 professional holding numerous positions within the field Dispatcher, Supervisor, Training Coordinator, Certified Training Officer, Criteria Based Dispatch Instructor, APCO Certified Training Officer instructor.
Erica Olsen Shaver, Safety Net Project Director, National Network to End Domestic Violence
Since joining NNEDV in 2007, Erica has advocated on behalf of survivors of gender-based violence by educating and advocating victim service providers, policymakers, and technology companies on issues of technology abuse, privacy, and victim safety. She has provided trainings to technologists, attorneys, law enforcement officials, victim advocates, and other practitioners in the United States and internationally. Through the Safety Net Project, Erica works with private industry, state, and federal agencies and international groups to improve safety and privacy for victims in this digital age. She regularly provides consultation to leading technology companies on the potential impact of technology design and reporting procedures on survivors of abuse. She also provides technical assistance on technology safety to professionals working with survivors. Erica’s prior work at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence included writing curriculum and training statewide on a project focusing on the intersection of domestic violence and disabilities. Erica has a MSW from SUNY Albany and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the Center for Women in Civil Society.
Carlena Orosco, Research and Planning Supervisor, Tempe Police Department, Arizona
Carlena Orosco, M.A. is a Doctoral Candidate in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. She is also employed full-time as the Research and Planning Supervisor in the Strategic Planning, Analysis & Research Center (SPARC) at Tempe Police Department. Prior to joining Tempe PD, she worked as a Senior Research Analyst for the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Statistical Analysis Center. Carlena has worked on research projects spanning numerous content areas, including de-escalation in policing, police dispatchers, community crime patterns, and law enforcement decision-making. Additionally, she worked for nine years as a dispatcher for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where she also served as an Acting Supervisor and Systems Monitor. Carlena’s subject-matter expertise in policing and crime analysis also led to her selection as a trainer for the UN-led effort to provide crime analysis instruction to new Crime Analysts in the Caribbean. She has also served as an Instructor for the Nature of Crime, Gangs, Crime Control Policies, Police Accountability, and Urban Crime Patterns courses. Currently, she is a research assistant on the ASU/Tempe PD SPI project under the guidance of Dr. Mike White. Carlena holds both a B.A. and M.A. in Criminal Justice from California State University, San Bernardino, and her work can be found in Policing: An International Journal, Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, and the Journal of Criminal Justice.
Rick Pegues, Public Safety Communications Coordinator, Tucson, Arizona
A native of Peoria, IL, and graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Rick served in the United States Air Force as Fire Protection Specialist, before transitioning to being an agent with the Office of Special Investigations. After tours in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Somalia, he retired from the USAF in 2013 and moved to Tucson, AZ, beginning a second career with the City of Tucson, Public Safety Communications Department. Initially a Fire Dispatcher, he was promoted to Supervisor in 2017 and subsequently to Coordinator in 2019. In that capacity, he began as training coordinator, and as a Certified Training Officer (CTO) before moving to Operations in 2021. His passion is serving the community at the frontline level by being active with his church, the Urban League, and the E.L.I.T.E youth outreach program.
Richard Ray, Co-Chair, NENA Accessibility Committee; Member, FCC Disability Advisory Committee
Richard Ray retired from the City of Los Angeles after serving over 35 years as an Americans with Disabilities Act Technology Access Coordinator to continue working in the field of Telecommunication Technologies, Emergency Services and advocating for civil rights of individuals who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in all levels of government. He is actively involved as a co-chair of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) Accessibility Committee and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Disability Advisory Committee. He has served on the FCC various committees such as Text to 9-1-1, Real-Time Text to 9-1-1, Next Generation 9-1-1, Emergency Notification Systems, and other issues concerning communication access in support of federal, state, and local governments. He was named as one of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers and while featured in Government Technology Magazine in 2018. In 2019, he was inducted into NENA’s Hall of Fame.
Tony Ruffin, Co-Founder, Pillars and Bridges
Joe Smarro, Chief Executive Officer, SolutionPoint +, LLC
Joe Smarro is a decorated combat veteran from the United States Marine Corps. He honorably served two tours to Afghanistan and Iraq with the 1st Battalion 4th Marines. In 2005 he joined the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), where he became one of the original members of SAPD’s Mental Health Unit, which Smarro helped to grow into a nationally recognized best practices policing unit. In addition to being one of the main subjects in the HBO documentary, ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS, Smarro has been featured in multiple media outlets including the TEDx talk “I See You.” He is the founder and CEO of SolutionPoint+, a national training and consulting firm that focuses on cultivating mental wellness to maximize human capital and promote safety within organizations.
Kate Vander Wiede, Crisis Response and Prevention Project Manager, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Kate Vander Wiede is a Crisis Response and Prevention Project Manager for Allegheny County Department of Human Services, working on projects in which traditional first responders interact with individuals with behavioral health and human service needs. Kate has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Research Delegates
Brian Aagaard, Research Analyst, RTI International
Brian Aagaard, a member of our Policing Research Program, has extensive experience as a crime and intelligence analyst. Mr. Aagaard worked with law enforcement at the local, county, state, and federal levels for more than a decade. His areas of expertise include the collection, management, and analysis of law enforcement data. Mr. Aagaard’s current work focuses on the intersection of policing, technology, and analysis. He is particularly interested in the dynamics of law enforcement-community interactions, specifically during routine encounters such as traffic stops. Prior to joining RTI, Mr. Aagaard worked as an analyst at the Onondaga Crime Analysis Center in New York State, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Unit, and the City of Durham (North Carolina) Police Department. He is a member of the International Association of Crime Analysts and became an IACA certified law enforcement analyst in 2013.
Jessica W. Gillooly, Assistant Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Suffolk University
Jessica Gillooly joined the Sociology & Criminal Justice Department at Suffolk University in the Fall of 2021. Before transitioning to Suffolk, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Policing Project at NYU School of Law. Dr. Gillooly’s research portfolio focuses on 911 dispatch, policing, organizations, and race. Central to this work is a large multi-method project about dispatch centers and the role the 911 system plays in the criminal justice system. Using a mix of quantitative, qualitative, and conversation analytic methods, she examines the process through which caller requests become police responses. One thread of her research examines the function of the 911 call-taker in mediating caller requests, and their impact on policing in the field. Another thread explores the public’s reliance on 911 and identifies potential organizational policy reforms aimed at rethinking the current dispatch-and-response system.
Jeremiah Johnson, Researcher; LEAD Scholar; Sergeant, Darien Police Department
Jeremiah Johnson is a policing researcher and practitioner, currently serving in a sworn capacity with the Darien Police Department in Connecticut. During his policing career Jeremiah has worked as a patrol officer, field training officer, accreditation manager, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, and acting lieutenant. A former National Institute of Justice LEADS Scholar (Class of 2016), Jeremiah is an advocate for evidence-based policing and practitioner-led research. He is an appointed member of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission and is affiliated with the National Police Foundation in Washington DC where he proudly serves as a Policing Fellow. Jeremiah holds a BA in Sociology from Geneva College, an MS in Justice Administration from Western Connecticut State University, an MA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College, and a PhD in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Rylan Simpson, Assistant Professor of Criminology, Simon Fraser University
Rylan Simpson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University. He received his Ph.D. in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Prior to receiving his Ph.D., he received his B.A. in Sociology and Psychology from the University of British Columbia and his M.A. in Social Ecology from UCI. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his policing scholarship and engagement with policing officials. He is also an executive counselor for the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Experimental Criminology, a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police’s Research Advisory Committee, and a mentor for the Canadian Society of Evidence-Based Policing’s Virtual Scholar Program.
911 Governance
Co-Chairs
Jerry Clayton, Sheriff, Washtenaw County, Michigan
Jerry L. Clayton is a 30+ year Public Safety Services professional, currently serving his fourth term as the Sheriff of Washtenaw County. Sheriff Clayton leads an organization of approximately 420 staff, serving a population of over 358,000, covering a 720-square mile geographical area. During his career with the Sheriff’s Office, Jerry served as a front-line Corrections Officer, Deputy Sheriff, and command officer. He was also appointed to the following executive positions; Corrections Commander, Police Services Commander and SWAT Team Commander). Sheriff Clayton serves on the boards of numerous local organizations. These include the Washtenaw Area Council for Children, the local Chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the Washtenaw County Mental Health Treatment Court Advisory Board, Washtenaw County Continuum of Care Board (ending homelessness) and the SafeHouse Center.
Stephanie Olson, Strategic Planning & Performance Manager, Raleigh, North Carolina
Stephanie Olson is the Strategic Planning & Performance Manager for the City of Raleigh. In this position, she is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the City’s 5-year Strategic Plan, departmental business planning, and organization-wide performance management efforts. Stephanie enjoys helping the City make strides in strategic and data-informed decision making. Over the past year, Stephanie has been leading the City of Raleigh’s efforts to review 911 calls for service and pilot and implement alternative responses.
Jeanne Milstein, Director for Human Services, City of New London, CT
Jeanne is currently the Director for Human Services in the City of New London. Prior to this position, Jeanne was Director of Special Projects and Staff Researcher at the Tow Youth Justice Institute, University of New Haven. She served as Connecticut’s Child Advocate from 2000 until 2012, an independent state agency responsible for overseeing the care and protection of children. Jeanne has led efforts to reform the foster care, juvenile justice and mental health systems for children and youth. In addition, Jeanne served as the Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Planning and Policy Development for the Office of Children and Family Services in New York State. Jeanne has also served as the Director of Government and Community Relations at the Department of Children and Families; Legislative Director at the Connecticut Commission on Children; Director of Government Relations at the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women; and Director of the Women’s Center of Southeastern Connecticut.
Members
Kurt August, Program Manager, Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD), City of Philadelphia
Kurt August, MSW, is the Interim Director for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Criminal Justice. His work involves close collaboration with criminal justice partners and other City agencies to develop and implement policies designed to meaningfully address the racial, ethnic, and economic disparities in the criminal justice system. For the past 5 years, Kurt has worked at the intersection of the law enforcement and behavioral health communities by piloting a pre-booking diversion program, an Outreach focused Co-Responder pilot which embeds behavioral health professionals with law enforcement to collaboratively address quality of life issues in the Kensington/Harrowgate section of the City, and a 911 Triage Desk/Co-Responder model that embeds behavioral health professionals in the 911 Call Center to triage 911 calls and also pairs behavioral health professionals with CIT-trained police Officers in unmarked police vehicles in the field to address behavioral health calls that come in to the 911 Call Center in real time.
Peter Beckwith, General Counsel, South Sound 911
Peter Beckwith serves as General Counsel for South Sound 911, a regional consolidated PSAP/ECC in Washington State (Tacoma). He received his law degree from Seattle University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Washington State University. Within the 911 profession he is a graduate of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) program and is an elected board member of the NG911 Institute.
Timothy Bergel, Director of Support Services, Cook County Sheriff’s Police
Timothy Bergel currently serves as the Director of Support Services for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center. In his current role, Timothy oversees the Information Technology and GIS divisions within the ECC/9-1-1 and has served previously as a training instructor and communications supervisor. Timothy has nineteen years of public safety experience in emergency communications (2006-present) and emergency medical services (2003-2006). Timothy earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Benedictine University and a Master of Science Degree in Threat & Response Management from the University of Chicago – where he was named an Emerging Leader in Emergency Preparedness.
Ben Borchers, 911 Triage Project Manager, City of Philadelphia’s Office of Criminal Justice
Ben Borchers is the 911 Triage Project Manager for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Criminal Justice and Public Safety. Ben recently joined the Philadelphia city government after working in the public health data and software consulting world for several years. Prior to earning his MPH from Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health focusing on health policy, he taught high school for five years in Philadelphia.
Daryl Branson, State 911 Program Manager, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
Daryl Branson currently serves as the State 911 Program Manager for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and is working with the staff of the Public Utilities Commission. He has worked as a public safety dispatcher, a shift supervisor, and Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) director in Missouri, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, and most recently served as the executive director of the Colorado 9-1-1 Resource Center. Daryl earned his MPA in Public Administration from Missouri State University, and is certified as an Emergency Number Professional by the National Emergency Number Association and a Registered Public Safety Communications Leader by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, Intl.
Richard Collins, Director of Emergency Services, Sarasota County Government
Richard Collins currently serves as Director of Emergency Services for Services, Sarasota County Government where they provide strategic direction, leadership and mentoring to Sarasota County emergency services departments including Fire Rescue, Emergency Management, Public Safety Communications, and Lifeguard Operations. Leads a high-performing team of public safety professionals and leaders in the delivery of emergency services to the residents and visitors of Sarasota County. Prior to this position, Richard held titles of Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief in Osceola County Government, Florida, for 9 years. Richard Collins earned a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Palm Beach Atlantic University. In totality, Richard has over 32 years of public safety experience in both Illinois and Florida.
Chris Fisher, Senior Advisor, Office of the United States Attorney General
Christopher Fisher is the Senior Advisor, Office of the United States Attorney General. Previously he served as the Chief Strategy Officer for the Seattle Police Department and was Senior Policy Advisor at the Council of State Governments Justice Center with a focus on law enforcement issues. Prior to the Justice Center, Chris worked throughout the New York City justice system. As Director of Analysis and Integrated Solutions in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, he coordinated interagency efforts to solve criminal justice challenges. Chris has served in similar capacities for other New York City criminal justice agencies, including the New York City Police Department, the Department of Probation, the Administration for Children’s Services, and the former Department of Juvenile Justice. Chris holds a doctorate in criminal justice from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, a master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Virginia.
Kris Henderson, Executive Director of Amistad Law Project
Kris Henderson is the Executive Director of Amistad Law Project. They grew up in East Orange, New Jersey– a majority Black, working class community. Their educational career began in East Orange’s underfunded schools, continued at a private Christian School, and led to boarding school in New England for high school. Their diverse educational experiences and the realization that a quality education is possible but often incredibly expensive, led them to work towards making sure we all have what we need. They are a movement lawyer, a co-founder of Amistad and a co-founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration. They are on the steering committee of Free The Ballot! Incarcerated Voter Family Network and on the board of directors of Black Youth Project 100. They are a 2018 Law for Black Lives and Movement Law Lab Legal Innovators Fellow and a 2019 Soros Justice Fellow.
Jason Hernandez, Executive Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Cook County Sherriff’s Department
Jason Hernandez currently serves as Executive Director of Intergovernmental Relations for Cook County Sherriff’s Department as of September 2021. Prior to this position, Jason was Director of Government Affairs for Reyes Kurson, Ltd and Chief of Staff to Alderman Deborah Mell for the City of Chicago. Jason Hernandez has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government and Communication and Media Studies from Loyola University Chicago.
Sally Lawrence, E911 Coordinator, Sarasota County Public Safety Communications
Sally Lawrence, E911 Coordinator with Sarasota County, has been working Public Safety since joining the Military Police Corps in 1984. She made the jump to 911 in 1992 becoming operator with the Lakeland Police Department and working her way through the ranks to include trainer, supervisor, County 911 Training Coordinator, 911 Addressing Coordinator and 911 Systems Manager with Polk County. As the Systems Manager, Sally oversaw a robust Public Safety Information Technology and GIS system. During her 14 years as a Coordinator, she has also served as the Chair of the State of Florida’s Coordinator’s group and Legislative Liaison for Florida NENA and has instructed at 911 Coordinator Bootcamp. Sally moved to Sarasota County in 2017 to explore technology and to continue her career closer to the beach.
Tad McGalliard, Director for Research, Development, and Technical Assistance, IBM Center for the Business of Government
Tad McGalliard serves as ICMA’s director for research, development, and technical assistance with the International City/County Management Association. For the past 18 years, Tad has led programs, projects, and research on creating more sustainable and resilient communities. Prior to ICMA he worked with Cornell University’s Center for the Environment.
Paul Noel, Deputy Superintendent, Investigation & Support Bureau, New Orleans Police Department
Paul currently serves as Deputy Superintendent in the Investigation & Support Bureau of the New Orleans Police Department. Prior to this position, Paul served as Deputy Superintendent in the Field Operations Bureau for the New Orleans Police Department. Paul Noel earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice/Safety Studies and Master of Arts in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration from Loyola University New Orleans.
Shannon Scully, Senior Advisor, Justice & Crisis Response Policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Shannon Scully is the Senior Advisor for Justice and Crisis Response Policy at NAMI, where she serves as a subject matter expert, providing strategic guidance across the organization regarding NAMI’s criminal justice, diversion and crisis response policy. She works closely with key federal agencies and Congress to advance NAMI’s priorities and supports leaders across the NAMI Alliance to increase their impact on local and state policies. Prior to joining NAMI, Ms. Scully worked for several other national non-profit organizations on various justice related issues. She began her criminal justice career supporting victims of crime in the county courts in Cook County, IL. Ms. Scully holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Benedict, and a Master of Public Policy from American University.
Susan Shah, Managing Director, Trinity Church Wall Street
Susan Shah serves as the Managing Director for the Racial Justice Initiative with Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies. In this role, she oversees the philanthropic strategy, execution, and partnerships for the initiative. Susan is an experienced lawyer, public health professional, and policymaker in the areas of criminal justice, immigrant rights, and immigrant health. She was previously at the Vera Institute of Justice for over a decade and served in a number of roles, her final being the Director of Programs and Strategy. In this role, she led the national organization with 200+ staff in partnering with local, state, and federal government officials to ensure that justice systems protect human dignity and strengthen communities. Prior to joining Vera, Susan ran immigrant health programs in NYC and practiced immigration law. Susan earned her BA in journalism from Drake University, an MPH from Tufts University, and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law.
Cornelia Sigworth, Supervisory Program Manager (Associate Deputy Director), Bureau of Justice Assistance
Cornelia Sigworth currently serves as the Associate Deputy Director with the US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, a post she has held since July 2014. In this capacity, Ms. Sigworth directs the BJA’s law enforcement team including its partnerships with local, state, and national policymakers and their efforts to combat crime and reform the criminal justice system. Ms. Sigworth previously served in a variety of capacities within BJA including most recently as the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director for Policy and Director of the Violence Reduction Network. Ms. Sigworth began her career with The Department at the National Institute of Justice, where she managed national research, evaluation, and program development. Ms. Sigworth holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and a M.S. in Justice, Law, and Society from American University. She is a graduate of the Department of Justice’s Leadership Excellence and Achievement Program and is a recipient of the Assistant Attorney General’s Dedicated Service Award.
Evonne Silva, Senior Director, Criminal Justice, Code for America
Evonne is the Senior Program Director of Criminal Justice, where she leads a team that works alongside communities and government to transform the way services are delivered to those impacted by the criminal legal system. Most recently, Evonne held leadership positions with the ACLU of Northern California, as a legal advisor, building and leading teams, driving process improvement and systems changes, and managing complex, collaborative projects. She has successfully designed and led policy advocacy campaigns across a range of issues with cross-sector stakeholders at several nonprofit advocacy and legal organizations. Evonne is a licensed attorney who holds a Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics from Saint Mary’s College of California. She also serves as board member of CORO of Northern California and taught legal ethics at U.C. Berkeley School of Law.
Anise Vance, Assistant Director, Community Safety, Durham, North Carolina
Anise Vance serves as the Open Data Program Manager for the City and County of Durham. Previously, he was the Senior Manager of Research in Race and Equity at the Boston Foundation. He holds an M.Phil. in Geography from Queen’s University Belfast, an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Ken Zimmerman, Founder and Co-Director, Mental Health Strategic Impact Initiative (S2i)
Ken Zimmerman is founder and co-director of the Mental Health Strategic Impact Initiative (S2i). He is also a Distinguished Fellow at NYU’s Furman Center and a Distinguished Fellow at the Jed Foundation. Previously, he served as director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations and in the Obama and Clinton administrations. Previously, he served as a member of the Obama Administration’s HUD transition team as Senior Advisor to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. In addition, he was a litigation partner for the pro bono practice group at Lowenstein Sandler, Chief Counsel to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, and founding Executive Director of the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice. A graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, Ken also serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the NYU Furman Center and teaches at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Research Delegates
Roseanna Ander, Executive Director, University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab
Roseanna Ander serves as the founding Executive Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab (since 2008) and the University of Chicago Education Lab (since 2011) with offices in Chicago and New York, which work to design, test, and scale data-driven programs and practices that improve the public sector’s approach to public safety and education. Since their inception, Ander has led the Crime Lab and Education Lab’s efforts on violence prevention, criminal justice reform, and improved educational outcomes in Chicago, New York, and around the nation. Ander also helped launch the University of Chicago Urban Labs network, with the creation of three new, independently run labs focused on poverty, health, and the environment. Ander was also key to navigating police training and reform efforts within the Chicago Police Department (CPD), including the Crime Lab’s study of CPD’s Officer Support System: a first-of-its-kind, data-driven early intervention system that flags officer at risk for adverse events and provides training and support to help avert tragic incidents between police and residents before they occur.
Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, Director, Behavioral Health, The Council of State Governments
Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey oversees the Behavioral Health Division and its various portfolios, which focus on how parts of the criminal justice system intersect with the mental health, substance addiction, and homelessness systems, among others. Before joining the organization, Ayesha was most recently the director of Behavioral Health Research and Programming at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice in New York City. Prior to that, she was the director of the Substance Use and Mental Health program at the Vera Institute. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Jesse Jannetta, Senior Policy Fellow, Justice Policy Center, Urban Institute
Jesse Jannetta is a senior policy fellow in the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, where he leads projects on prison and jail reentry, community antigang and antiviolence initiatives, police-community relations, parole and probation supervision, and risk prediction. He is the project director for the Safety and Justice Challenge Innovation Fund, the principal investigator for the Evaluation of Procedural Justice in Probation project, and a member of the leadership team for the Prison Research and Innovation Initiative. He was previously project director for the Transition from Jail to Community initiative, the process and fidelity assessment lead for the evaluation of the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice, and coprincipal investigator for evaluations of the Los Angeles Gang Reduction and Youth Development strategy and the Chicago Violence Reduction Strategy. He applies mixed methods approaches to process and impact evaluations and provides direct technical assistance to jurisdictions improving justice system functioning.
David Muhammed, Director, The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR)
David Muhammad is a leader in the fields of criminal justice, violence prevention, and youth development. David is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). David has worked to implement positive youth development into youth justice systems around the country and was the primary author of NICJR’s seminal report, A Positive Youth Justice System. For three years, David 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. NICJR is currently serving as a technical assistance provider to the City and County of San Francisco, working to reform its juvenile justice system and close its juvenile detention center.
911 Technology and Infrastructure
Co-Chairs
Michael Cowden, Director of Solutions Engineering, Code for America
Michael Cowden is the Director of Solutions Engineering at Code for America. He currently works with government stakeholders, and their existing state infrastructure, to find achievable technology and policy solutions for implementing Clean Slate legislation. Prior to joining Code for America, Michael successfully led and developed large software projects across start-ups, Fortune 500 companies and the Federal Government. He holds a degree in Psychology and Computer Science from Towson University and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Meredith Horowski, Senior Director, Network, Code for America (former co-chair)
Meredith Horowski is the Senior Director for the Code for America Network. Meredith is an experienced campaigner with particular expertise in grassroots organizing and in creating powerful, diverse movements on pressing social issues. Prior to joining Code for America, she was the Campaign Manager for a 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Rhode Island. As an independent consultant, she led US strategy for the civic tech firm New/Mode and provided strategic support to NetChange Consulting. Meredith founded Beyond the Bomb—a grassroots organization to end systems of nuclear violence. She also served for four years as the Global Campaign Director at Global Zero, where she spearheaded GZ’s international advocacy strategy, creative campaigns, and public mobilization. She’s written for outlets including Teen Vogue, The Nation, and Huffington Post.
Evonne Silva, Senior Director, Criminal Justice, Code for America
Evonne is the Senior Program Director of Criminal Justice, where she leads a team that works alongside communities and government to transform the way services are delivered to those impacted by the criminal legal system. Most recently, Evonne held leadership positions with the ACLU of Northern California, as a legal advisor, building and leading teams, driving process improvement and systems changes, and managing complex, collaborative projects. She has successfully designed and led policy advocacy campaigns across a range of issues with cross-sector stakeholders at several nonprofit advocacy and legal organizations. Evonne is a licensed attorney who holds a Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics from Saint Mary’s College of California. She also serves as board member of CORO of Northern California and taught legal ethics at U.C. Berkeley School of Law.
Members
Jim Bueermann, Retired President, National Police Foundation
Chief Jim Bueermann (Ret.) has spent more than 40 years in policing. From 1978 to 2011 he was a member of the Redlands (CA) Police Department, where he served in every unit within the department. In his last 13 years with the department, he was the Chief of Police and Director of Housing, Recreation and Senior Services. He directed the implementation and strategic development of community policing in Redlands which included directing the consolidation of Housing, Recreation and Senior Services into the police department as a risk and preventative factor strategy for reducing crime and adolescent problem behavior. In 2000, this effort was recognized by the Innovations in American Government Award program (Harvard’s Kennedy School) as one of the 25 most innovative governmental programs in America. After his retirement in 2011 he worked for a year for the USDOJ, National Institute of Justice as an Executive Fellow.
Brian Dunkle, Regional Sales Manager, Deccan International
Accomplished executive with a sales and management background in multiple governmental and commercial industries. A recognized ability to enhance and revitalize a division, company, or organization through the identification of new market opportunities utilizing existing products or organizational skill sets. A verifiable track record of building territories, increasing sales, and implementing operational improvements to increase productivity and reduce operating costs.
Christine Gardiner, Professor of Criminal Justice, California State University, Fullerton
Christie Gardiner is a Professor of Criminal Justice at California State University, Fullerton, and a Senior Research Fellow for the Police Foundation, as well as a member of CSUF-PD Chief’s Advisory Board. She is a certified Crime and Intelligence Analyst with prior work experience as a sheriff’s department crime analyst, a police dispatcher, a police explorer, and an intern probation officer. Her fields of expertise include policing and crime policy. She has conducted two major studies on the role of higher education in policing – one on California, the other National – as well as studies on public opinions of police and crime policies and a variety of research projects for local agencies. She has edited multiple books and authored numerous articles, book chapters, and an introduction to policing textbook (Policing for the 21st Century: Realizing the Vision of Police in a Free Society).
Ben Horwitz, Co-Founder, AH Datalytics
Ben is a nationally recognized expert in data-driven policy management and criminal justice data systems. Ben’s work has been instrumental in analyzing organizational problems, evaluating possible solutions, and building data-driven organizations. Before launching AH Datalytics, Ben worked as the Director of Analytics for the New Orleans Police Department, where he instituted a crime analyst unit and implemented the nationally recognized Management Analytics for Excellence (MAX). This platform assists in optimizing police management in the areas of crime, community policing, consent decree compliance, and much more. Ben’s influential collaborations have been with the U.S. Department of Justice, National Police Foundation, Ferguson Missouri Police Department, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, the Baltimore Police Department, and others. Ben has a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University that specializes in the intersection of data, information systems, and public policy. Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts from American University.
Jerry Hall, Founder, Civic Mapping
Jerry Hall is a serial entrepreneur currently focused on improving meaningful informed-stakeholder engagement at the intersections of the criminal-legal and behavioral health systems. Jerry served on the San Diego County Behavioral Health Advisory Board for five years and blogs about improving behavioral health stakeholder engagement. Jerry advocates for open and transparent government, especially in the areas of public records and data access. He has served in multiple capacities in community elected and other civic boards, commissions, and workgroups. Jerry is also a CalVoices ACCESS Ambassador advocating from a lived-experience trauma-informed perspective for those released from incarceration while also experiencing mental health and substance use disorder issues.
Billy Lim, Senior Organizer, Code for America
Billy is a Senior Organizer at Code for America. From a career in civic organizing, political campaigns, and leadership development, he holds deep conviction in the potential of government to support the flourishing of everyday people and the role of grassroots, people-powered movements to effect and reflect the world of our dreams. An advocate for equity in public service for Asian Americans and ally communities, Billy serves as Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors for the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL). He is a proud son of Cambodian refugees and was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Yale University, where he was a recipient of the Mellon Mays & President’s Public Service fellowships.
Kevin Miller, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative
Kevin Miller is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Microsoft’s Justice Reform Initiative. In this capacity, Kevin leads grantmaking strategy and manages Microsoft’s engagement with justice reform organizations and justice system stakeholders across the US, working toward improved racial equity in the criminal legal system. Before joining the Justice Reform Initiative, Kevin leads national and local partnerships at Microsoft designed to bring technology and data to bear on social issues facing US cities. Prior to Microsoft, he held various roles across the public and nonprofit sector at the intersection of technology and social impact. Kevin holds a BA in political science from UC Berkeley and Master of Public Policy degree from American University.
Micah Mutrux, 911 National Action Team Program Manager, Code for America
Micah currently serves as 911 National Action Team Program Manager for Code for America where they assist in establishing and leading Code for America’s first National Action Team, focused on reimagining 911 emergency response. In the past, Micah was a fellow for Aspen Tech Policy Hub and Volunteer Team Lead for U.S. Digital Response. Micah earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Marlboro College and completed a certificate of Project Leadership and Management and Business Management from Cornell University.
Katherine B. Nammacher, Product Manager, User Researcher & Professor
Katherine B. Nammacher teaches at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy. As a product manager, she is focused on ensuring that product execution is aligned with strategic goals and user needs – whether in the classroom or on product teams. She’s worked at VMware and the U.S. Digital Service. Previously, she was the CEO & Co-Founder of RideAlong, a govtech startup at the intersection of policing and mental health. She led RideAlong from its start through successful acquisition, including spinning it out from a Code for America fellowship and garnering investment from Y Combinator.
Jesse Niwa, Deployment Engineer, SPIDR,
George Rice, Managing Partner, SkyHawk Global
George Rice is a Managing Partner at Skyhawk Global Associates. He has a diverse background covering 35 years in public service and global engagement. He is a former American enforcement and intelligence agent and has headed a series of programs and organizations directed at public sector and emergency services efforts, with a focus on the technologies that enhance these vital interests. He is the former Executive Director of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), leading both organizations into significant growth periods.
Scott Sobotka, Primary Consultant, Pragmatica, LLC
Scott currently serves as Primary Consultant for Pragmatica where they develop software with a specialization in law enforcement, criminal justice, and corrections at all levels of government. Prior to this position, Scott was Senior Software Engineer for NetPro Computing where they developed system monitoring and administration tools for Netware and Active Directory. In the past, Scott has worked for Hypercom Network Systems as a Software Developer and developed network administration applications for Hypercom’s line of network devices.
Sema Taheri, Director of Research Operations, Measures for Justice
Sema Taheri is the Director of Research & Strategic Initiatives at Measures for Justice. In her role, Sema collaborates with the Engagement team to develop MFJ’s data collection protocol, co-manages the development and implementation of a rigorous methodology for data management, and directs the general operations of the Research team. She also collaborates closely with MFJ’s leadership to advance the organization’s research agenda. Sema has worked closely with practitioners across the system on projects related to data standards, performance measure development, and evaluation. Sema holds a Ph.D. in Criminology & Justice Policy from Northeastern University and a M.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago. Her research interests include understanding the research and practice gap and the development of partnerships to guide data-led policy, institutional and community corrections, offender reentry, CJ organizations, and program evaluation.
Research Delegates
Loren Atherley, Director of Performance Analytics & Research, Seattle Police Department
Loren currently serves as Director of Performance Analytics & Research for the Seattle Police Department. As a Director for the Seattle Police Department, Loren manages three complimentary programs (Research, Data Warehousing and Data Governance) to discover new insights, develop new methods and operationalize those findings to improve the delivery of police services. Prior to this position, Loren was an adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Seattle University. Loren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Seattle University. Loren in currently pursuing a PhD in Criminology at the University of Cambridge.
Jake Cramer, Senior Researcher, Policing Analytics and Strategy, RTI International
Dr. Jake Cramer is a Senior Policing Researcher with RTI International, where he supports multiple privately and federally funded projects focused on improving police responses to 911 calls for service, use of force data collection and reporting, and improving the national use of NIBRS data. Prior to joining RTI, Dr. Cramer served as the Analysis Administrator the Tucson Police Department, where he was responsible for creating and leading the Analysis Division. As administrator, he was recognized for his work with multiple state and national awards, including an Arizona Innovator Award, the 40 Under 40 Award by IACP, and was the first civilian to be selected by NIJ to be a LEADS fellow. Dr. Cramer has more than 10 years of experience, and received his Ph.D., and M.A., from the University of Arizona, and received his B.A., from Syracuse University.
Robin Engel, Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati
Dr. Robin S. Engel is a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. She also serves as the Director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)/UC Center for Police Research and Policy. Dr. Engel engages in research and evaluation in the field of criminal justice and works directly with practitioners to implement evidence-based strategies and best practices. Dr. Engel’s work includes establishing academic-practitioner partnerships in policing, with expertise in empirical assessments of police behavior, police use of force, police-minority relations, police supervision and management, criminal justice policies, criminal gangs, and crime reduction strategies. She has served as the Principal Investigator for over 80 contracts and grants, and has provided statistical and policy consulting for international, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies. She teaches in the areas of policing and criminal justice.
Dave McClure, Senior Principal, Police Executive Research Forum
Dave McClure is a Senior Principal at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in Washington, D.C. For more than 15 years. Dave has been working in different research, policy, and practice settings to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of justice systems through empirical research, science, data, and technology. Prior to joining PERF in 2019, Dave was a Research Associate in the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, where he worked on different aspects of police body-worn cameras, DNA and other forensic sciences, open data from police and other government agencies, the opioid crisis, evidence-based smartphone applications, and many other topics involving science, data, and technology in the justice system. Dave earned his undergraduate degrees from the University of Georgia and his M.A. and Ph.D. from George Mason University. Dave has served as a member of Integrated Justice Information System Institute’s Information Technology and Architecture Committee since 2015.