Violence Prevention Conference 2025

In August 2024, Leah Barton was appointed Interim Executive Director for Harris County Public Health (HCPH) – the nationally accredited public health agency for the nation’s third-largest county serving 4.8 million people.

Leah comes to the Department with a vision of building a more dynamic, vibrant, and resilient community, committed to improving public health outcomes and transparency. Prior to her appointment, she served as Deputy County Administrator in the Office of County Administration (OCA). In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of OCA, driving strategic initiatives, and ensuring efficient collaboration within OCA and between OCA and other County departments and offices. Within OCA, Leah previously served as Managing Director of the Grants and Partnerships Division, overseeing the administration of $1B of COVID recovery funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act. She also incubated cross-departmental functions including the Office of Early Childhood and homelessness response strategies.

Leah's distinguished career spans nearly 20 years in the energy sector, serving in commercial, IT, finance, marketing, and operations leadership roles at Centrica plc/Direct Energy, MXenergy, Shell Chemical LP, and Nuvera Fuel Cells. Collectively her achievements include leading divisional turnarounds, driving growth, and establishing effective performance management systems. Leah began her career as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania and speaks Spanish and Swahili.

Leah's commitment to community leadership is exemplified by her active involvement in various organizations and recognition as a "Woman Who Means Business in Energy" by the Houston Business Journal. She currently serves as Director of St. Paul’s United Methodist Foundation, as Advisory Board Member for ProUnitas, and is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow. She previously served as a Board Member of Child Advocates and Advisory Board Member of the UH Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality. As part of her commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace environment, Leah sponsored the LGBTQ+ employee resource group at Direct Energy. She was the founding board chair of EMERGE, a college access organization now serving thousands of students and graduates across the Houston region.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Yale, a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sean Teare, a lifelong resident of Harris County, believes our criminal justice system should be both empathetic and efficient, balancing safety with fairness. In November 2024, he was elected Harris County District Attorney. Sean has returned to the office he loves, eager to help implement a new vision for justice. He believes in being a voice for survivors and protecting and upholding the rights of victims and the accused.

Growing up, Sean was shaped by activist parents who marched for Civil Rights in the 1960s. They instilled in him an unwavering commitment to equity and community. After his mother’s tragic death from addiction, Sean took on the responsibility of raising his younger siblings. He graduated from St. Thomas High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in American history from the University of Houston, followed by a JD from the UH Law Center. For 11 years, Sean served as a prosecutor in the office he now leads, including six years as Division Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Division. He and Lauren Teare, his wife of 19 years, are proud to raise their four children as part of the next generation of Houstonians.

Commissioner Adrian Garcia was born and raised in Precinct 2, granting him firsthand knowledge of the district’s needs as both a resident and a public servant. His public service journey began as a police officer in the Houston Police Department (HPD).

Leadership Against Gang Violence

Recognized for his dedication to serving the City of Houston, Mayor Lee Brown appointed him as Director of the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office. In this role, Commissioner Garcia witnessed the corrosive impact of criminal gangs on community safety and well-being. Determined to make a difference, he innovated approaches to law enforcement aimed at eradicating gang activities in schools and neighborhoods afflicted by gang violence.

Ascending to Higher Office: Houston City Council

Driven by a commitment to further serve his community, Commissioner Garcia sought higher office and was elected to the Houston City Council. During his tenure, he was appointed chair of two significant committees: the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and the Minority / Women Business Enterprise Committee.

Leadership as Mayor Pro-Tem

Known for his proactive engagement, Commissioner Garcia is a familiar face within his district, consistently interfacing with and listening to the concerns of his constituents. His extensive understanding of the district and the city of Houston is further reinforced by his experience as Mayor Pro-Tem during Mayor Bill White’s administration.

Dedication to Public Safety: Sheriff of Harris County

Commissioner Garcia’s dedication to public safety is deeply rooted in his tenure as the former Sheriff of Harris County. His service is marked by an active administration of resources to combat crime, a fiduciary responsibility over Precinct 2’s annual budget, and a steadfast commitment to meeting the needs of its residents.

Dr. Lance Williams is a nationally recognized scholar, author, and community advocate with over two decades of experience in violence prevention, youth development, and culturally responsive public health strategies. He serves as a professor at Northeastern Illinois University and has led groundbreaking research initiatives exploring the intersection of race, violence, and health disparities in urban communities.

Dr. Williams has served as Principal Investigator on numerous state and federally funded projects, including evaluations of the Illinois CeaseFire program and multiple community violence prevention initiatives across Chicago. His work incorporates ethnographic and participatory research methods to amplify community voices and shape effective interventions. As a trusted grant writer, he has secured over $10 million in funding to support grassroots organizations implementing evidence-based programs for individuals at highest risk of firearm violence.

He is also the author of "King David and Boss Daley" (2023) and co-author of "The Almighty Black P Stone Nation", among other influential publications that explore gang dynamics, urban policy, and cultural identity. Dr. Williams has consulted for numerous school-based programs and founded initiatives focused on youth mentorship and rites of passage rooted in African-centered traditions.

A champion for equity and healing, Dr. Williams brings a unique blend of academic rigor, street-level credibility, and policy insight to his work. His leadership continues to bridge public health and community organizing to build safer, more resilient communities.

Norman Livingston Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer of Trajectory Changing Solutions (TCS), LLC. TCS provides support to better implement violence reduction strategies while providing capacity-building support to community-based organizations and municipalities. Norman has been working in social services and government for over thirty years. He recently served as the Director of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) for The HAVI(Health Alliance for Violence Intervention), leading their efforts with the White House Community Violence Intervention Collaborative (CVIC), supporting four jurisdictions with technical assistance and training. The HAVI, he served as Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety in the Mayor’s Office, City of Chicagofor over two years. There he led the inaugural Office of Violence Reduction, an office charged with implementing a violence reduction strategy that coordinated existing efforts, incorporated evidence-based strategies, and promoted collaboration at all levels. In a previous role, Norman was employed at UCAN, a longstanding organization, where he led the Peace Hub and started UCAN’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Services (VIPS)department and grew this department to over one hundred staff in five years. VIPS applied community violence intervention efforts designed to address the violence crisis plaguing Chicago’s neighborhoods. These initiatives were designed to transform young lives through programs promoting individual healing, self-empowerment, and community transformation.Prior to UCAN, Norman worked for fourteen years at Cure Violence (CeaseFire), a violenceinterventionprogram he was instrumental in crafting through his experience as an outreach worker supporting high-risk individuals, a mentor, and as a grassroots community worker. He served as the Director and later worked as an International Liaisontherefocusing on intervening in violence in the Caribbean and Canada. This work was highlighted in the documentary "The Interrupters".Mr. Kerr received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Illinois State University and hisMaster’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago, with a special interest in addressing the impact of trauma in our communities. Norman is extremely intentional about self-care and carves out time to cook, bake, travel, and sing in his reggae band.

Junelle Berry, M.B.A., B.S., CHW is a dynamic community leader and public health professional with over 15 years of experience spanning compliance, community engagement, and social services. She currently serves as a Social Work Supervisor at Harris County Public Health, where she oversees maternal and child health programs, leads a team of case managers, and ensures the successful delivery of services aligned with GGK and HFA standards.

Before transitioning to social services, Junelle built a strong foundation in regulatory oversight as a Senior Compliance Auditor and Analyst, managing high-level investigations and audits for the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Her deep expertise in policy compliance, fiscal accountability, and stakeholder education has made her a trusted resource at both the state and community levels.

Junelle is passionate about equity, youth development, and advocacy for underserved populations. She has led trainings, facilitated community events, and participated in high-impact initiatives aimed at addressing social and environmental injustices. She brings a compassionate, detail-oriented approach to her work and thrives in spaces that bridge systems and community voices.

An active civic leader, Junelle serves as President of the Houston Metropolitan Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., and holds leadership roles in several national and local organizations. She holds an M.B.A. and a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Houston–Downtown and is a certified Community Health Worker.

Judge Damiane “Dianne” Curvey serves as the Presiding Judge of the 280th Judicial District Court in Harris County, Texas, where she oversees one of the most critical areas of family law—domestic violence. Since taking the bench in 2023, Judge Curvey has prioritized safety, justice, and fairness in her courtroom, ensuring all parties are treated with dignity and that the best interests of children remain central in family-related proceedings. Her courtroom is a model for order, trauma-informed practice, and thoughtful case management.

Before her judicial appointment, Judge Curvey spent nearly two decades as Managing Attorney at Banieh Law Firm, where she litigated family, criminal, probate, juvenile, and education law cases. She also dedicated countless hours as a volunteer attorney with Harris County Family Drug Court, mentoring and representing CPS-involved parents.

Judge Curvey’s diverse professional background includes early-career experience as a classroom teacher and adoption recruiter, as well as an academic intern with the First Court of Appeals. Her legal career has been anchored by a commitment to integrity, mentorship, and access to justice.

She earned her J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where she served as Managing Editor of the Law Review and a Torts tutor. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Communications, she also holds a teaching certification from University of Houston–Downtown.

Judge Curvey is active in numerous civic and professional organizations, including the Houston Bar Association, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and Women Professionals in Government.

Alicia Nuzzie is the Director of the Domestic Violence High Risk Team (DVHRT) Initiative for the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC) in Houston, Texas. With over 25 years of employment and study in the domestic violence field, Alicia's background, and specific work experience in enhancing direct victim/survivor service and support, legislative advocacy on a local, state, and federal level, and community organizing has led her to create and organize several innovative projects in her community to help survivors of violence. Alicia's more focused work for the past seven years has been with intimate partner violence homicide prevention where she had the privilege and honor of developing and managing two DVHRTs. Her work with local leaders and agency administrators throughout the third largest jurisdiction in the United States aims to improve the domestic violence response system with the use of trauma informed practices, pioneering initiatives, and collaborative work between agencies. In 2022, the Harris County DVHRT Initiative won the national Purple Ribbon Award for Best Urban Initiative of the Year by DomesticShelters.org. Alicia’s work with DVHRTs has been highlighted at the national Crimes Against Women Conference, and she is often consulted by The Geiger Institute, the originators of the DVHRT concept, in supporting other jurisdictions around the country with technical support.

Lauren Byrne is a seasoned trial attorney with over 18 years of distinguished experience, 14 of which were spent as a prosecutor, trying violent crimes and serving in various leadership roles. Lauren served as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County from 2007 through 2020. She then served as an Assistant District Attorney in Fort Bend before entering private practice, where she practiced criminal defense and victim advocacy. As a prosecutor, she was assigned to numerous specialty divisions, including the Juvenile Division, Child Abuse Division, and Civil Rights Division. Over half of her career in Harris County was spent as a chief prosecutor in various felony district courts and the Domestic Violence Division, where she prosecuted Capital Murders, homicides of young children, and Intimate Partner Homicides.

Lauren handled the first intimate partner violence case for the Domestic Violence High Risk Caseload when the program was initiated in Harris County. She was responsible for training and supervising a large number of younger prosecutors and was frequently a faculty advisor for the state-wide Prosecutor Trial Skills Course. Lauren also served as a volunteer prosecutor for the Veterans’ Court. Lauren has a passion for training and has been a guest speaker and trainer for various agencies and organizations, including the Texas District and County Attorney’s Association, the Depelchin Center, other DA Offices in Texas, the Houston Police Department Academy, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Academy. In 2023, while in private practice, Lauren was named the Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year, a state-wide award recognizing her outstanding advocacy and legal representation in a death penalty trial in Lubbock County.

Maggie Sun currently serves as the Senior Program Manager for the Holistic Assistance Response Team (HART) at Harris County Public Health. Launched in March 2022, HART is an alternative 911 response program designed to reduce law enforcement involvement in low-priority social service calls and connect residents to essential community resources. By applying a public health framework, HART addresses the root causes of violence and aims to foster long-term safety and well-being across Harris County. Maggie is proud to contribute to this critical initiative, which serves historically underserved populations with compassion and care.

Before joining HART, Maggie led a multidisciplinary social services department, managing a team of 15 across eight programs focused on benefits enrollment, housing stability, financial empowerment, and domestic violence support. She is a strong advocate for bilingual, wraparound services and is deeply committed to bridging gaps in access for vulnerable populations.

As a Veteran Spouse, Maggie brings personal insight into the importance of mental health and comprehensive support systems. During her time with Army Community Services (ACS), she supported service members and their families by connecting them to vital resources, resulting in meaningful and lasting impact.

Maggie is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as a master’s degree in public administration. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, skiing, and spending quality time with her family.

Ms. Washington serves as our Division Director for Community Health and Violence Prevention Services (CHVPS).  Prior to joining HCPH, Ms. Washington served as the Assistant Executive Director for Brazos County Juvenile Services for over seven years, whose agency charge is to rehabilitate youths, and includes providing behavioral health and medical services as well as diversion programs for at-risk youth. She was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department and had direct supervision of seven directors.

At Brazos County Ms. Washington led services that focused on addressing root causes and increasing rehabilitation. These programs include the Services to Address Recidivism Unit, the Recidivism Reduction Program, and the Youth Advocate Program, which provides wraparound services to address the Social Determinants of Health for youths and their families.

Prior to her service with Brazos County, Ms. Washington worked at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HJPD) for over 16 years, where she began her career as Juvenile Probation Officer. Throughout her tenure at HJPD, she also served as Intensive Supervision Officer, Gang Supervision Officer, Supervisor/Agency Representative, Court Administrator and Administrator of Public Affairs and Information. It is in these positions that she learned the importance of restorative justice and holistic approaches to healing trauma that often are the underlying causes of violence.

Ms. Washington earned her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) and her Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College. Among her professional and community involvement, Ms. Washington serves as Co-Chair of the Registration Committee for the Texas Probation Association and as Board Secretary of POWER on Heels Fund, Inc. (a nonprofit organization that focuses on advancing Latinas in their professional and economic growth). She is also a founding member of the Professional Society of Criminal Justice Students at UHD.

Ms. Washington’s leadership and experience working in the field with populations the CHVPS aims to serve will help our department provide holistic solutions to reduce gun violence and amplify public health and safety in our communities.

In August 2024, Leah Barton was appointed Interim Executive Director for Harris County Public Health (HCPH) – the nationally accredited public health agency for the nation’s third-largest county serving 4.8 million people.

Leah comes to the Department with a vision of building a more dynamic, vibrant, and resilient community, committed to improving public health outcomes and transparency. Prior to her appointment, she served as Deputy County Administrator in the Office of County Administration (OCA). In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of OCA, driving strategic initiatives, and ensuring efficient collaboration within OCA and between OCA and other County departments and offices. Within OCA, Leah previously served as Managing Director of the Grants and Partnerships Division, overseeing the administration of $1B of COVID recovery funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act. She also incubated cross-departmental functions including the Office of Early Childhood and homelessness response strategies.

Leah's distinguished career spans nearly 20 years in the energy sector, serving in commercial, IT, finance, marketing, and operations leadership roles at Centrica plc/Direct Energy, MXenergy, Shell Chemical LP, and Nuvera Fuel Cells. Collectively her achievements include leading divisional turnarounds, driving growth, and establishing effective performance management systems. Leah began her career as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania and speaks Spanish and Swahili.

Leah's commitment to community leadership is exemplified by her active involvement in various organizations and recognition as a "Woman Who Means Business in Energy" by the Houston Business Journal. She currently serves as Director of St. Paul’s United Methodist Foundation, as Advisory Board Member for ProUnitas, and is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow. She previously served as a Board Member of Child Advocates and Advisory Board Member of the UH Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality. As part of her commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace environment, Leah sponsored the LGBTQ+ employee resource group at Direct Energy. She was the founding board chair of EMERGE, a college access organization now serving thousands of students and graduates across the Houston region.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Yale, a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

Victor Gonzalez is a native Houstonian who grew up in Southeast/ East End. He is a graduate of Charles H. Milby High School and attended University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio. He has 49 years of experience working with delinquent, at-risk youth and has spent a significant amount of his career specifically addressing the risk factors of those youth who are gang involved.

Victor was employed with AAMA for over seven years and was the program manager for Barrios Unidos Youth program that serviced youth and young adults who were gang involved and experiencing issues of substance abuse in the 1990’s. Victor attributes much of his experience gained at AAMA for helping him grow professionally.

Victor has worked with the National Gang Center, Bureau of Justice and OJJDP- Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention throughout the country and Central America and Canada as a technical advisor and trainer. He also worked as a presenter with Texas State SBLE Conference and has supported Texas Gang Investigators Association and the Texas Attorney General’s Office for many years to understand prevention, intervention and gang members.

Victor, recently retired from the City of Houston after 26 years of service as the Division Manager of the Mayor’s Office of Gang Prevention and Intervention, formerly known as the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office. In this lead position, Victor oversaw the implementation of the Office’s programs and services, developed comprehensive approaches to preventing and reducing delinquency, gang involvement, and violence in the city. Victor also developed gang awareness training materials to educate law enforcement, criminal justice, school personnel, residents, community agencies and other professionals on how to deal with gangs. He also developed employment and volunteer opportunities for formerly incarcerated men and women to provide prevention, intervention and violence interruption services for youth and adults in the Northeast and 3rd Ward/Southside areas of Houston.

Rohish is the director of the Office of Communications, Education, and Engagement (OCEE) for Harris County Public Health. This office educates, engages, and empowers Harris County community members by providing accurate, practical, relevant information for internal and external stakeholders to make well-informed health decisions. OCEE oversees public information, government legislative affairs, event planning, and community-wide outreach and engagement.

Rohish has 13 years of experience in the public health field with extensive experience in government relations, including federal and state advocacy, as well as many years conducting media relations and community engagement for local government.

Before HCPH, Rohish was at the Sonoma County Department of Health Services where he served as the Legislative Policy and External Affairs officer, and Public Information Officer. Prior to that, he was Assistant Public Information Officer with the California Health and Human Services Agency, which oversees 12 departments and five offices that provide a range of health care services, social services, mental health services, alcohol and drug services, income assistance, and public health services.

Rohish received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from San Francisco State University and his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from California State University, Northridge.

Jamail Johnson is a dynamic community leader, serving as an Educator, Author, and Success Coach. As the former National Executive Director of the African American Male Wellness Agency, he dedicates himself to reducing health disparities affecting African American men and their families, emphasizing the need to close the health divide across the country. He also heads Increase ME (Momentum Effectively), providing practical leadership insights to entrepreneurs and leadersand passionately serves as the Lead Pastor of The WORD Church, in Houston, TX.His impact stretches across educational realms, business sectors, and community initiatives, where he imparts both knowledge and spiritual guidance, fostering development and growth in diverse settings. Jamail’s involvement extends to being a liaison for groups like The Greater Houston Frontiers Club,100 Black Men Metropolitan Houston, Police and Clergy Alliance, and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, and he holds board positions with the Acres Homes Chamber of Commerce and One Body Networking. These roles underline his commitment to educational transformation, social empowerment, and robust community support. Educationally, Jamail studied Business Administration at Texas Southern University and holds a Bachelor of Theology from Pentefaith Biblical Institute, plus an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Kingdom Training Circuit Institute. His efforts have garnered him notable recognitions, including a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden, a Congressional Commendation from Congresswoman Shelia Jackson-Lee, and a proclamation of "Jamail Johnson Day" on March 17th by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. With over twenty years in pastoral and community activism, Jamail has become a significant voice for change, affecting multiple generations and cultures. His personal life reflects his values deeply; he cherishes his family, particularly his wife, Natasha, and their two sons, JayeLon and Adonis, who inspire his dedication to bettering his community and personal life

Norman Livingston Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer of Trajectory Changing Solutions (TCS), LLC. TCS provides support to better implement violence reduction strategies while providing capacity-building support to community-based organizations and municipalities. Norman has been working in social services and government for over thirty years. He recently served as the Director of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) for The HAVI(Health Alliance for Violence Intervention), leading their efforts with the White House Community Violence Intervention Collaborative (CVIC), supporting four jurisdictions with technical assistance and training. The HAVI, he served as Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety in the Mayor’s Office, City of Chicagofor over two years. There he led the inaugural Office of Violence Reduction, an office charged with implementing a violence reduction strategy that coordinated existing efforts, incorporated evidence-based strategies, and promoted collaboration at all levels. In a previous role, Norman was employed at UCAN, a longstanding organization, where he led the Peace Hub and started UCAN’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Services (VIPS)department and grew this department to over one hundred staff in five years. VIPS applied community violence intervention efforts designed to address the violence crisis plaguing Chicago’s neighborhoods. These initiatives were designed to transform young lives through programs promoting individual healing, self-empowerment, and community transformation.Prior to UCAN, Norman worked for fourteen years at Cure Violence (CeaseFire), a violenceinterventionprogram he was instrumental in crafting through his experience as an outreach worker supporting high-risk individuals, a mentor, and as a grassroots community worker. He served as the Director and later worked as an International Liaisontherefocusing on intervening in violence in the Caribbean and Canada. This work was highlighted in the documentary "The Interrupters".Mr. Kerr received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Illinois State University and hisMaster’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago, with a special interest in addressing the impact of trauma in our communities. Norman is extremely intentional about self-care and carves out time to cook, bake, travel, and sing in his reggae band.

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).

NICJR works to reduce incarceration and violence, improve the outcomes of system-involved youth and adults, and increase the capacity and expertise of the organizations that serve these individuals.

Through NICJR, David provides leadership and technical assistance to the Gun Violence Reduction Strategies in the cities across the country, including Oakland, CA; Indianapolis, IN; and Washington, DC. David helped lead a partnership of organizations and technical assistance providers that achieved a 50% reduction in shootings and homicides in Oakland.

In Indianapolis, David led the NICJR team that worked with the city to implement the successful Indianapolis Gun Violence Reduction Strategy. During the first two years of GVRS, between January 2022 – December 2024, Indianapolis achieved a 31% reduction in murders and 20% reduction in non-fatal shootings.

David has worked to implement positive youth development into youth justice systems around the country. 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.

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

The former Chief Probation Officer of the Alameda County (California) Probation Department, David was responsible for overseeing 20,000 people on probation, a staff of 600, and a $90 million budget. In 2010, David was named the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Probation in New York City, the second largest Probation Department in the country, where he was responsible for overseeing 35,000 people on probation and a staff of 900. David served as the Chief of Committed Services for Washington, DC’s, Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). His responsibilities at DYRS included 300 staff, a $42 million annual budget, a juvenile institution, and 900 youth committed to his department’s care.

In 2013, Mr. Muhammad was the first Executive Director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) in Los Angeles. ARC has grown to become one of the largest and most prominent service providers and policy advocacy organizations for the formerly incarcerated in California.

David Muhammad has authored numerous op-ed articles in prominent media outlets, including the Washington Post, LA Times, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, and many others.

While Executive Director of The Mentoring Center in Oakland, Ca., David was contracted by the City of Richmond, CA to help design the Office of Neighborhood Safety, which has since been credited for bringing significant reductions in violence to the city.

As a graduate of Howard University’s School of Communications, David also has an extensive journalism career. David also completed a course on “Systems Dynamics for Senior Managers” at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, MA. In August of 2008, David completed a certificate program on Juvenile Justice Multi-System Integration at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute

Norman Livingston Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer of Trajectory Changing Solutions (TCS), LLC. TCS provides support to better implement violence reduction strategies while providing capacity-building support to community-based organizations and municipalities. Norman has been working in social services and government for over thirty years. He recently served as the Director of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) for The HAVI(Health Alliance for Violence Intervention), leading their efforts with the White House Community Violence Intervention Collaborative (CVIC), supporting four jurisdictions with technical assistance and training. The HAVI, he served as Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety in the Mayor’s Office, City of Chicagofor over two years. There he led the inaugural Office of Violence Reduction, an office charged with implementing a violence reduction strategy that coordinated existing efforts, incorporated evidence-based strategies, and promoted collaboration at all levels. In a previous role, Norman was employed at UCAN, a longstanding organization, where he led the Peace Hub and started UCAN’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Services (VIPS)department and grew this department to over one hundred staff in five years. VIPS applied community violence intervention efforts designed to address the violence crisis plaguing Chicago’s neighborhoods. These initiatives were designed to transform young lives through programs promoting individual healing, self-empowerment, and community transformation.Prior to UCAN, Norman worked for fourteen years at Cure Violence (CeaseFire), a violenceinterventionprogram he was instrumental in crafting through his experience as an outreach worker supporting high-risk individuals, a mentor, and as a grassroots community worker. He served as the Director and later worked as an International Liaisontherefocusing on intervening in violence in the Caribbean and Canada. This work was highlighted in the documentary "The Interrupters".Mr. Kerr received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Illinois State University and hisMaster’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago, with a special interest in addressing the impact of trauma in our communities. Norman is extremely intentional about self-care and carves out time to cook, bake, travel, and sing in his reggae band.