Cohort 1
The inaugural cohort of the CVILA is composed of 31 community violence intervention leaders representing 22 localities, which accounted for almost 20% of homicides in the U.S. in 2022.
Watch a video about the inaugural cohort of the CVILA.
Watch highlights from the CVILA inaugural cohort’s week in Washington, D.C. in February 2024.
Participating Localities
Innovation Fund Grantees
Each cohort member designed a capstone project related to the development of a gun violence reduction program or innovation. Each project was created with feedback from a team of advisors, and students defended their work before a panel to complete the program.
An “innovation fund” created by the University of Chicago and the Casey Foundation granted eight exceptional projects seed funding for additional consultation, implementation or evaluation:
- GID University is a workforce development program designed by Rasheedat Fetuga (Nashville, TN). It equips north Nashville youth most at risk for gun violence involvement with the skills to lead public safety change, gun violence prevention and community transformation.
- Voices of Power, an initiative founded by De’Angelo Harris-Rosa (Philadelphia, PA), advances public education and discourse around CVI. It includes a radio show and streaming video podcast with leaders in the field.
- The Red Light Initiative, a transformative justice framework developed by Jovan Davis (Washington, D.C.), addresses the root causes of the emotional pain that can lead to gun violence.
- 4 Social Peace is an initiative founded by Patrick Young (New Orleans, LA). It develops interventions that dismantle aggression and foster a positive online environment through a comprehensive and integrated digital community violence intervention strategy.
- CTVIP Multi-Tiered Data Management System, a performance monitoring tool developed by Alivia Langley (New Haven, CT), tracks resource utilization and participant outcomes.
- CHVPS Employee Mental Health & Wellness Policy, a framework created by Guadalupe Washington (Harris Co., TX), promotes a positive environment that supports mental health and well-being for community health and violence prevention staff and those they serve.
- SWOT Analysis of UCAN Chicago’s Violence Intervention and Prevention is a community-based violence intervention and prevention program created by Edwin Galletti (Chicago, IL). It reduces individual youth participation in crime and violence, addresses trauma, improves academic engagement and success and meets youth development needs through coaching and mediation.
- Operation RESPOND Expansion is a mobile crisis management intervention unit built by Dante Johnson (Baltimore, MD). It targets individuals and families who are impacted by gun violence and provides them with support services and workforce development opportunities.
Cohort 1 Students
Raysean Brown
Managing Director of Violence Intervention, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Orlando, FL
Sam Castro
Director of Community Violence, Institute For Nonviolence Chicago
Chicago, IL
Dewayne Comer
Director of Re-Integration Solutions, Syracuse Office of the Mayor
Syracuse, NY
Jovan Davis
Program Manager, Cure Violence, Alliance of Concerned Men
Washington, D.C.
Leonard Dungee Jr.
CEO, H.O.P.E. Hustlers
Atlanta, GA
Sierra Ellis
Program Director, Focused Deterrence, Mayor’s Office, City of Portland
Portland, OR
Lakeesha Eure
Director, Office of Violence Prevention, City of Newark Department of Health
Newark, NJ
Rasheedat Fetuga
President & CEO, Gideon’s Army Grassroots Army for Children
Nashville, TN
Edwin Galletti
Vice President, Violence Intervention and Prevention Services, UCAN Chicago
Chicago, IL
Tanisha Gibson
CEO, Urban Solutions
Minneapolis, MN
DeAngelo Harris-Rosa
Deputy Director, Office of Violence Prevention
Philadelphia, PA
Fayth Henderson
Director of Strategic Alliance and Collaborative Partnerships, 67th Precinct Clergy Council Inc. (GodSquad)
New York, NY
Anthony Jennings
Director, Eastern Division, Life Camp Inc.
Queens, NY
Dante Johnson
Program Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Baltimore, MD
Freedom Jones
Director of Violence Intervention Programs, Center for Hope – LifeBridge Health
Baltimore, MD
Dujuan “Zoe” Kennedy
Public Health & Safety Director, Force Detroit/Detroit Keepers
Detroit, MI
Alivia Langley
Program Manager, Connecticut Violence Intervention Program
Hartford, CT
Jason Little
Strategic Initiatives Manager, Chicago CRED
Chicago, IL
Toni McNeil
Founder & Executive Director, Concrete Development Inc. (CDI)
Stockton, CA
Lyle Muhammad
Executive Director, Circle of Brotherhood
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Nicole Myers
Director of Programs, GOSO/SAVE
New York, NY
Rodney Phillips
CEO, Living In Peace Successfully
Chicago, IL
Jaunita Pye
Associate Director, Everytown for Gun Safety
Chicago, IL
Sheri Ruffai
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Heartland Alliance, READI National Center for Safe
Chicago, IL
Julius Thibodeaux Jr.
CEO & Founder, Movement4Life
Sacramento, CA
Skipp Townsend
CEO & Executive Director, 2nd Call
Los Angeles, CA
Lupe Washington
Division Director Community Health and Violence Prevention, Harris County Public Health
Houston, TX
Myesha Watkins
Administrator, Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention
Cleveland, OH
Dave Williams
Chief Program Officer, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP Inc.)
Chicago, IL
Patrick Young
Director of Gun Violence Prevention, City of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Danny Zamora
Deputy Director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Latest Updates
Vice President Kamala Harris Recognizes the CVILA at White House Ceremony
On February 9, 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris recognized the work of the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) at an event that will acknowledged the accomplishments of its inaugural cohort at the White House.
Force Detroit member honored at the White House
Fox 2 Detroit’s Marielle Lue sits down with CVILA graduate Zoe Kennedy to discuss his visit to the White House as a part of the graduation of the CVILA’s inaugural cohort. Kennedy is the Public Health & Safety Director of Force Detroit.
Advocate, activist and healer: Myesha Watkins is trying to make Cleveland safer
Cleveland.com’s Molly Walsh highlights CVILA graduate Myesha Watkins’ visit to the White House as a part of the graduation of the CVILA’s inaugural cohort. Watkins is the executive director of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, a crime prevention organization that focuses on helping communities become healthier environments to reduce violence.
