Apr 2024
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Steering Committee and Curriculum Developers
The CVI Leadership Academy’s original program design and curriculum was developed by a powerful group of national CVI leaders who now serve as the CVILA’s Steering Committee. The Steering Committee includes leading researchers, organizers, activists, survivor advocates, faith leaders, and practitioners.
With the support of curriculum developers, this group drew from their expert knowledge and experience to craft a curriculum that prepares leaders for the unique challenge of sustaining an impactful CVI organization and fostering health and safety in Black and Brown communities.
Steering Committee
Dr. Shani Buggs
Dr. Shani Buggs is an Assistant Professor for the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis and a health and public policy scholar with expertise in community-driven violence intervention and prevention efforts.
Dr. Antonio Cediel
Dr. Antonio Cediel is the Special Advisor for Live Free USA, where he leads community violence intervention efforts and supports the network’s Latino church organizing, and the CEO of First Revolution Consulting.
Erica Ford
Erica Ford is credited with reimagining effective pathways to public safety in inner-city communities. She is the Co-Founder and former CEO of LIFE Camp, Inc.; Lead Creator of NYC Crisis Management System; Co-Chair of the National Black & Brown Peace Coalition; and Co-Founder of Kush & Kemet.
Marcus McAllister
Marcus McAllister is a national violence prevention expert, speaker, and consultant. He is also the Dean of Students of the UChicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
Pastor Michael McBride
Pastor Michael McBride is the Executive Director of Live Free USA, a Square One Fellow at Columbia University Justice Policy Lab, the Co-Founder of Black Church PAC and the Black Brown Peace Consortium, and serves as the Lead Pastor of The Way Church in Berkeley, CA.
Oresa Napper-Williams
Oresa Napper-Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of Not Another Child, Inc., an organization that provides unconventional therapeutic support and advocates for families and communities directly impacted by gun violence.
Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith is the Executive Director of Cities United and is an organizer, a bridge builder, a believer in community, and a thought leader.
Dr. Chico Tillmon
Dr. Chico Tillmon is the Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy and a leading national consultant and training and technical assistance provider on violence prevention, reentry, and nonprofits.
Curriculum Developers
Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra
Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra is an Assistant Professor at Jane Addams College of Social Work at University of Illinois Chicago.
Dr. Julian Thompson
Dr. Julian Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law, & Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Brief
Learn more about the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy in this brief.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Week in Washington, D.C.
View highlights from the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy’s week in Washington, D.C. in February 2024 including capstone presentations, meeting with policymakers, and the graduation event at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris.
CVILA Immersive Lab in Oakland, California
Watch a recap of the CVILA Immersive Lab in Oakland, California.
Scaling Promising Practices in Youth Mentoring
This case study by Results for America highlights the Crime Lab and Education Lab’s role in the City of Chicago’s bold initiative to expand the evidence-based Becoming a Man group mentoring model to serve thousands of young men.
Latest Updates
Crime Lab honored
At a February 9 White House ceremony, Vice President Kamala Harris honored the first graduates of the UChicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA), a six-month program that trains leaders to prevent and reduce gun violence in their communities. In her remarks, Harris recognized CVILA’s work and its 31 graduates. Community violence intervention programs are widely seen as an effective approach to preventing gun violence; the CVILA aims to strengthen such programs by providing training on topics including staff development and retention, data literacy, and evaluation. The ceremony was the culmination of a week of events focused on community violence awareness hosted by the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Mastering the art of command: Inside the Policing Leadership Academy with retired NYPD Chief Kenneth Corey
Kenneth Corey, retired NYPD Chief and Director of Outreach and Engagement for the Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy, joins the Policing Matters Podcast to discuss the Academy’s innovative approach to training police commanders.
Madison Police Department captain recognized nationally as a rising police leader
Captain Stephanie Drescher, a graduate of the Policing Leadership Academy, was awarded the 2024 Past President Scholarship at the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives conference for their work on domestic violence homicides.
