Civic Innovation Conference
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Speakers
Founder, Civic Innovator LLC
Andreas Addison is the founder of Civic Innovator, LLC, an innovation, strategy, and design partner. Over his ten-year career, Andreas has established himself, nationally and internationally, as an innovation thought leader through his work addressing social issues by leveraging equitable...
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Professor of Practice, Dept. of Media Studies, Univ. of Virginia
`WYATT ANDREWSProfessor of Practice in Media StudiesUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesville VA 22904434 243 1675wga5ca@virginia.eduJan. 2016 to present Professor of Practice; Media Studies, UVaDeveloped and now teaches three new courses in Media Studies.1) The News Media, an overview...
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Director, Grants & Community Programs, Virginia Humanities
David Bearinger is Director of Grants and Community Programs at Virginia Humanities. His work explores the story of Virginia; the history and diverse cultures that have shaped Virginia over four centuries (and for thousands of years prior to European arrival); and the issues that...
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Inclusive Play Advocate, Magical Bridge Foundation and Playworld
Missy Benson graduated from Virginia Tech with a Landscape Architecture degree and from Norfolk Botanical Gardens with a horticulture certificate. She managed one of the largest street tree planting projects for the City of Boston and has owned both a photography and recreation consultation...
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State Refugee Coordinator, Virginia Department of Social Services Office of Newcomer Services
Seyoum Berhe is the Virginia State Refugee Coordinator. Before joining the state, he was Director of the Catholic Charities, Migration and Refugee Services, from 2001 to 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Berhe has worked with the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) and the American...
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Executive Director, Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
Chip Boyles is Executive Director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in Charlottesville, Virginia. He oversees a regional government agency that provides local government assistance in the areas of transportation planning, housing, environmental and water quality...
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Editor in Chief, Collegiate Times
Jessica Brady is the editor in chief of the Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student newspaper and Blacksburg's oldest paper. She is also a senior studying international relations, will be attending law school in the fall.
Co-Director, Peace Appeal Foundation
Derek Brown serves as Secretary and Co-Director of the Peace Appeal Foundation. In 2015-2016 he was a Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.. Prior to joining the Peace Appeal Foundation in 2005 , Derek was Vice President and Associate...
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Editorial Director, The Trace
James Burnett is the founding Editorial Director and Managing Director of The Trace, the only news organization dedicated to reporting on gun violence in America. The Trace’s nonprofit journalism has spurred bipartisan legislative proposals, law enforcement reforms, congressional...
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Assistant Professor, University of Virginia
T. Donna Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Systems & Environment at the University of Virginia, where she is affiliate member of the cyber physical systems research Link Lab. Her research focuses on sustainable transportation systems, in particular the...
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San Francisco Treasurer, Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector
José Cisneros is the elected Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco. As Treasurer, he serves as the City’s banker and Chief Investment Officer, managing all tax and revenue collection for San Francisco. In office since 2004, Cisneros has used his experience in the tech...
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County Supervisor, Santa Cruz County
Ryan Coonerty, host of “An Honorable Profession” Podcast, is the Chair of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. A two-time former Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz, he also the cofounder of NextSpace Coworking, a lecturer at UC Santa Cruz, and co-author of The Rise of the...
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Principal, Duvall Decker
Roy Decker is a founding partner of Duvall Decker in Jackson, Mississippi. Duvall Decker is an expanded practice whose award-winning work includes architectural design, community planning, real estate development, and building care.Throughout his career, Roy has been a teacher and...
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Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law
Nora V. Demleitner is the Roy L. Steinheimer Jr Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University, Virginia. She can be reached at demleitnern@wlu.edu and @NDemleitner. She teaches and has written widely on sentencing and collateral sanctions, on comparative and immigration law, and...
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Founder, Good Soil Education
Dr. Tamara Wilkerson is the founder of Good Soil Education. Dr. Dias passionately focuses on empowering people to transform their financial health. Her tailored, insightful, and impactful approach transforms challenges into opportunities for growth and success. Dr. Dias is the executive...
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Journalist, The Cavalier Daily
Tim Dodson is a former editor-in-chief of The Cavalier Daily at the University of Virginia, serving between January 2018 and January 2019. He has also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Charlottesville Tomorrow. Dodson grew up in Charlottesville and is finishing up his fourth...
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Director of Cities, Johns Hopkins University Center for Government Excellence
Sheila worked on broadband adoption and access programs before joining GovEx. As EveryoneOn’s former Chief Marketing Officer, she collaborated with nonprofits and government agencies to promote affordable internet service and devices to unconnected households across the United States...
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Former Chair, Alexandria Commission on Aging
Bob has spent over 25 years in the aging network as the Director of the Alexandria City Agency on Aging from 1993 to 2002; Director of Senior and Specialized Housing for Fairfax County from 2005 to 2007; and Long Term Care Program Director for Fairfax County from 2007 until his retirement...
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Senior Managing Director, Public Partnerships, Teach For America
Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Duanecia Evans leads a Senior Managing Director Teach For America's national Public Partnerships Team. Duanecia's portfolio of partnerships specifically focuses on strengthening opportunities within the Black community. Duanecia has ensured the...
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CEO, Resource Exploration (ResourceX)
Chris Fabian is founder and CEO of both the Center for Priority Based Budgeting and Resource Exploration. Priority based budgeting (PBB) is a leading best practice in local government and a powerful lever for change. ResourceX provides the software solution and powerful analytic tools...
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Community Organzier, Legal Aid Justice Center
Harold Folley is an ambitious, hardworking individual that has committed himself fully to helping others He strives to make changes throughout the communities to make them better for the inner-city youth. Harold coordinated the Westhaven Afterschool Program in the Westhaven community...
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Executive Editor, The Commonwealth Times
Georgia Geen is the Executive Editor of The Commonwealth Times, the independent student newspaper at Virginia Commonwealth University where she studies print/online journalism, Spanish and Spanish-English translation and interpretation. She is a 2019 Dow Jones News Fund multiplatform...
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National Partnerships, Cities Team, Microsoft Corporation
Elizabeth Grossman is Director of National Partnerships and Programs for the Cities Team - Civic Engagement at Microsoft Corporation. The Cities Team brings together Microsoft expertise, programs, and resources to strengthen metropolitan communities and regions. Microsoft works with...
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Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking, Urban Land Institute
Juanita Hardy has over 43 years of business experience, including 31 years with IBM leading initiatives in software development, systems engineering and management consulting. She also has over 35 years in the arts as a collector, trustee, advocate, and art administrator. Hardy served...
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Mayor of Shelby County, Shelby County Government
In August 2018, Lee Harris was elected as the 6th Mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee. Prior to his election, Mayor Harris served in the Tennessee Senate and the Memphis City Council. Throughout his political career, Mayor Harris has been an unwavering voice for neighborhoods, public...
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Founder and Board Chairman, The Fountain Fund
Timothy Heaphy founded The Fountain Fund in 2016 and currently serves as Chairman of its Board of Directors. The Fund provides low interest loans to formerly incarcerated men and women in Central Virginia. Mr. Heaphy is a former federal prosecutor, working for 12 years as an Assistant...
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Chief Marketing Officer, Perrone Robotics
Dave Hofert is the Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Sales for Perrone Robotics, Inc. (PRI) and has been in the role since January of 2017. Dave has developed new business for PRI in automotive, industrial, military, logistics, and Forestry sectors. He previously held...
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Operations Headmaster, The Chattery
Chat with people from this grassroots, community-based learning non-profit that enables people to make social connections through making.
Mayor, City of Kalamazoo
Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell has spent his entire adult career in the service of others. From his professional positions in healthcare to his board memberships and civic responsibilities, he has demonstrated leadership and passion for improving the lives of...
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Director Americas, Art Basel
Noah Horowitz has served as Director Americas for Art Basel since 2015. Prior to this, he held a four-year tenure as Executive Director of The Armory Show in New York, after directing the first ever online-only fair, VIP Art Fair in 2009. Noah holds a Ph.D. in art history from the...
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Social Sculptor & Creative Strategist, Philippa Hughes
Philippa P.B. Hughes is a Social Sculptor and Creative Strategist who produces art-fueled projects that spark humanizing and compassionate conversations between people who might not normally meet. She has designed and produced hundreds of creative activations since 2007 for curious...
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Principal, New Mobility Practice Leader, Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants
Joe Iacobucci is the New Mobility Practice Leader and Director of Transit for Sam Schwartz. He is an internationally-recognized leader in new mobility; guiding clients to manage the emergence of autonomous vehicles. Mr. Iacobucci is responsible for managing several major projects...
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Lieutenant Colonel, Baltimore Police Department
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jackson has been a member of the Baltimore City Police Department for 25 years. He began his career at age eighteen as a Police Cadet. A Baltimore native and proud city resident, his tenure in the agency includes service in six of Baltimore’s nine Police...
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Chief Operating Officer, Better Housing Coalition
Monique Johnson is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), with responsibility for improving processes and gaining efficiencies in the company’s operations. Prior to joining BHC, she was a Senior Loan Officer for Virginia Community Capital (VCC) and a community housing...
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CEO, JABA
Marta has been the CEO of JABA since April 2013. She came to JABA as COO in the Fall of 2012. She has made collaboration a focus of her tenure- both internal and external. The opportunities grow as JABA works to help people age in community, through providing services and support...
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Editor-in-Chief, The Cavalier Daily
Gracie is a third-year student double majoring in English and Media Studies at the University of Virginia. She is from Little Rock, Arkansas and grew up working in the newspaper business at a small family newspaper in rural Northwest Arkansas. This past summer, she worked at Charlottesville...
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President and CEO, Ann Arbor SPARK
Paul Krutko is Ann Arbor SPARK’s president and CEO. Ann Arbor SPARK is a public-private partnership of business, government and academic institutions working to create economic prosperity in the Ann Arbor area of innovation. In his role as CEO, he leads the organization’s efforts...
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Executive Director, International Rescue Committee in Charlottesville and Richmond
Harriet Kuhr is the Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee in Charlottesville and Richmond. Prior to taking that position in April 2010, she was the Manager of Resettlement Services with the IRC in Atlanta. A graduate of the University of Virginia, her previous professional...
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Partner, Department of Here
Lev is a founding partner at Department of Here, an urban brand strategy agency that helps places identify their personality and express it through words, imagery, and action. Lev is a veteran of the Bloomberg Administration in New York City and both the Newsom and Lee Administrations...
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Deputy Director, Welcoming America
Isha Lee is a non-profit practitioner fluent in external affairs, government relations, and organizational development. She has 15 years of experience at national and local organizations. Her recent roles include Chief Network Officer for Welcoming America, Chief of Staff for the...
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Vice President for Learning and Work, Lumina Foundation
Chauncy Lennon joined Lumina Foundation in the newly created role of vice president for the future of learning and work in 2018, helping build out new ideas to advance the foundation's attainment agenda. Lennon came to Lumina after nearly five years as a managing director and head...
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Founder, SingleStone
One of ten children, Chris grew up in Limerick City, Ireland. He first came to the U.S. (and Virginia) in 1983 to visit family and returned three years later on scholarship to attend the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, where he received undergraduate and graduate degrees in...
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Director of City Progress, What Works Cities, Results for America
Zachary Markovits is the Director of City Progress for What Works Cities, the nation’s most comprehensive philanthropic initiative helping local leaders identify and invest in what works. There Zach leads the initiative's work helping cities across the United States use data and...
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Co-Founder, The Chattery
Shawanda Mason-Moore is a communications specialist and freelance writer who partners with businesses and lifestyle brands to increase their digital presence using unique digital marketing strategies. For more than 10 years, she has worked in the event management, marketing and public...
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Executive Director, Piedmont Housing Alliance
Sunshine Mathon is the Executive Director of Piedmont Housing Alliance in Charlottesville, VA. Committed to deeply equitable and sustainable affordable communities, Sunshine has led the development of over 1,200 healthy, efficient homes in Texas and Virginia. As a nationally-recognized...
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Professor, University of Virginia, School of Law
Dayna Matthew, a leader in public health who focuses on racial disparities in health care, joined the Virginia faculty in 2017. She is the author of the book "Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care."Matthew previously served on the University of Colorado...
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Director of Research and Innovation, Virginia Department of Transportation
Cathy has been with VTRC, the Research Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation since 1993, becoming its Director in December of 2016. She has led VDOT’s research program on connected and automated vehicles and works with VDOT staff and University partners to develop...
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Former Assistant Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans
Lauren Mims is a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education. During the Obama Administration, Lauren was Assistant Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African...
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Norfolk City Councilwoman, City of Norfolk
Andria McClellan is using her experience as an entrepreneur, civic leader and community activist, parent of three, and former Planning Commissioner to make meaningful and progressive changes to the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Unseating a 16-year incumbent in 2016, she was elected to...
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Assistant Professor, University of Virginia
Andrew Mondschein, PhD AICP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. He teaches and studies transportation systems and travel behavior, seeking to foster equitable, sustainable accessibility...
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Executive Director, Austin Justice Coalition
Chas Moore is the Cofounder of the Austin, Texas based - Austin Justice Coalition a grassroots activist-led organization aimed at demanding criminal justice reform and building community at both the local and national level. An advocate for the underserved, Chas champions efforts...
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Executive Vice President & COO, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
Sutton Mora Hayes is the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. After graduating from Webster University, she began working in underserved neighborhoods in Chicago, which led her to pursue a Master’s degree in City and...
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Executive Director, Charlottesville Tomorrow
Giles Morris grew up in Washington, D.C., the son of a Congressional press secretary and an international economics correspondent for the Times of London. He started working as a full-time journalist in 2007 as the general assignment reporter for the Rhinelander Daily News in Rhinelander...
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Vice Provost for Academic Outreach, University of Virginia
Louis P. Nelson is Professor of Architectural History and the Vice Provost for Academic Outreach in the Office of the Provost. He is a specialist in the built environments of the early modern Atlantic world, with published work on the American South, the Caribbean, and West Afric...
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Community Director, The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking
Andrea is Community Director of NCCP, a national leader in the creative placemaking field. She is host of the podcast, CreativePlace, which is about all things creative placemaking. She is also editor of the cpcommunities.org blog. She is a student in the Class of 2019 Certificate...
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President/CEO, The Fortune Society
JoAnne Page has over 40 years’ experience in criminal justice, with the last 30 of those years at the helm of The Fortune Society. Under Ms. Page’s stewardship, The Fortune Society has been recognized as a national leader in criminal justice advocacy and as a pioneer in assisting...
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Deputy Director, ACLU of Florida, ACLU of Florida
Ms. Pearson is the Deputy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida. Before joining the ACLU, Ms. Pearson was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County for 16 years. She ended her prosecutorial career as the Assistant Chief in the Career Criminal/Robbery...
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Chief Talent Officer, WILLOWTREE, INC.
Christy Phillips is the Chief Talent Officer for WillowTree®, a mobile innovation agency building products for some of the world’s leading brands. She feels fortunate to work at a company committed to hiring the best talent and creating an inclusive work environment. Both of these...
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President/ Executive Director, HomeStart, Inc.
Matt Pritchard is the President and Executive Director of HomeStart. Matt’s commitment of serving Greater Boston’s most vulnerable neighbors began in the late 90’s when, while leading the social enterprises and training programs within a Boston-based homeless shelter, Matt moved...
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Engagement reporter, ProPublica
Beena Raghavendran is the engagement reporter for the Local Reporting Network. She works with several reporters around the country to boost audience voice and engagement in stories.
Gifted Resource Teacher, BlackTeacherCode
Brandon Readus lives to disrupt the narrative; a social justice native, Brandon began his career as a kindergarten teacher within the 2013 cohort of African American Teaching Fellows (AATF). He currently serves as a Gifted Resource Teacher with Albemarle County Public Schools in Charlottesville...
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Executive Director, Goldin Institute
Travis Rejman is the founding Executive Director of the Goldin Institute, a Chicago based global organization that has inspired, equipped and connected grassroots leaders in over 50 countries since 2002. We help community leaders learn together and build on their assets in order to...
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Founder, The Spill Teem
Joshua René is an innovative free thinker who serves as the Founder and CEO of The Spill Teem®. For over ten years, human services taught Joshua that serving people begins with serving how they think. He's held tight to this to build creative ways to bring thinking with clarity...
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News Editor, Charlottesville Tomorrow
Elliott has spent more than 12 years in journalism as a reporter and editor, mostly in Central Virginia. He joined Charlottesville Tomorrow as its news editor in August 2018.
Director of Strategy, Public Interest Technology, New America
Hana Schank is the Strategy Director for Public Interest Technology at New America, where she works to develop the public interest technology field via research, storytelling and fostering connections. She founded and edits The Commons, a publication for people working in and around...
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Director, Work, Workers, and Technology Initiative, New America
Kristin Sharp directs New America's Initiative on Work, Workers, and Technology. In 2016, she co-founded and ran Shift: The Commission on Work, Workers, and Technology, a joint project of New America and Bloomberg. Prior to launching Shift, she had an extensive career in technology...
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Associate Director, Auburn University Rural Studio
Rusty Smith is the Associate Director of Rural Studio, Auburn University’s internationally recognized design-build program. Established in 1993 Rural Studio gives architecture students a hands-on educational experience while assisting the underserved communities of Alabama’s rural...
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Program Specialist, AARP Virginia
Beginning in October 2013, Natalie Snider became a Senior Program Assistant with AARP Virginia, working with advocacy and communications staff. In April of 2016, she moved into the role of Program Specialist, where she is responsible for recruiting, onboarding, and training new volunteers...
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Executive Director, Just City - Memphis
Josh is the executive director at Just City, an advocacy organization pursuing smarter criminal justice policies for Memphis and Tennessee. Too often, a person’s path through the criminal justice system is determined by wealth, and the burdens of that involvement can persist for...
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Assistant Vice President & Chief of Police, University of Virginia Police Department
As the Assistant Vice President & Chief of Police at the University of Virginia Police department, Tommye S. Sutton is the principal administrator in planning, directing, and managing the comprehensive law enforcement and administrative components of the department. Chief Sutton began...
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Editor at Large, New York Magazine
Carl Swanson is editor at large for New York magazine and its affiliated digital sites, TheCut and Vulture. He graduated from U.Va.
Mayor, City of Oxford, Mississippi
Thirty years ago, Robyn Tannehill arrived in Oxford to study art at the University of Mississippi. She met her future husband, fell in love with her college town, and ended up as its director of tourism just a few years after graduation. After years of both career and volunteer roles...
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Director of Talent Attraction, Retention & Development, Greater Louisville Inc. - Live in Lou
Christine Tarquinio is the Director of Talent Attraction, Retention & Development at Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), the metro chamber of commerce in Louisville, KY. Prior to joining GLI, Christine worked in marketing, advertising and branding, representing local, regional, national...
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Executive Director, University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
Dr. Larry D. Terry II is the Executive Director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. With over 20 years of public service and higher education experience, Dr. Terry has worked in California, New York, and most recently Dallas, Texas to improve...
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Director of Strategic Housing, Virginia Housing Development Authority
Chris Thompson is the Director of Strategic Housing at VHDA. He actively leads and participates in developing, communicating, and monitoring VHDA's strategic plan and divisional business plans. Mr. Thompson coordinates the design and delivery of trainings intended to strengthen the...
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Chair and Founder, The Dream Project, Inc.
Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez was a member of the Arlington Public Schools Board from 2008 to 2016. Dr. Violand is an adjunct faculty at Georgetown University since 1998. She retired in 2007 as Supervisor in the Arlington Public Schools, VA. She received her B.S. and M. S. from Radford...
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Director of Dallas County Programs, Lone Star Justice Alliance
Yulise Reaves Waters, Esq. is the Director of Dallas Programs for Lone Star Justice Alliance, where she oversees the programmatic, data, and community engagement aspects of the Second Chance Community Improvement Program (SCCIP). Previously, Waters was an Assistant City Attorney and...
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Vice President, Duke Office of Durham Affairs
Stelfanie Williams has served as Duke’s vice president for Durham affairs since August 2018. In this role, Williams leads and coordinates Duke’s diverse and innovative community efforts in areas such as economic development, affordable housing, early childhood, K-12 and workforce...
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Founder and CEO, Thriving Cities Group
Josh Yates is a cultural sociologist and social entrepreneur whose work bridges the worlds of academic theory and social practice in order to help communities grapple with one of our society's grand challenges: what it will mean and take to thrive in contexts of increasing economic...
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