NCDPS Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr appointed 25 violence prevention leaders to serve on the state’s first Community Violence Advisory Board. The board will serve as a centralized strategic resource connecting the growing number of programs working across law enforcement, public health, social services and other disciplines to reduce violence and firearm misuse in N.C. communities.
“Across our state, organizations are digging in and doing the work to reduce violence in their local communities,” said NCDPS Deputy Secretary Caroline Valand, who leads partnership engagement for the agency. “This board will bring these leaders together in a discussion that will help to elevate all of our individual efforts.”
As part of the executive order establishing the N.C. Office of Violence Prevention, the Community Violence Advisory Board is a specialized body formed to provide expert guidance and strategic advice. It plays a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of violence prevention programs across the state.
“Violence prevention requires a connection between organizations that may not traditionally work together,” said Gerard Tate, executive director of the Office of Violence Prevention. “My team is pleased to be hosting this first conversation, and we are looking forward to building a centralized repository of resources that support all stakeholders working on violence prevention.”
The advisory board will meet virtually for the first time on Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. For meeting login information and the agenda, visit ncdps.gov/news/events
NCDPS OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
| Member Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| David Johnson | Program Manager | Bull City United |
| Uzuri Holder | Program Manager | Duke Violence Recovery Program |
| Willa Robinson | Program Manager | Firearm Injury Prevention Partners |
| Patrice Andrews | Chief of Police | Durham Police Department |
| Andrae Banks | Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work | North Carolina Central University |
| Ingram Bell | Program Director | Gate City Coalition |
| Latisha McNeil | Office of Community Safety Division Manager | City of Greensboro |
| Tracie Campbell | Director, Office Violence Prevention | Mecklenburg County Health Department |
| Liz Star | President and Founder | HopeStar Foundation |
| David Jacobs | Trauma Surgeon | Atrium Health |
| Rashad Gattison | Director | Port City United |
| Beth Moracco | Associate Director | UNC Injury Prevention Research Center |
| Stella Patterson | Chief of Police | City of Raleigh |
| Kerwin Pittman | Program/Policy Manager | Emancipate NC |
| Becky Ceartas | Executive Director | NC Against Gun Violence |
| Martin D. Avery | Trauma Surgeon | Wake Forest Baptist Hospital/Atrium Health |
| Becca Palmer | Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics | Wake Forest Uiversity School of Medicine |
| Sue Anne Pilgreen | Manager | Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program |
| Nicole Elliott | Chair and Founder | The Marcus Jackson Project |
| Doris Stith | Executive Director | Community Enrichment Organization |
| Ronny Bell | Director | Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, UNC School of Pharmacy |
| Clarence Birkhead | Sheriff | County of Durham |
| William Baxter | Community Safety and Violence Prevention Coordinator | Bumcombe County |
| Curtis Brame | Sheriff | County of Vance |
| Krystal Harris | Director | The Community Intervention and Support Services (CISS) Department |