Leadership Team

Rev. David W. Brown Executive Director of the Civic Coalition to Save Lives – a broad cross-sector effort bringing more than 100 businesses, philanthropic and civic organizations together to partner with the City of Philadelphia and community-based organizations focused on intervention to address the issue of gun violence. At Temple University, he is the Assistant Dean for Community and Communication for the Klein College of Media and Communication. 

Before joining Temple, Rev. Brown served as executive director of the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children—a nonprofit focused on child literacy by opening and operating previously closed public elementary school libraries. 

He also previously served as General Manager for 900 AM WURD, Pennsylvania’s only Black-owned talk radio station. He is also founder of CommonSoul Communications, a nonprofit that provides strategic marketing services to other Philadelphia nonprofits, and has run or owned five advertising and public relations agencies over the course of his career. 

Rev. Brown has helped guide the strategic direction for nonprofit and other mission-focused organizations throughout his more than 40-year-career. He is known for his ability to bring together diverse groups, a quality that is vital for leading an organization composed of business leaders, civic organizations, and community groups. 

His leadership style, characterized by inclusivity and collaboration, will help unite stakeholders around the common goal of reducing gun violence. 

A graduate of Duquesne University—where he majored in Journalism—Rev. Brown is also a graduate of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary), where he earned a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on Public Policy. An ordained reverend in the United Methodist Church, Rev. Brown was named a “Champion of Change” by the Obama Administration for his work in faith, private and public communities. He serves part-time as a member of a ministry staff working in urban communities, and he is the author of Freedom Drawn from Within, which examines the historic role that African Americans have played in the formation of the modern United Methodist church. 

Rev. Brown is a past Pennsylvania Communication Association Speaker of the Year and was inducted into the Public Relations Hall of Fame by the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA), the oldest independent public relations organization in the country. He is the only living African American male practitioner in the Hall. He has been recognized for his service to the community as a recipient of the Harris Wofford Active Citizenship Award – given to one Philadelphian or organization a year by the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service Committee which operates the largest single day of service in the country. 

Rev. Brown is also the 2016 recipient of the Public Relations Society of America’s David Ferguson Award for Outstanding Contributions Education and is the first African American to be honored as such. Additionally, he received the 2016 Ofield Dukes Educator Award, conferred by the National Black Public Relations Society. He also has the distinction of being the only person to have served as both president of PRSA’s Philadelphia chapter and the Philadelphia Advertising Club.

In 2023, Estelle Richman left retirement to serve as the founding Executive Director for the Civic Coalition to Save Lives. She was also named Special Advisor to the Managing Director on Gun Violence Intervention by then Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, serving as the City’s single point of coordination and accountability for evidence-based gun violence intervention programs.

After helping select her successor, Rev. David Brown, in October 2024, Ms. Richman returned to retirement and is engaged with the Coalition as a volunteer member of the steering committee. During her tenure, the Coalition mobilized over $1.5 million in grants to fund vital intervention work, partnering with City and community-based organizations that engage directly with those at the highest risk of shooting or being shot. It has educated more than 1,200 stakeholders about how and why intervention is key to reducing gun violence in the near term, creating a broad and collaborative network of individuals and organizations committed to its cause.

Ms. Richman was also instrumental in launching the Gun Violence Intervention and Coordination Center (GVICC). The Coalition created the GVICC, a 501c3 organization, to support the coordination of services among existing evidence-based community violence intervention (CVI) and hospital violence intervention programs (HVIP), working in partnership with City agencies.

Ms. Richman spent her career, spanning four decades, transforming government systems through creative and innovative public-private solutions. Her expertise has been key to engaging with the many community-based organizations that have been committed to intervention work for decades, as well as implementing long-term, sustainable efforts to reduce gun violence.

She retired as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for health and human services issues in 2013. While at HUD, she held the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Acting Deputy Secretary. As COO, she worked with staff to develop a HUDstat process that regularly reviewed outcomes and set tangible goals for all major departments. As Acting Deputy Secretary, she focused on the scope of authority of the regional offices and the integration of budgets. As liaison for health and human services, she managed relationships with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Veteran Affairs (VA), Department of Justice (DOJ) and other partners within the Federal Government. She also contributed expertise to the efforts underway to break down internal agency silos.

Governor Ed Rendell appointed Ms. Richman Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, an umbrella agency that includes Medicaid, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Child Welfare, Long-Term Living, Developmental Program, Early Childhood Services, and Income Maintenance. During these years, the focus of the Department was the integration of services, expansion of managed care – behavioral and physical, cost containment, and establishment of pay for performance.

She served the City of Philadelphia in a variety of roles, including Managing Director, Director of Social Services, Commissioner of Public Health and Deputy Commissioner for Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.

Ms. Richman received her master’s degree from Cleveland State University and has Honorary Doctorate degrees from Alvernia University, Drexel University, and Temple University. She serves on several local and national boards and participates in task forces and other civic activities.

Pedro A. Ramos is president and CEO of the Philadelphia Foundation, one of the first community foundations in the nation. Mr. Ramos has spent his career guiding organizations through critical inflection points and redefining how those organizations support and communicate with the communities they serve. He is a collaborative leader with a proven track record of forging next-level partnerships in his roles serving and leading legal, business, government, and nonprofit organizations in the region.

Mr. Ramos joined the Philadelphia Foundation in August 2015 charged with developing and implementing a bold vision for the organization’s new century of service in the Greater Philadelphia Region. His unwavering focus on fostering growth, leadership, and impact has created some of the most powerful and important initiatives in the Philadelphia Foundation’s century-old history.

Under his leadership, the Philadelphia Foundation has raised over $500 million, grown its assets over 100 percent, and launched large-scale initiatives, including the Regional Foundation, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, PHL COVID-19 Fund, Key to Community Centennial Initiatives, Key Skills Hub/Catchafire partnership, On the Table Philly, and the PhilaImpact Fund collaboration.

Mr. Ramos has been active in the City’s Pathways to Reconciliation Steering Committee and its Police Reform Subcommittee and continues to serve on the Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security.

His lifelong passion for affecting positive change in the Greater Philadelphia region is rooted in the lifetime he’s spent living and working in Philadelphia communities. He has served at the highest level of appointed government leadership in Philadelphia, including the City Solicitor, the Managing Director, the President of the Board of Education, and the Chairman of the School Reform Commission.

As a nonprofit executive, Mr. Ramos served as Vice President & Chief of Staff to the President at the University of Pennsylvania, where his portfolio included coordination of Penn’s neighborhood initiatives and strategy. In 2016, he co-chaired the private-public review of Philadelphia’s emergency preparedness and led the design and creation of the City’s current professional emergency preparedness and response organization.

Throughout his career, Mr. Ramos has served on fiduciary and advisory boards in the government, business, and social sectors. He currently serves on the boards of CFLeads, the Philadelphia Award, the Executive Committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, FS Energy and Power Fund, and Independence Health Group.

An Eisenhower Fellow since 2000, Mr. Ramos also serves on the Eisenhower Fellowships Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee. He previously served on two public company boards (FS Investment Corporation and Amerigas) until each completed a successful merger.

Prior to the Philadelphia Foundation, Mr. Ramos practiced law for nearly two decades, working as a partner in Philadelphia-based national law firms and focusing on tax-exempt entities, public-private initiatives, and compliance.

He’s a graduate of Central High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies from the University of Pennsylvania, a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Drexel University.

Shawn McCaney brings more than 10 years of leadership experience at the Foundation to his role as Executive Director. Prior to his appointment to this position, he was the founding program director for the Creative Communities program and managed National Initiatives for the Foundation, seeking to expand philanthropy in the region and share the Foundation’s learnings with others focused on similar issues nationwide.

As part of the Foundation’s 2012 strategic planning process, Mr. McCaney led the creation of the Great Public Spaces grantmaking strategy. Through this work, the Foundation sought to expand access to high-quality public spaces that engage, connect, and serve communities in Philadelphia and Camden.

As part of this work, Mr. McCaney led the formation of a partnership with the Knight Foundation to pilot a new national initiative — Reimagining the Civic Commons — in Philadelphia, which has now been replicated in Akron, Camden, Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Lexington, Macon, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, and San Jose.

He also developed the Foundation’s two largest grants in its history: a $25 million grant in support of the Free Library’s 21st Century Libraries Initiative and a $100 million commitment to support the City of Philadelphia’s Rebuilding Community Infrastructure (“Rebuild”) initiative, which will transform the city’s libraries, parks, and recreation centers.

Previously, Mr. McCaney initiated and oversaw the Foundation’s Central Delaware Riverfront Initiative, which engaged over 4,000 Philadelphians in 150 meetings and led to the creation of a new waterfront management organization, a new master plan, updated zoning ordinances, and the construction of a series of early-action capital projects, including Race Street Pier Park, Washington Avenue Pier Park, Pier 68 Recreation Pier, and the new Central Delaware Riverfront Trail — all intended to model the central tenet of the Central Delaware Civic Vision: to promote waterfront public access as an organizing principle for riverfront redevelopment.

The Foundation is also supporting the centerpiece project of the Central Delaware initiative: the construction of a new, $329 million, 11-acre park lid over I-95 that will reconnect the city’s historic district to the riverfront.

In addition to Foundation leadership, Mr. McCaney has been involved in a number of citywide and regional civic initiatives, including serving on the Mayor’s Historic Preservation Task Force, organizing the Foundation’s $70 million contribution to pandemic relief, and co-founding the Civic Coalition to Save Lives, a 100-organization citywide coalition of civic, community, faith-based, and business leaders focused on reducing gun violence in Philadelphia.

He received his graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree from Temple University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, an International Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, and is a licensed Professional Planner in the State of New Jersey.

Mr. McCaney serves on the board of the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation and is a member of the Haddonfield Borough Planning Board.

Michael Innocenzo is responsible for governance and operations of Exelon’s six utilities, Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco. He serves as chairman of the board of directors for each operating company. He is also responsible for Cyber & Information Security Services, Corporate Physical Security, IT, Safety, Supply, Training and Transmission Strategy & Compliance organizations at Exelon.

Mr. Innocenzo previously served as president and CEO of PECO. Prior to that he was the senior vice president and chief operating officer, where he was responsible for leadership of PECO’s overall performance associated with operations, safety, service reliability, customer satisfaction and financial management. He has also served as vice president, Distribution System Operations and Advanced Grid and Meter Technology, where he was responsible for the operation of the company’s electric and natural gas distribution systems as well as the design and deployment of PECO’s new metering technology system. Innocenzo also served as the director of Gas Operations, Quality Services and Performance Improvement. He also served as a regional director in Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, as well as a regional engineering manager for Chester and Delaware counties. Innocenzo also was the emergency services supervisor in Philadelphia and a project engineer in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties. 

Mr. Innocenzo is a board member and immediate past chair of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. In 2021, he was honored as a Most Admired CEO by Philadelphia Business Journal. He also serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Police Athletic League (PAL), the Franklin Institute, the American Gas Association, and the Electric Power Research Institute. He is also a member of the Satell Institute and has advisory roles with DrexEducation

Mr. Innocenzo holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Widener University and a MBA from Villanova University.​

Sharmain Matlock-Turner began her tenure in March 1999 with the special distinction of being the first woman to lead the Coalition. The Urban Affairs Coalition, formerly GPUAC, unites government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiatives to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities, and solve emerging issues. In partnership with a diverse Board of Directors, made up of business, nonprofit and community leaders, Ms. Matlock-Turner and her team of managers and nearly 450 employees create partnerships and build consensus to help families reduce poverty and reach the middle class. The organization’s efforts are focused in four areas: improving life chances for youth and young adults; building wealth in low-income communities; forging strategic partnerships and strengthening the nonprofit sector through fiscal sponsorship. The organization has successfully managed more than $1B in public and private funds over its 55+ year history.

Ms. Matlock-Turner is co-founder and President Emeritus of the West Oak Lane Charter School. In addition, she serves on the following boards and committees: Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; Peirce College Board of Trustees; PECO Board of Directors; Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Philadelphia Equity Alliance; Street Soccer PHL Board of Directors; Philadelphia Foundation Board of Directors; United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Board of Directors; Pyramid Club Board of Governors; Summer Youth Employment Cabinet; Civic Coalition to Save Lives Advisory Board; IBC Regional Advisory Board; Black Nonprofit Chief Executives of Philadelphia Advisory Board; Children’s First Advisory Council; SEPTA Reimagining Regional Rail Stakeholder Advisory Committee; City & State Pennsylvania Advisory Board.

Ms. Matlock-Turner is a founding member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. Matlock-Turner co-authored the ‘Reflecting Forward: Philadelphia-based Black Leaders’ Recommendations for Regional Funders‘ and the ‘PAALF Research Report on African American Non-profit Organizations in Philadelphia‘ reports.

Ms. Matlock-Turner has received numerous awards including the Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania, 2023 Philadelphia Award, the Committee of Seventy’s Civic Leadership Award, Mann Center Voices Innovation Award for Community Advancement, Community Design Collaborative’s 2023 Leverage Award, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Diversity and Inclusion Award, and the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Award. Additionally, Ms. Matlock-Turner was inducted into the Historic Germantown Hall of Fame. She is often asked to speak to local, regional, and national organizations. She is a regular guest commentator on 6abc’s public affairs television program, Inside Story.

Ms. Matlock-Turner holds a BS degree in Education from Temple University. In 2005, she was one of three Philadelphia nonprofit leaders selected to receive a scholarship to the Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. In 2014 she received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Peirce College. She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute for Government.

As Senior Vice President of External and Government Affairs, Mr. Perkins is responsible for local government affairs, strategic partnerships with local intergovernmental associations, and national policy advocacy organizations. 

Mr. Perkins joined Comcast in 2001 and has managed local government affairs while the Company grew from operating in 2,500 communities to 6,400 communities. He was integral in developing and launching Internet Essentials, the company’s Internet adoption program for low-income Americans. His responsibilities have included implementing the company’s regulatory and legislative initiatives at the local level, managing relationships with state and local intergovernmental associations, developing political strategy, and grassroots communications.

Prior to joining Comcast, he served as Vice President of System Services and Assistant to the President at Mercy Health System in Pennsylvania and worked in legislative affairs at Keystone Mercy/AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan and with the North Philadelphia Health System.

In 2008, Mr. Perkins received the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s Vanguard Award for Young Leadership, one of the cable industry’s highest honors for its next generation of leaders.

Mr. Perkins  is a Trustee of Temple University and serves on the board of Temple University Health System.  He is a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia. He is also a member of the boards of PIDC, American Council of Young Political Leaders, and the Philadelphia Citizen.

Susan Jacobson is an award-winning communicator, strategist, and advisor, bringing decades of experience to her work on behalf of private and public sector clients, as well as those in the nonprofit and advocacy spaces. As the president of Jacobson Strategic Communications, a leading Philadelphia-based public relations, public affairs, and crisis management firm, Ms. Jacobson’s signature approach to message development and strategy helps clients navigate some of their most complex communications challenges.

In 2023, Ms. Jacobson and her colleagues launched Jacobson Strategic Health, the newest member of the Jacobson Strategic family. Jacobson Strategic Health was built to respond to the demand for communications counsel and strategic outreach in the healthcare space.  

Prior to joining the communications sector, Ms. Jacobson oversaw government relations as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell and to Chief of Staff David L. Cohen. During her tenure, the Mayors of Pennsylvania presented her with the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities Award for Outstanding Service.

Ms. Jacobson and her company – which began with the simple vision of bringing together the brightest communicators in their field by offering maximum workplace flexibility – have won numerous awards and recognitions, including securing a spot on the Inc. 5000 for three years in a row, a Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Most Admired CEO Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Actively engaged in the community, Ms. Jacobson is past Chair of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and was the first woman to assume the position in nearly two decades. In this role, she helped launch and lead the Chamber’s signature pandemic response effort, “Recharge and Recover PHL” which played a pivotal role in revitalizing business and economic activity throughout the City.

She serves as Vice Chair on the National PBS Foundation Board and is a Commissioner on the Governor’s Pennsylvania Commission for Women. She is a contributor to Forbes.com and her company was profiled in the New York Times bestseller, The Real Life MBA, by Jack and Suzy Welch.

As the Greater Philadelphia Office Managing Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, David Burkavage works collaboratively with his team to provide client service and oversees the office’s operations and performance.  He has more than 20 years of experience serving numerous public and private clients, including diversified manufacturing, technology, private equity, health and life sciences, venture capital and service companies. 

He is active within the Philadelphia business community, serving on the CEO Council for Growth and on the boards of directors for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies, Philadelphia Youth Network, and Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.  Dave continuously looks for ways to empower his team to do good for clients and the community. 

Mr. Burkavage graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accountancy. 

Romona Riscoe Benson is President and Chief Strategy Officer of Riscoe Benson Strategies, a consulting firm focused on organization and leadership solutions for nonprofits. She has more than 25-years of strategic leadership in the areas of corporate philanthropy, stakeholder and community engagement, non-profit leadership, destination marketing and entrepreneurship.

Ms. Benson directed PECO Energy’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, leading a 14-member team and managing over $12M budget including corporate grants, vulnerable customer programs, workforce development initiatives and employee engagement programs. She focused efforts on coaching and mentoring mid-career individuals, helped to shape the company’s DEI values and served in the Emergency Response Organization as a Communications Officer. Ms. Benson has also represented PECO with regional initiatives, including the Papal Visit, DNC Convention and NFL Draft. 

Prior to joining PECO, Ms. Benson served as President and CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, where she led a turnaround strategy, accomplishing a multi-million dollar building renovation project and installation of a nationally recognized exhibit on the early life of African Americans in Philadelphia, known as Audacious Freedom. Under her leadership, AAMP increased revenue, visitor attendance, museum membership, public programs and stakeholder investment. 

In earlier roles, Ms. Benson consulted with organizations providing capacity building and meeting services, with Riscoe & Associates. Clients included National Baptist Convention USA, Urban League of Philadelphia and Museum Fine Arts Boston. She served as executive director of the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress (now PHL Diversity), senior director of Visitor Services and Community Relations with the New Jersey State Aquarium, and Vice President of Eastern Pennsylvania with the Abraxas Foundation.

Community service is an important value for Ms. Benson. She supports non-profits with her time, resources and talent serving on numerous boards and committees in the Philadelphia area, including, Civic Coalition to Save Lives, Women of Destiny, Brandywine River Art Museum, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation,     

She has been honored by numerous organizations in the region including: Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, The Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia Business Journal, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, WDAS Radio, African American Chamber of Commerce SEPA, Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Urban League of Philadelphia, United Negro College Fund, Salvation Army and Philadelphia Mural Arts.

Julie Wertheimer leads Pew’s mental health and justice partnerships project, which collaborates with state policymakers, local officials, and national experts to identify health-focused, evidence-based policy options that can improve how government responds to behavioral health emergencies. In this role, she oversees the project’s research and policy portfolios, including technical assistance to states, policy analysis and development, and education of policymakers and the public on health and justice issues. Ms. Wertheimer previously directed Pew’s public safety performance project, which advanced data-driven, fiscally sound policies and practices in the adult and juvenile justice systems that protect public safety, ensure accountability, and control corrections costs.

Before joining Pew, Ms. Wertheimer was the senior director of the Office of Criminal Justice for the City of Philadelphia, where she also served as chief of staff to the deputy managing director for criminal justice and chief of staff for public safety.

Ms. Wertheimer holds a bachelor’s degree in diplomatic history and a master’s in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Laura Sparks serves as Head of Corporate Engagement at FS Investments and President of the FS Foundation (the philanthropic arm of FS Investments).

As Head of Corporate Engagement, she oversees and develops strategic approaches to several key functions of the business, including the firm’s global offices. She also carries leadership responsibilities across the firm’s shared services groups, helping the firm to operate more efficiently and effectively, extend its global brand, and meet its ambitious plans for growth.

In her role as President of the FS Foundation, she works to advance equitable opportunity across our communities through the firm’s various civic engagement, philanthropy and employee engagement initiatives.

Ms. Sparks has an extensive background in both financial services and civic leadership. Prior to joining FS Investments, she served as the first female President of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Ms. Sparks previously served as Executive Director of the William Penn Foundation, a then $2 billion private foundation dedicated to improving the Philadelphia region. Earlier in her career, she held roles in community development finance at Citi as well as roles in public and private finance at UBS and Goldman Sachs, respectively.

She earned a BA from Wellesley College, a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

As Head of Corporate Engagement, she oversees and develops strategic approaches to several key functions of the business, including the firm’s global offices.

David Muhammad is a leader in the fields of criminal justice, violence prevention, and youth development. Mr. Muhammad 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, Mr. Muhammad provides leadership and technical assistance to the Gun Violence Reduction Strategies in cities across the country, including Oakland, CA; Indianapolis, IN; and Washington, DC. He helped lead a partnership of organizations and technical assistance providers that achieved a 50% reduction in shootings and homicides in Oakland. He was the main author of NICJR’s report on Oakland’s Successful Gun Violence Reduction Strategy.

Mr. Muhammad has worked to implement positive youth development into youth justice systems around the country and was the primary author of NICJR’s seminal report, A Positive Youth Justice System. For three years, he 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.

He has been the federal court-appointed monitor overseeing reforms in the Illinois juvenile justice system in the MH v. Monreal Consent Decree. He 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.

Mr. Muhammad is also a member of the Antelope Valley Monitoring Team, which is charged with monitoring the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s implementation of a federal Settlement Agreement.

The former Chief Probation Officer of the Alameda County (California) Probation Department, Mr. Muhammad was responsible for overseeing 20,000 people on probation, a staff of 600, and a $90 million budget. In 2010, he 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.

Mr. Muhammad 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.

While Executive Director of The Mentoring Center in Oakland, CA, Mr. Muhammad 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, Mr. Muhammad also has an extensive journalism career. He completed a course on “Systems Dynamics for Senior Managers” at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, MA. In August 2008, he completed a certificate program on Juvenile Justice Multi-System Integration at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute.