Our Team
Fernando Rejon, Executive Director
Fernando Rejón serves as executive director after building the Urban Peace agenda for over a decade. He leads UPI efforts to transform systems and the lives of individuals to create community peace and safety and end the devastating cycle of mass incarceration. UPI works to reshape systems and develop safety and health strategies through national technical assistance and training, community lawyering services to end gang profiling and ensure police accountability, leading coalitions for justice reform and policy advocacy, shaping relationship-based policing approaches, and implementing place-based initiatives to develop coalitions of leaders to reimagine public safety.
In 2008, he began his work to build the Urban Peace Academy as a platform to train gang intervention/street outreach workers, law enforcement, community stakeholders, and public officials on implementing violence reduction strategies focused on redefining community safety and health. Over the years, he has trained thousands of leaders nationally on the role of gang intervention and the development of non-traditional community safety strategies. He has trained and advised law enforcement agencies across the country on creating safety and reducing violence through innovative policing strategies that increase public trust and leverage investment in building neighborhood-level leadership.
In 2019, he co-created the National Street Outreach Partnership as a platform for frontline intervention organizations and advocates dedicated to shaping and strengthening the field of violence reduction to serve the most violence-impacted communities in the nation. He has emerged as a national thought leader on addressing complex issues around neighborhood violence, policing, and policy development. His work has been recognized nationally and internationally as an example of how sustained investment in mission-driven safety strategies generate long-term transformative change.
Fernando began his career as a trained community organizer with over 18 years’ experience working in the non-profit sector. He has extensive experience in program development, community-based research and analysis, training and leadership development, and organizing and coalition building. He has worked as a counselor for youth on juvenile probation, organized for environmental justice in impacted communities of color, and worked to build bridges between indigenous communities in México and organizers of color in the United States to fight for justice.
He is a current and founding advisory board member of the National Gang Conference in Los Angeles and has presented at number of universities such as UCLA, NYU Law School, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Cal State Northridge, and Claremont McKenna College on gangs, violence reduction, and non-adversarial policing strategies. He holds a B.A. in Sociology and Communication Studies from the University of San Diego, M.A. in Chican@ Studies from California State University, Northridge, and certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders.
alejandro banuelos, justice transformation training coordinator
Alejandro supports the organization’s Justice Transformation training efforts to end youth incarceration and uplift Youth Justice Reimagined in Los Angeles County. Alejandro brings a breadth of experience in community organizing from Community Coalition and the Brothers, Sons, Selves coalition, where he led campaigns to address conditions of criminalization and disinvestment in LA communities. Notably, he taught creative writing and music recording to incarcerated youth at Dorothy Kirby Center. Alejandro’s organizing experience began as a Posse Scholar at Northwestern University where the power of community organizing and coalition building shaped his educational and career trajectory.
Claudia Bracho, community violence intervention specialist
Claudia Bracho serves as a Community Violence Intervention Specialist with the Urban Peace Institute working to create safety in Los Angeles communities. Through this unique role, she supports peacemakers throughout the region and works to expand the Los Angeles Violence Intervention Coalition. Claudia has over 25 years of experience working in violence prevention and intervention, most recently serving as a Program Director with the H.E.L.P.ER. Foundation. Throughout her career, she has provided direct services for Black and Latino youth and gang-involved adults to break the devastating cycle of violence and incarceration. Claudia has also leveraged her expertise to act as a trainer and panelist to guide efforts to prevent violence. Claudia holds a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University Dominguez Hills. Moreover, she is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peace-building at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Jessica canales, director of technical assistance
Jessica Canales supports the development of violence reduction strategies to improve community health and safety. Jessica joins the Urban Peace Institute with many years of experience working with underserved communities in Los Angeles. Previously, Jessica worked with Valley Care Community Consortium, a local nonprofit, to expand health education and health access in communities throughout the San Fernando Valley. She is passionate about advancing the Urban Peace Institute’s mission to reduce gang violence. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Political Science as well as a Master’s Degree of Political Science from California State University, Northridge.
Andre Christian, community violence intervention specialist II
Andre Christian promotes peace in communities, uplifts gang intervention, interrupts violence on the frontlines, and educates people on what gang intervention is. In his role at UPI, Andre is able to bring his lived experience and relationships to promote safety in the community. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and started doing the work in 1995. He began his journey as a community intervention worker because he wanted to save lives and keep people out of prisons. He leads Watts Life United, an organization that incorporates car clubs with gang intervention as a tool to build relationships and bring people together through a commonality. Most of his work resides in the Watts community but is able to go into different communities and prevent and/or stop the violence.
carlos de santiago, community violence intervention project manager
Carlos De Santiago oversees capacity building and strategic initiatives, working alongside and advocating for violence intervention organizations throughout the Los Angeles area.
Prior to joining UPI, Carlos spent eight years with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, working for the Gang Reduction & Youth Development (GRYD) program. Through GRYD, Carlos coordinated violence interruption strategies by building relationships with key community stakeholders and Community Intervention Workers in South Los Angeles. Having served at different capacities, he measures the success of CVI by one’s ability to engage, influence, and activate those most impacted by community violence.
Carlos attended the University of California, Irvine where he received a B.A. in Criminology, Law & Society.
jasmine desenclos, community violence intervention project manager
Jasmine Desenclos oversees the strategic development and execution of key community violence intervention projects at Urban Peace Institute. She is a committed and seasoned community leader, bringing extensive expertise in public service, community safety, program management, and youth development. Previously, Jasmine served as a Regional Program Coordinator for the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Gang Reduction & Youth Development (GRYD).
In her most recent position, she served as the Community Safety Deputy for Council President Pro Tempore Marqueece Harris-Dawson in the Eighth District of South Los Angeles. In this role, Jasmine played an essential part in tackling a diverse array of public safety concerns, including issues related to gangs, peace maintenance, homelessness, human trafficking, and more. Jasmine actively co-led these efforts alongside the South Los Angeles Community Safety Initiative (SLACSI), collaborating with Regional Leads and Community Intervention Workers (CIWs) dedicated to Safe Passage and Homeless Outreach initiatives.
Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach focusing on Interactions and Group Relations, Jasmine actively leads various volunteer initiatives—you can always find her supporting community engagement events, sharing resources and checking in with folks.
SAUL GARCIA, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR
Saul supports the organization’s efforts to develop violence reduction strategies and improve community safety and health. Previously, Saul worked as a Coalition Organizer for the Urban Peace Institute helping to grow the Watts and Harvard Park School Safety Collaboratives. He has experience developing action plans and implementing health and wellness workshops for organizations such as Strategic Actions for a Just Economy and the UCLA Graduate Student Resource Center. Saul has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Public Health in Community Health Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles.
josh green, Esq., Director of Criminal Justice
Josh Green focuses on reforming overly punitive criminal and juvenile justice systems and supporting and developing policies that meaningfully address the needs of residents in high violence areas. Josh partners with communities and individuals to reform overbroad gang suppression strategies. He also develops and advocates for system level reforms through UPI’s work on reforming the Los Angeles Probation Department and supporting the creation of the Los Angeles Office of Youth Diversion and Development. Josh currently serves as a member of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC) and as the co-chair of the JJCC’s Community Advisory Committee. He also serves on several of the County’s justice advisory bodies, including the CCJCC Youth Diversion Subcommittee and the County’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Safety.
Previously, Josh served as the Equal Justice Works Fellow at Advancement Project, sponsored by Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP and Edison International. As a fellow, Josh developed and implemented a program to minimize the negative consequences of civil gang injunctions in Los Angeles communities and to provide representation to individuals who believed that they had been wrongly added to a gang injunction. Prior to his work as a fellow at Advancement Project, Josh graduated from Harvard Law School where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice.
Josh Gregory, Research & Data Manager
Josh Gregory supports urban peace initiatives through research and data management at the Urban Peace Institute. He oversees the processes of information organization, analysis, and evaluation that go into developing, refining, and measuring the impact of the UPI agenda. Joshua has a background in social work, with experience in mental health, community-based work with youth and families, and racial and economic justice. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Northwestern University, an A.M. in social service administration from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in social welfare with a designated emphasis in critical theory from the University of California, Berkeley.
melvyn hayward III, Technical assistance coordinator
Melvyn Hayward III supports Urban Peace Institute’s technical assistance programming. As a member of the Urban Peace Academy management team, Melvyn is instrumental in bringing Community Violence Intervention training to peacemakers at the local, regional and national levels. He supports the development of comprehensive training curriculums tailored to the unique needs and challenges of various communities, cities and organizations. He collaborates closely with subject matter experts and external partners to integrate best practices, evidence-based, and data-driven strategies into community violence intervention training content. Melvyn brings significant experience from his previous role as a prevention outreach worker to Urban Peace Institute. Melvyn has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from California State University of Northridge."
eric lam, senior Director of Programs & strategy
As Senior Director of Programs & Strategy, Eric Lam oversees Urban Peace Institute’s Training & Technical Assistance, Safe & Health Communities and Academy programs which include strategy and program development, comprehensive violence reduction and prevention strategies, policy analysis and reform, and community capacity building efforts. Eric also supports infrastructure development for community-based safety, relationship-based policing initiatives, as well as leadership development and training. He has 20+ years experience working in the non-profit sector, developing and providing services in low-income housing, teaching, and community organizing in diverse communities throughout California and New York. Eric is a proud Vietnamese-American from Orange County, CA. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Urban Studies & Planning from University of California, San Diego as well as a Master of Arts in Sociology of Education, Education Policy from New York University.
mia mcneil, manager of philanthropy and donor relations
Mia McNeil spearheads fundraising and development efforts to cultivate lasting donor relationships and help the organization sustain and grow. Previously, Mia served as the Development Manager for the American Youth Symphony, where she supported various fundraising initiatives and coordinated special events. She also worked as a Development Associate for The Seattle School of Psychology and Theology and Loyola Marymount University. Mia brings 6+ years of development expertise, along with a passion for equity, inclusion and social justice to the Urban Peace Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Loyola Marymount University, with a primary concentration in journalism and creative writing. As a university student, she received awards including “2017 Journalism Story of the Year,” and had work featured in the university’s publication, LA Miscellany, for her short stories and poetry. In her free time, Mia is a freelance writer and journalist.
pai miller, senior grants associate
Pai Miller supports the Urban Peace Institue’s fundraising goals through the development, writing, and submission of grant proposals to federal, state, and private funding agencies. She is an experienced writer, educator, and activist, with a passion for working with underserved communities towards liberation. Pai has previously worked as a consultant grant writer with clients such as the Orange County School of the Arts, California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, and Queer Surf. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Occidental College, a Master’s in English from the University of Oregon, and a graduate certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Mark Ohrtman, Director of Community Violence Intervention
Mark Ohrtman is responsible for the development and management of the Los Angeles Violence Intervention Coalition (LAVIC) and the Urban Peace Academy. In this role, he offers technical support for program areas and staff while building and maintaining strategic partnerships and initiatives. With nearly 15 years of experience in the public health sector, Mark has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by communities in crisis.
For nearly a decade, Mark worked on the south side of Chicago at the University of Chicago Medicine, where he designed, developed, and managed a hospital-based violence intervention program. His work with violently injured clients focused on reducing reinjury risk and promoting comprehensive recovery.
Before joining the Urban Peace Institute, Mark served as the Director of Planning and Design for The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (The HAVI). In this capacity, he developed and delivered training and technical assistance for hospitals and community-based organizations to create and expand hospital-based violence intervention programs. Mark is a seasoned professional in the public health space with a strong commitment to racial equity and justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in social science from the University of Chicago.
Ben “Taco” Owens, community violence intervention specialist
Ben Owens, also known as Taco, supports Urban Peace Institute’s efforts to create safety as a Community Violence Intervention Specialist. Ben is a product of change and reformation of character. As a former gang member turned activist, his involvement with the African American gang culture for over 40 years has forged relationships with rival gang members and often the victims of gang and gun violence. As a Peace Fellow, he travels across the country to train and learn from other intervention workers.
He is currently a supervisor with Advocates for Peace and Urban Unity (APUU) and is the Executive Director of Detours Mentoring Group Inc. in Gardena, CA. He sits on the Executive Board of the Southern California Cease Fire Committee where he collaborates with former and active gang members, victims of crime, clergy, community members and law enforcement to resolve community conflict and gang-induced violence in the Greater Los Angeles area. Ben supports the training of peacemakers through the Urban Peace Academy and brings years of experience in training partners and various stakeholders working to create safety.
david palacios-galindo, senior accounting and operations associate
David Palacios-Galindo supports finance and operations at the Urban Peace Institute. He is passionate about working for an organization that has a positive impact on society through social justice, intervention work and policy implementation. He has experience serving as a restaurant manager and operations manager leading him to develop a solid understanding of financial administration. David has played an active role in supporting UPI’s growth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from California State University of Long Beach. In his free time, David enjoys motorsports, bike rides and reading at local cafes.
sie romero, los angeles youth uprising coalition youth leadership coordinator
Housed at Urban Peace Institute, Sie coordinates youth leadership and involvement in the Los Angeles Youth Uprising Coalition. Sie’s efforts center and amplify youth voices in the community to support the transformation of youth justice and the end of youth incarceration in Los Angeles. They have experience working as a Youth Specialist and Program Coordinator for youth experiencing systemic harm and oppression in Ventura County and as a Social-Emotional-Learning educator for cross-border and homeless youth in San Diego county. Sie values community engagement and takes on this position in pursuit of creating spaces for system-impacted youth to explore creative interests, collaborate on leadership opportunities, and be empowered through political education. They graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz with two bachelor’s degrees in Politics and Feminist Studies and a minor in Latin American Studies.
catherine salaiz, Office manager/executive assistant
Catherine Salaiz supports the growth of Urban Peace Institute’s efforts to create safety and transform justice. Catherine brings a passion for community safety and a commitment to bringing healing and reformative practices so everyone can experience peace. She worked in public education for over ten years, providing an equitable learning environment for underserved students. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Cal State Los Angeles. In her free time, she works on bringing sustainable, low toxic products into communities that are often overlooked.
Olivia Shields, justice transformation policy coordinator
Olivia primarily focuses on juvenile justice reform, working alongside leaders in the Los Angeles Youth Uprising coalition to support the transition of the youth justice system away from the Probation Department. Her work centers around uplifting youth development, decreasing youth contact with the justice system, and providing youth with effective services. She collaborates with other members of UPI’s Smart Justice team and the LA County Division of Youth Diversion and Development in the establishment of a countywide pre-arrest diversion training platform. Prior to joining UPI, Olivia worked at The Appeal, engaging with organizers, advocates, and elected officials nationwide on efforts like repealing repeat offender laws and expanding child tax credit. Olivia was also a law and policy intern at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in her hometown of Oakland, California, where she lobbied for criminal legal reform bills and worked closely with folks in San Quentin State Prison. Olivia graduated summa cum laude from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in African and African American studies.
Timothy Shugrue, Director of Finance and Operations
Tim Shugrue manages financial reporting and operations for the Urban Peace Institute. He is a dedicated to promoting social justice and supporting nonprofits in building their financial capacity. Tim is a seasoned finance professional with more than 20 years of experience as an accounting and human resources professional. Tim has significant prior experience working for nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, and law firms in accounts management and financial reporting. Previously, he served as a Finance Manager for Advancement Project California and worked with the Police Assessment Resource Center.
Jordyn Sun, Los Angeles Youth Uprising Coalition Coordinator
Housed at Urban Peace Institute, Jordyn coordinates the Los Angeles Youth Uprising (LAYUP) coalition’s efforts to end youth incarceration and reimagine youth justice. She has over eight years of experience in queer faith organizing, deep canvassing, civic engagement campaigns, and working with BIPOC youth alliances. Her passions include community organizing and youth leadership development. Jordyn is honored to be in a role where she gets to build power with so many incredible youth justice organizations in LA. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Azusa Pacific University.
addison tippitt, communications manager
Addison Tippitt supports the Urban Peace Institute’s development and communications initiatives to promote community safety and end violence. Addison brings a range of nonprofit experience, most recently from Public Works Group where she served as Development Manager. She has done freelance and volunteer fundraising for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Greater Los Angeles County and supported their COVID-19 relief efforts. Addison is an advocate for policy changes that reflect community well-being and uplift the flourishing of all people. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University and is pursuing a Master of Applied Psychology from The Chicago School.
SOPHIA VENTURA-CRUESS, JUSTICE transformation TRAINING manager
Sophia Ventura-Cruess supports Urban Peace Institute’s Justice Transformation team to transform the juvenile justice system and end youth incarceration in Los Angeles. Sophia creates curriculum and leads Smart Justice training sessions for external partners and a myriad of stakeholders. She brings experience in justice-based research and project management, along with a diverse range of interpersonal relationship skills. Sophia has a passion to use restorative practices, community engagement, and youth-centered programming to cultivate systemic change and societal healing. Growing up in Southern California, she is dedicated to emerging solutions for change with the communities that she knows and loves. Sophia holds a Master of Arts degree in Peace & Justice from the University of San Diego – Joan B. Kroc School.
Professional Standards Committee
UPI’s Professional Standards Committee brings together leaders in the gang intervention field to support the development of our trainings, guide best practices to promote community safety, and provide mentorship and accountability efforts to intervention workers across Los Angeles and beyond. This Committee is also responsible for the creation and continued upholding of the Standards of Conduct and Practice to guide the work of gang intervention and street outreach. These highly-respected peacemakers are essential partners in our efforts to reduce violence.
