Axon formed the Community Advisory Coalition with the goal of connecting with representatives from our nation's diverse and untapped communities and creating cutting-edge solutions that provide equitable outcomes
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon (Nasdaq: AXON), the global leader in connected public safety technologies, today announced new members for the 2022 Community Advisory Coalition (CAC). Formed in 2021, the CAC brings together community leaders to share perspectives and inform Axon's products and services. By bringing diverse perspectives to the table, Axon continues to demonstrate commitment to one of its core pillars: centering racial equity, diversity and inclusion.
"Axon recognizes that communities are the ultimate end-users of public safety technologies," says Regina Holloway, Axon's VP of Community Impact. "The CAC will continue to help us develop fresh ideas to impart the principles of justice and equity in the product development cycle. We are committed to establishing a community voice within our technology and using outreach to educate communities on our products. In doing so, we are able to develop responsible technology and further our mission to protect life."
The CAC is led by facilitators who guide discussions between coalition members and Axon teams. Distinguished members Dr. Desmond Patton, Bertha Purnell and Devon Simmons will serve as facilitators this year.
Community Advisory Coalition members include:
- Dr. Desmond Patton, PhD, MSW, Associate Professor of Social Work and Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Curriculum Innovation at Columbia University. Dr. Patton studies the relationship between youth, gang violence, and social media.
- Bertha Purnell, Founder of Mothers on a Mission 28, Chapter Coordinator for Crime Survivors for Safety & Justice, and retired nurse. Purnell became a community advocate against violence after her youngest son was killed by gun violence.
- Devon Simmons, Project Director at Columbia Law School for the Paralegal Pathways Initiative and Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity. Simmons is a justice reform advocate, having experienced the prison system first-hand.
- Rev. Kelvin Sauls, Network Strategist with Community Health Councils, former Executive Director for New Ministries in the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church. Sauls is a faith-rooted community organizer connecting pan-African liberation theology with progressive pastoral leadership.
- Louis Frye, Co-founder of Movement Thru Hoops, Wealth Relationship Strategist for PNC Bank. Frye focuses on mentorship in underprivileged communities, having grown up in poverty in the New York City Housing Projects.
- Jeff Eadie, President of The Indigenous Institute, publishing agent and producer. Eadie helps promote concepts of cognitive and social science to help indigenous people achieve their full potential.
- Jeff Taylor, prison reform lobbyist. Taylor writes legislation around drug treatment, homelessness, and prison reform, drawing from his personal experience with addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.
- Michelle Vilchez, Co-CEO of Innovate Public Schools, past Executive Director of the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, California State Assembly 2016 Woman of the Year. Vilchez advances equity by bringing together community, law enforcement, faith-based groups, and local government.
- Dr. Broderick Turner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, founder of The Technology, Race, and Prejudice Lab. Dr. Turner focuses on video surveillance technology and the impacts on people's judgments.
- Dr. Wilneida Negron, PhD, MPA, MPhil, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Dr. Negron is currently exploring the impact and sustainability of public interest technology projects across the U.S., Europe, and the Global South with The Ford Foundation.
- Dr. Tonya Strozier, PhD, Founding President of Tucson Alliance of Black School Educators, and elementary School Principal. Dr. Strozier is an education consultant and school principal and dedicated to driving improvements in low-performing schools.
"By assembling this 2022 coalition of community leaders and advocates, Axon is demonstrating their commitment to addressing race in technology and working to embody the principles of justice and equity in their product development cycle - from ideation to implementation," says Dr. Desmond Patton, Professor of Social Work, Senior Associate Dean at Columbia University and CAC facilitator. "This coalition is a step in the right direction to continue to strengthen relationships between public safety and our communities."
Axon has always embraced a bold vision for the future of public safety. Axon's ground-breaking, independent AI Ethics Board is made up of experts from varying fields including AI, computer science, privacy, law enforcement, civil liberties and public policy. The CAC builds upon Axon's track record of soliciting community input and feedback and was developed with the goal of connecting Axon's product leadership with representatives from diverse and untapped communities.
The CAC is driven by and housed under Axon's Community Impact Team, under the direction of Regina Holloway. For more information about Axon's Community Advisory Coalition or Axon's Community Impact Team, please visit axon.com/community-impact or email impact@axon.com.
About Axon
Axon is a network of devices, apps and people that helps public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to keep their communities safe. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience with the goal of helping everyone get home safe.
We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, more than 263,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with the Axon Network of devices, apps and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737. Axon is a global company with headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. and global software engineering hub in Seattle, Wash., as well as additional offices in Australia, Canada, Finland, Vietnam, the UK and the Netherlands.
Columbia University is a service mark of The Trustees of Columbia University, Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc., Ford Foundation is a trademark of The Ford Foundation, PNC Bank is a service mark of The PNC Financial Services, Group, Inc., Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. and Virginia Tech is a trademark of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Axon, Axon Network, and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.
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