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 Negrón, PhD, MPA, MPhil, Adjunct Assistant
Professor of Political Science at John Jay
College of Criminal Justice. Dr. Negrón 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.
Follow Axon here:
- Axon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/axon_us
- Axon on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/
Note to Investors
Please visit http://investor.axon.com,
https://www.axon.com/press, www.twitter.com/axon_us and
https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/ where Axon discloses
information about the company, its financial information and its
business.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Corinne Clark
Public Relations Manager
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