Police Practices Work Group Members

Assessment Leaders

 
Marcia K. Thompson, Esq.
Vice President, Law Enforcement Consulting

 
Julie Shedd
Associate Dean and Associate Professor School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University

Appointments

Allison Carpenter, Deputy Public Defender, Arlington County and resident. She has worked with community agencies and organizations to reduce recidivism and promote public safety.

Cicely Whitfield, longtime Arlington resident and advocate. Cicely also serves as the Chief Program Officer for Bridges to Independence, focused on leading individuals and families out of homelessness.

David FitzGerald, member of the Community Service Board, responsible for oversight of services provided by the Department of Human Services to persons challenged by mental health, intellectual disabilities and substance use.

Devanshi Patel, local social justice lawyer focused primarily on juvenile and family law matters; Devanshi also is the Chief Executive Officer of CYFA (Center for Youth and Family Advocacy), which focuses on developing comprehensive solutions to social justice issues to improve the lives of young people and families in Arlington.

Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, Executive Director of Offender Aid and Restoration of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church, a community-based nonprofit which journeys with specific individuals, adults and youth of all genders, impacted by the criminal legal system and also addresses “the systemic racism responsible for mass incarceration and other structural inequities in our society.”

Kathleen McSweeney, active resident and advocate in Arlington County. Previously served on the Planning Commission, serves on the Census Complete Count Committee, and chairs the Joint Facilities Advisory Committee. Kathleen also serves on the Board for Challenging Racism.

Kent Carter, Vice President of the Arlington Branch NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization committed to eliminating race-based discrimination and to ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

Kim Phillip, founding member of Arlington for Justice, a newly formed group working to bring a new era of public safety to our neighborhoods by seeking reform of Arlington’s criminal justice system.

LaTasha Chamberlain, Captain, Arlington County Police Department, responsible for support service operations.

Matt Puia, Sergeant, Arlington County Police Department, responsible for police operations.

Naomi Verdugo, longtime advocate and active member of the Arlington Mental Health and Disability Alliance, group of local advocates comprised of community members living with mental illness and other disabilities, and their families.

Rodney Turner, former member of Arlington County’s Fire Station #8 Task Force and current member of the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission, is a resident of the High View Park neighborhood for 18 years and a member of the John M. Langston Citizens Association. Rodney is an attorney specializing in financial services regulation.

Saul Reyes, Executive Director of BU-GATA, an advocacy organization founded in 1992 to educate and train Latino leaders in low-income communities facing the threat of displacement. BU-GATA is also interested in addressing racial disparities in policing and other areas of public safety.

Scott Wanek, President of the Arlington Coalition of Police (ACOP), representing current and retired Arlington police officers.

Whytni Kernodle, Co-Founder of Black Parents of Arlington, focused on organizing and empowering black parents for the purpose of improving the lives and education of black children in Arlington.

Note: The County Attorney, Commonwealth’s Attorney, and Arlington Public Schools Chief of Staff will also serve as ex-officio members of the group and be asked to attend all meetings.

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