Moderator

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  Tim Russell

  Tim is currently the Vice President of Community Engagement of Chicago-based Window to the World Communications, Inc. (WWCI), parent company of public television station WTTW and classical music station WFMT. Tim is responsible for leading WWCI’s community engagement efforts focused on shaping the organization’s vision and strategy with relevant influencers, nonprofits, foundations, and business partners ensuring that they align with the organization’s strategic plan. Tim received his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and religion from Oberlin College, earned a Masters of Theological Studies with a concentration in Ethics and Society from Garrett Theological Seminary and completed a certificate program in Business Administration at Loyola University Chicago. In addition, as an undergraduate, Tim was awarded a Ford-Mellon Research Fellowship and a Ronald E. McNair Research Fellowship. Tim and his wife, Joi-Anissa, and their children – Mark and Ava – live in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, IL.

Participants

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  Vanessa Perry DeReef

  Panelist

  Committed to adding value to those she encounters, Vanessa Perry DeReef is currently the Director of Training at the Metropolitan Peace Academy where she is charged with developing a professional pathway for Chicago’s street outreach workers. Prior to joining Metropolitan Family Services, Mrs. Perry DeReef worked for twenty years with The Chicago Public Schools serving in the capacities of teacher, professional school counselor, assistant principal and ultimately, building principal. She credits her many mentors for her transferrable skill-set they helped her to developed, allowing her to connect with people through facilitation, conversation, and right-relationship building. Mrs. Vanessa Perry DeReef is currently pursuing a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Adler University.

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  Jeanne Bishop

  Panelist

  Jeanne Bishop is the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who was murdered in 1990 along with her husband and their unborn baby. Since the murders of her family members, Jeanne has been a passionate voice for forgiveness and mercy, particularly in the criminal justice system. Jeanne appears in several documentaries, two TEDx talks and the CBS 48 Hours segment “Road to Redemption.” A graduate of Northwestern University’s journalism and law schools, Jeanne was also a Visiting Student at Yale Law School. She is a public defender in Chicago and an adjunct law professor in trial advocacy at Northwestern, where she received the school’s alumni award for public service. Jeanne has written widely in newspapers and magazines, online sites such as Huffington Post and CNN.com, law journals and academic books. She is the author of a memoir, Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy and Making Peace with My Sister’s Killer (Westminster John Knox Press 2015) and the recently released Grace From the Rubble: Two Fathers’ Road to Reconciliation After the Oklahoma City Bombing (Zondervan 2020), named by Publishers Weekly as one of its Top Ten Religion and Spirituality Books for Spring 2020. Jeanne lives on Chicago’s North Shore with her two sons.

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  Samuel Castro

  Panelist

  Samuel Castro is the Program Manager of Outreach for the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. Samuel has been doing outreach work for over ten years with a variety of organizations and was an outreach worker with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago prior to being promoted to Supervisor of the READI Outreach initiative, where he led his team to exceed the goals set for engagement of people in the program. He is a motivated leader who believes in others and always pushes himself and his team to perform at a higher level. Currently, Sam supervises all Outreach teams for the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago in Austin, West Garfield Park and Back of the Yards. The first time Samuel was shot, he was only 3 years old. The last time Samuel was incarcerated, he spent 12 years in custody. Upon release, he began working to turn his life around. He is close to his children and family. He is truly an example of growth and change.

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  Noemi Martinez

  Panelist

  Noemi Martinez is a community activist who believes that no one deserves to be physically injured, threatened, intimidated or killed by violence in their home or community. After her son Andy was killed 15 years ago, Noemi was determined to find a way to live with her loss. Her work is a window into a broader community of survivors across the city, who all know each other. In Chicago, this community is less involved in gun control, and more involved in pushing the police to solve murders. Noemi is featured in Firsthand: Gun Violence.

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  Brenda Mitchell

  Panelist

  Brenda's son Kenneth was murdered one week after his brother Kevin left to fight in his third tour of duty in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. A single parent, Kenneth left behind 3 sons. Brenda is a Fellow with Everytown Survivor Network, Survivor Membership Lead, Inter Faith Outreach Leader for Moms Demand Action in South Suburban Chicago and a member of the advocacy organization Purpose Over Pain. She is also an ordained minister and uses those tools to help herself and others achieve wellness. She has become strong advocate for Trauma Informed Care and making resources available to move families, communities towards wholeness, utilizing the tools of Mindfulness and Meditation in the healing process. In addition to her advocacy work she possesses more than 25 years of proven progressive experience in the area of Human Resources Management. Her experience is diverse in the areas of Human Resources Operations, recruitment, labor relations, compensation/benefits and training with a concentration in employee relations. Her passion is in the area of employee relations and enhancing the values, skills of employer/employee relationships when they are in conflict. Her passion is in interpersonal communications and conflict resolution. She also has been a seasoned politician serving a ten-year term as a Trustee in the Village of University Park. She has received an MBA from Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL, and Bachelor from Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL.