OKCPD, Public Safety Partnership form Youth Safety Advisory Committee

Published on September 24, 2025

A Youth Safety Advisory Committee (YSAC) has been formed to better understand the root cause of youth violence and explore ways to provide support to at-risk youth in Oklahoma City. The committee has started meeting monthly.

“These committee members and their related organizations provide the background and expertise needed to develop long-term solutions that address the critically important issue of youth violence in our community,” said Andrea Grayson, OKC Public Safety Partnership Implementation Manager. “These individuals will help us identify the needs of OKC regarding acute youth violence, including researching programs that deal with mediation, conflict resolution, and early intervention.”

The creation of the YSAC advances recommendations 27 and 28 of 39 recommendations outlined in a report presented to City Council in 2022. These recommendations center on creating a neighborhood safety/violence interruption program.

“A significant driver of violence in the community is youth violence, and we have to recognize that reducing it requires intervention and prevention,” said Mayor David Holt. “Law enforcement plays a role, but that’s often a last resort. We need to be earlier in the continuum, and we need to be addressing root causes. Working together with public safety agencies, youth programs, and violence interruption programs, we can coordinate efforts and have an even greater impact.”

The goals of the YSAC include:

  • Conducting a landscape scan of existing community assets, programs, and trusted messengers with a demonstrated focus on youth engagement and violence prevention.
  • Reviewing evidence-based models and best practices in youth-focused violence intervention.
  • Engaging directly with community stakeholders, including service providers, young people, survivors, and those with lived experience.
  • Advising the City on the design of a potential youth violence intervention framework.
  • Providing recommendations for issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to identify a qualified community-based resource to implement a pilot or full-scale intervention strategy.

The YSAC is comprised of individuals and organizations representing a wide range of perspectives who seek to address the root cause of youth violence and research methods for providing support.

Members of the YSAC include:

Sarah Adams
Co-Founder
Matriarch & Cousins

Vicki Zemp Behenna
District Attorney
Oklahoma County

Teena Belcik
President & CEO
Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County

David Conkerite II, MBA, SPHR
Lead Consultant
Community Belonging Consulting LLC

Rodney Cox
Principal, Rogers Middle School
Oklahoma City Public Schools

Wayland Cubit
Director of Security
Oklahoma City Public Schools

Brandon Denton, MBA
Executive Director
Alpha Community Foundation

Jonathan Dodson
CEO
Pivot

Taylor Doe
Founder
And Then Moments

aurelius francisco
Executive Director
Foundation for Liberating Minds

Marcus Jackson
Co-Founder & CEO
Urban Bridge

Pastor M.L. Jemison
Sr. Pastor
St. John Missionary Baptist Church

Ganesha Martin
Founder & CEO
Meet Me In The Middle

Dr. Jamie C. Polk
Superintendent
Oklahoma City Public Schools

Dr. Carlos M. Robinson
President & CEO
OKC Black Chamber of Commerce

Cecilia Robinson-Woods, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Millwood Public Schools

Derrick Sier
Mentor/Trainer
Reverb Mentoring

Les Thomas, Sr.
Executive Director of Community Engagement
Urban Bridge

Jabee Williams
Program Director
Live Free Oklahoma

Kendra Wilson-Clements
Co-Founder
Matriarch and Cousins

City Representatives

Chief Ron Bacy
Oklahoma City Police Department 

Jason Ferbrache
Assistant City Manager
City of Oklahoma City

Andrea Grayson
Implementation Program Manager
OKC Public Safety Partnership

Mankinta Holloway
Court Administrator
Oklahoma City Municipal Courts

Bailey Siber
Chief of Staff
Office of the Mayor

About the OKC Public Safety Partnership
The OKC Public Safety Partnership is a collaboration among community stakeholders, city officials, elected leaders, law enforcement and residents to advance public safety for the Oklahoma City community.

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Media Contact: Kristy Yager, (405) 297-2550, kristy.yager@okc.gov

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