Jalon Arthur joined Chicago CRED in March of 2018, and currently serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives. This position focuses on development of innovative violence-reduction strategies for implementation by citywide street outreach partners. Mr. Arthur supports city and state government efforts to include facilitation of Regional Coordination meetings which convene diverse community stakeholders to coordinate on-the-ground violence reduction efforts, and conducts comprehensive city gap analysis to inform street outreach investments. He also provides support to CRED’s citywide outreach investments, including CP4P (Communities Partnering 4 Peace), READI, and outreach implementation in the Roseland and North Lawndale communities.

Mr. Arthur has dedicated 17 years of service committed to reducing violence. Prior to joining CRED, he worked at the University of Illinois with the Cure Violence program as director of innovation and development. During his 15 year tenure, Mr. Arthur worked with acutely at-risk youth to interrupt violence and provide case management support; set up international violence reduction programs in Puerto Rico, South Africa, Trinidad and Morocco; provided training and program support to a network of international partners; implemented innovative strategies to address multiple forms of violence; and developed a phone app in partnership with DePaul University to empower street outreach workers to utilize mobile app technology to enhance violence-reduction capacity.

Mr. Arthur holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in Psychology, and a Master’s of Science Degree in Human Services.