WCPA Welcomes Interim ED
The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA) announces its newly appointed Interim Executive Director, Dr. Gary Damon, Jr. His appointment marks the first time WCPA has had an Executive Director, and solidifies the coalition’s commitment to long-term sustainability and growth as an organization.
Dr. Gary Damon, Jr., President and CEO of Pressure Point Consulting, LLC., brings over 22 years of experience in senior and executive leadership roles across multiple industries including criminal justice, re-entry, higher education, and government. Dr. Gary emphasizes performance management skills, integrity, and openness to lead teams toward high performance and success.
“I joined WCPA because the mission to make safer communities and hold police accountable for their actions is an epidemic everyone should make a top priority,” says Dr. Gary Damon, Jr., interim Executive Director of WCPA. “As I meet with impacted families, board members, stakeholders, and lobbyists to understand their ‘why’ and ‘how’ for working together to live out our mission, vision, and values, I am humbled by their passion and persistence, and by the pursuit of police accountability and reform across Washington State.”
“Dr. Gary’s appointment is so important,” says Tonya Isabel, coalition member and cousin of Charleena Lyles, who was killed by the Seattle police in 2017. “His experience and organizational development skills will help us build a strong and successful organization. In the first few weeks of his appointment, I am already impressed with Dr. Gary’s willingness to learn, to understand why we are a part of this coalition, and the power of his confidence and leadership.”
WCPA is a coalition of families who have lost loved ones to police violence, advocates, experts, and organizations working together on state-wide policies to reduce police violence and increase accountability. The coalition grew out of advocacy for WA Initiative 940 in 2018. The WCPA was formed in 2020, against the backdrop of the murder of George Floyd, and the killing and ensuing coverup of the death of Manny Ellis in Tacoma, to address the significant gaps in I-940 and to broaden the work overall to address police violence in Washington state.
The WCPA became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2022. Its mission is to create safer communities in Washington state by promoting the implementation of policies that reduce violence and increase police accountability.
