Assistant Vice President for Urban Affairs at the University of Chicago, Former Obama White House Office of Urban Affairs Official, and frequent MSNBC political commentator. Alaina Beverly is an expert in politics, urban policy, civil rights, and community mobilization with over 15 years of experience in electoral politics and government relations. A frequent commentator on MSNBC, Alaina regularly provides insights on race and electoral politics. Alaina began her career as a voting rights attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and Advancement Project. She left the practice of law to serve as a political operative for the 2008 Obama for America Campaign where she executed political engagement strategies for primaries in South Carolina, Connecticut, Ohio, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Michigan. During the General Election, Alaina served as the National Deputy Director of African American Outreach. After the 2008 electoral victory, Alaina joined the Obama Administration as Associate Director for the White House Office of Urban Affairs. In that role, she laid the foundation for President Obama’s urban office by identifying scalable models to make cities more sustainable, competitive and inclusive. She also served as a Principal at The Raben Group, a public policy firm in Washington DC. In her current role as Assistant Vice President for Urban Affairs at the University of Chicago, Alaina is the founding director of Urban America Forward, an annual convening of national leaders committed to furthering equity and economic inclusion in cities. She is a graduate of Stanford University and Michigan Law School.

After graduating from Rutgers University, I moved back to my hometown to run for elected office, where I galvanized residents around a message of civic responsibility. Championing mental health awareness, I founded @Blackmalementalhealth, a nonprofit that creates safe spaces for black men and provides scholarships for economically challenged students. Passionate about bridge building, I excel at designing strategies that authentically connect anchor institutions to community stakeholders. Opportunity is key and I excel at coupling quality programming with thoughtful policy, so change isn’t episodic but systemic. My life feels aligned when I am of service to my community and my people.

Deputy Chief Bettison has worked for the Detroit Police Department for 25 years. Deputy Chief Bettison graduated from Wayne State University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Criminal Justice in 1996. Deputy Chief Bettison currently works directly for the Chief of Police, James E. Craig, and is the Detroit Police Department’s Neighborhood Community Liaison. He is committed to bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement. Deputy Chief Bettison has been consistently rewarded for his hard work and dedication to building a better Detroit. His rewards are a direct result of his expertise in management, as well as, his commitment to personal and professional excellence. Deputy Chief Bettison’s approach to bridging the gap between the police and community is centered around working with the people in the neighborhoods. Deputy Chief Bettison prefers the grass roots approach!