Karen Pershing Selected to Receive the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge, Renae McDermott, Knoxville Division, will present Karen Pershing with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, on March 9, 2018 at 1:30 p.m., at the FBI Field Office in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Since 1990, the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award (DCLA) has been a principal means by which the FBI has publicly recognized the achievements of individuals and organizations that make extraordinary contributions to their community.  Each of the FBI's Field Offices selects one individual or organization each year to receive this award.

The Knoxville Division honors Karen Pershing for more than 30 years of public health service and dedication to improving the health of the greater Knoxville community.

She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Metro Drug Coalition (MDC), an organization dedicated to improving the health of the greater Knoxville community by reducing the use of alcohol and drugs through policy, systems and environment change.  Under Pershing’s leadership, she established a Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force that has been recognized by both state and federal elected officials as a model coalition in bringing diverse leaders in medical and law enforcement together to create effective policy change, subsequently reducing prescribing and raising the standard of care for all Tennesseans.

Karen Pershing has been a staunch advocate for reducing the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition in which newborns experience painful withdrawal symptoms shortly after birth as a result of the medications their mothers took during their pregnancies, through the development and implementation of the Born Drug Free Tennessee awareness and educational initiative.  As a result, Knox County saw an 18 percent decrease in the incidence of NAS births from 2015 to 2016 and the region surrounding Knox, saw a 12 percent decrease.  This is something that she is most proud of and will continue to not only be an advocate for these babies, but also for these young mothers to get the support and help they need to be successful.

By focusing on prevention, Pershing knows that our families and communities will be safer, healthier and economically prosperous.  No one is more committed to breaking the cycle of substance abuse and its devastating effects.

Other Accomplishments

• In 2016, MDC and Pershing were instrumental in passing and or supporting five laws: pain clinic bill to strengthen requirements of a medical director, licensure of outpatient buprenorphine clinics, licensure of pain clinics, Prescription Safety Act of 2016, sunset of the fetal assault law passed in 2014.
• In 2016, became the “Action Team” for the opioid reduction efforts of the Knoxville/Knox County/Town of Farragut’s Community Health Council.
• In 2016, a partnership was established with the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Alliance to provide additional education and outreach.
• In 2016, Pershing was the recipient of the Partners and Leadership Award from the Tennessee Public Health Association

Pershing will also be recognized by FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday, April 20, 2018 at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC.

For more information on the FBI’s Knoxville Division, visit www.fbi.gov/knoxville

Norfolk FBI Announces 2012 Director’s Community Leadership Award Recipient

Special Agent in Charge John Boles of the Norfolk Field Office of the FBI announced his selection of Ms. Tressa Denise Johnson, Management Analyst, Human Services Department for the City of Norfolk, as the local recipient of the FBI’s 2012 Director’s Community Leadership Award for her commitment to the youth and communities in Hampton Roads.

Ms. Johnson’s work in the community began over seven years ago when she became an active member of the Virginia Gang Investigators Association. Since 2010, Ms. Johnson has volunteered to work with after-school programs where she provides assistance with homework, facilitates group discussions, and encourages at-risk students to remain drug and crime free.

In May 2011, Ms. Johnson graduated from the FBI’s Citizens’ Academy and became an active member of the Norfolk FBI’s Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association. As such, she successfully wrote a grant proposal on behalf of the Alumni Association to spearhead a workshop sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for a project known as “America Healing: A Racial Equity Initiative.”

The workshop was subsequently sponsored by the Alumni Association in April 2012, with support of the Norfolk FBI, as a way to highlight Norfolk’s Civil Rights Program and:

■Be a catalyst for improving the quality of life within the individual communities through law enforcement related and awareness programs

■Establish the exchange of information between the FBI and the community

■Foster racial relations among communities and individuals

Ms. Johnson continues to develop outreach ideas, seek out grant funding for the Alumni Association, and give presentations with Norfolk FBI staff and local law enforcement on Bullying and Gangs.

Ms. Johnson will be formally presented with an award on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. at the office of the Norfolk FBI located at 150 Corporate Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23502.

Members of the press and media are invited to attend.

Leadership: FBI Citizens’ Academy

The Portland Division is holding one Citizens’ Academy in 2012 (see schedule). The Citizens’ Academy is designed to bring together a diverse group of business and community leaders to learn about the FBI’s work in Oregon and around the world. There are six evening sessions and one weekday session. Participants are required to attend all sessions and to complete a background investigation prior to admittance. After graduation, participants have the opportunity to join the Oregon FBI Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association and to continue the partnership with our office.

Due to high demand, the selection process is competitive and acceptance is not guaranteed. Application packets (pdf) are now being accepted for the 2012 class. Please complete the application and mail the packet to FBI Citizens’ Academy, P.O. Box 709, Portland, OR 97207; fax the packet to FBI Citizens’ Academy, (503) 552-5400; or scan the packet into a .pdf file and e-mail it to the Public Affairs Office. The application is in a fillable document format. Open the document, type in the required information, print it, and send it in one of the ways listed above. Applications are due no later than Friday, July 27, 2012.

New Jersey Humanitarian Recognized by FBI as Its 2011 Director’s Community Leadership Award Recipient

NEWARK—Since 1990—through the Director’s Community Leadership Awards (DCLA)—the FBI has publicly recognized the achievements of individuals and organizations like these who have gone above and beyond the call to service by making extraordinary contributions to their communities in the areas of terrorism, cyber, drug, gang, or violence prevention and education. And this year is no exception: this past March, nearly 60 individuals and organizational representatives—all 2011 DLCA recipients—gathered for a ceremony in their honor at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Director Mueller, who presented a specially designed plaque to each recipient, called the honorees “catalysts for change” in their communities and said that each one shared “a willingness to lead....a commitment to improving your neighborhoods...and a desire to make this country safer for your fellow citizens.”

The Newark Division is particularly proud to honor Dr. Joan Rivitz for promoting human and civil rights. In 2003, Dr. Rivitz was appointed the New Jersey commissioner of civil rights and serves as chairperson of the New Jersey Commission on Civil Rights. As a member of the New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention, Dr. Rivitz has worked to end childhood bullying. She serves on the Bergen-Passaic County Board of the American Conference on Diversity and the Board of Education of the Hovnanian School in New Milford, New Jersey.

Dr. Rivitz’s humanitarianism is evident through her dedication to public awareness and education about the Holocaust. She is chairperson of the advisory board of the New Jersey Human Relations Council and is the associate director of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. Dr. Rivitz served as the co-chairperson of the 58th Annual International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies Conference, which afforded representatives from around the world an opportunity to discuss human rights issues together. Dr. Rivitz has conducted sessions such as “Learning from the Lessons of the Past and Applying These Lessons to the Present Day” and has worked as a committee member of the New Jersey Summit Against Hate.

Dr. Rivitz serves as the coordinator and director of a financial grant made to the FBI National Citizens Academy and awarded to the Newark chapter. The America Healing: A Racial Equity Initiative, which was applied to the city of Newark, was made possible through statewide community outreach. Law enforcement officers, gang members, clergy, non-profit organizations, and community leaders worked together in an unprecedented effort to help Newark’s youth resist gang activity.

Dr. Rivitz’s name is inscribed on The Wall of Tolerance in Alabama in recognition of her efforts to take a personal and public stand against hate, injustice, and intolerance.

SAC Michael Ward remarked, “Dr. Rivitz’s contributions to New Jersey cannot be overstated. She has dedicated herself to civil rights issues, not only through words, but also through person investment and action. Above and beyond those contributions, Dr. Rivitz is also an active member of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni and helps provide guidance and consult in the Newark Division’s Community Outreach Program.”

Dr. Rivitz currently serves as the Regional Vice President of the National FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICAAA) and a Board of Trustees member of the New Jersey Chapter of the FBICAAA. The FBI Newark Division Citizens Academy is currently in its ninth year and is scheduled to graduate its newest members on May 2, 2012 in Newark.

To see coverage of the ceremony and Director Mueller’s remarks, please visit http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/march/dcla_031612/dcla_031612.