CHLC September 2026 Education Session: GVPI Addressing Root Causes of Gun Violence in Lake County, IL
CHLC September 2026 Education Session: GVPI Addressing Root Causes of Gun Violence in Lake County, IL
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Instructors
Tierra Lemon
Tierra Lemon is a clinician, advocate, and leader in the field of gun violence prevention. A Chicago native, she has dedicated her career to supporting survivors, strengthening communities, and advancing violence prevention efforts. Lemon earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jackson State University and her Master of Social Work from Columbia University. Before her current role, she served as a Violence Recovery Specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine, providing crisis intervention and long-term support to survivors of violence. She currently serves as the inaugural Director of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative, leading community-driven strategies to reduce firearm-related harm and promote healing. Her leadership is rooted in lived experience, ensuring prevention efforts center the voices of those most impacted. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative leads innovative, countywide efforts to reduce firearm-related harm through prevention, collaboration, and community engagement. As one of the few prosecutor’s offices in the country leading violence prevention efforts, the GVPI works to redefine public safety by focusing not only on responding to violence after it occurs, but preventing harm before it happens. Under the leadership of Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, Tierra Lemon was selected to serve as the founding Director of the initiative in 2023. The GVPI has since expanded from a one-person operation into a multidisciplinary team focused on violence prevention, victim support, strategic partnerships, and community-centered solutions. Following the implementation of the GVPI, Lake County has seen more than a 70% reduction in firearm homicides.
Selma Ismail
Selma Ismail is currently a candidate for a Master’s in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School who is hoping to specialize in International and Global Affairs. Before attending the Kennedy School, Selma attended Arizona State University, where she earned a B.A in Business with a concentration in Public Policy and a B.A in Global Studies. After university, she lived and worked in Malaysia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, where her proudest achievement was her joint coordination and execution of Saya Malaysia//Kita Malaysia, a national storytelling conference in Kuala Lumpur. This conference addressed racial/ethnic tensions in Malaysia and how young people can use their voices to celebrate the diversity of Malaysian identity. In the future, Selma is most interested in a career that involves human and civil rights and hopes soon in the future to apply her formal education in public policy to law and eventually become a human right and civil rights lawyer. As a proud Black woman and daughter of Sudanese immigrants, Selma is passionate about providing resources to Black and Brown communities, especially the youth, so that they can thrive and realize their full potential.
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Instructors
Tierra Lemon
Tierra Lemon is a clinician, advocate, and leader in the field of gun violence prevention. A Chicago native, she has dedicated her career to supporting survivors, strengthening communities, and advancing violence prevention efforts. Lemon earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jackson State University and her Master of Social Work from Columbia University. Before her current role, she served as a Violence Recovery Specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine, providing crisis intervention and long-term support to survivors of violence. She currently serves as the inaugural Director of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative, leading community-driven strategies to reduce firearm-related harm and promote healing. Her leadership is rooted in lived experience, ensuring prevention efforts center the voices of those most impacted. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative leads innovative, countywide efforts to reduce firearm-related harm through prevention, collaboration, and community engagement. As one of the few prosecutor’s offices in the country leading violence prevention efforts, the GVPI works to redefine public safety by focusing not only on responding to violence after it occurs, but preventing harm before it happens. Under the leadership of Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, Tierra Lemon was selected to serve as the founding Director of the initiative in 2023. The GVPI has since expanded from a one-person operation into a multidisciplinary team focused on violence prevention, victim support, strategic partnerships, and community-centered solutions. Following the implementation of the GVPI, Lake County has seen more than a 70% reduction in firearm homicides.
Selma Ismail
Selma Ismail is currently a candidate for a Master’s in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School who is hoping to specialize in International and Global Affairs. Before attending the Kennedy School, Selma attended Arizona State University, where she earned a B.A in Business with a concentration in Public Policy and a B.A in Global Studies. After university, she lived and worked in Malaysia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, where her proudest achievement was her joint coordination and execution of Saya Malaysia//Kita Malaysia, a national storytelling conference in Kuala Lumpur. This conference addressed racial/ethnic tensions in Malaysia and how young people can use their voices to celebrate the diversity of Malaysian identity. In the future, Selma is most interested in a career that involves human and civil rights and hopes soon in the future to apply her formal education in public policy to law and eventually become a human right and civil rights lawyer. As a proud Black woman and daughter of Sudanese immigrants, Selma is passionate about providing resources to Black and Brown communities, especially the youth, so that they can thrive and realize their full potential.
