PHOENIX — The conversation continues.
12News invites the community on Tuesday, Feb. 27 to share their voice and ideas in a 2nd Town Hall focused on the impact of teen violence in our communities.
This Town Hall will take place at the Cesar Chavez Community Center from 6-7 p.m. and will broadcast live during 12News at 6.
Together, with a panel of community members, law enforcement, educators and activists, we're bringing the issue of teen violence to a broader audience to identify solutions and address the problem across valley neighborhoods.
Here are the speakers you can expect to see on Tuesday:
Greg Gutierrez — Proud Father from Phoenix
Greg Gutierrez was born and raised in Phoenix and now owns a local barbershop. His son, Jaiden Torrez, was 16 years old when he was shot and killed in February 2021. His case remains unsolved.
Mark Jacobo — Proud Father/ President of the Stephen Benito Jacobo Foundation
Mark’s son Stephen was murdered a year ago on his 18th birthday. Stephen was Mark’s youngest of three sons. Mark has been a Mesa resident since 1993 and is the proud owner of the family-operated COBO Plumbing LLC.
Larry McGill, Jr. — South Pointe High School Principal
Principal Larry McGill, Jr. has been an educator since 1995 and has been the leader of South Pointe High School since 2003. He was previously the principal at Desert Hills High School in Gilbert and assistant principal at Summit High School in Phoenix.
Farrah Fiegener — New Pathways
Farrah Fiegener is the Director of Marketing & Mentor Recruitment for New Pathways for Youth, a local non-profit that mentors young people. Farrah is a mentor herself and has been matched with her mentee, Marcelino, for over 6 years.
Assistant Chief Sean Connolly — Phoenix Police Department
Born and raised in Arizona, Asst. Chief Connolly has worked for the Phoenix police department for 26 years. Among his many roles with the department over his career, he’s led the Gang Enforcement Unit, and was Commander of the Violent Crime Bureau, the Drug Enforcement Bureau and the Maryvale Estrella Mountain Precinct.
Bishop Anthony Holt — NAACP Arizona State Conference President
A long time community advocate, Holt served as the West Valley NAACP president and was a founding member in 2017. Holt is interested in curbing teen violence throughout Arizona and bringing effective tools to teens statewide.
Pastor Andre Miller — New Beginnings Christian Church
Pastor Andre N. Miller, Sr. was born in Detroit, Michigan. He’s a is a veteran of the U.S. Army and was the first African-American police chaplain for the Apache Junction Police department, and founded the community armor, a social advocacy organization. He’s also a life member of the NAACP. He’s a proud father of five adult sons.
Shannon Hayes — Black Mothers Forum
Shannon Hayes is a local advocate for quality education for all students. Her efforts focus on collaborating with educators and policymakers to create safe and equitable learning opportunities.
Alyssa Tarkington - Phoenix Union High School District
Alyssa Tarkington is the Executive Director of Student and Family Services at Phoenix Union High School District. She has worked for the district since 2017. She previously was the principal at Coronado High School in Scottsdale and has been an educator for more than 20 years.
Joronda Montaño - Prevention Specialist
Joronda Montaño is the co-founder of NeckUp CheckUp, an organization focused on mental health support for youth. She is a prevention and public health expert who has spent more than 20 years addressing youth risk and developing prevention programs.
Paolla Jordan
Paolla lost her son Adrio in 2019 to suicide. She’s since worked to help other families by pushing new legislation and starting the Laloboy Foundation, which helps families cover the costs of mental healthcare services.
