2026 Agenda
The Gun Violence Prevention Forum 2026
March 5, 2026 | In-Person (New York City) & Virtual
Audience Q&A
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March 5, 2026 | In-Person (New York City) & Virtual
"*" indicates required fields
8:00 am ET
Enjoy a welcome breakfast and network with your fellow attendees…
9:00 am ET
In the face of national challenges and negative headlines, we are seeing progress at the local level with specific strategies, campaigns, and programs. Today’s highly interactive program will highlight those local success stories, examine why they are working and how to scale them, and activate our community to keep the momentum going even with more work to be done.
Michael Dowling, CEO Emeritus, Northwell Health
9:10 am ET
Jose Prince, MD, FACS, FAAP, Pediatric Surgeon in Chief, Northwell Health
9:15 am ET
This opening talk will take a look at the data and metrics underpinning the recent trends in reduction in violent crime.
Jeff Asher, Co-Founder, AH Datalytics
9:25 am ET
Exploring the trends and factors that are driving this decline.
Adam Gelb, President and CEO, Council on Criminal Justice
Gregory Jackson Jr., Former Deputy Director of White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention; President, The Rocket Foundation
Moderator: Jeff Asher, Co-Founder, AH Datalytics
Regional ecosystem leaders share strategies that are making a measurable difference in reducing gun violence at the local level, drawing lessons that can be replicated to other cities across the country.
9:45 am ET
This panel will focus on how Healthcare Systems and Community Outreach Organizations are collaborating to interrupt suicide attempts and self-destructive behavior through mental health intervention programs.
Rob Allen, President and CEO, Intermountain Health
Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Moderator: Megan Mahncke, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Intermountain Health
10:05 am ET
10:10 am ET
This panel will focus on how the Cleveland Cavaliers are leveraging their cultural influence and community trust, in partnership with local leadership, to bring together coalitions, engage stakeholders, use non-traditional resources to drive a reduction in gun violence.
Kevin Clayton, Executive Vice President, Chief Impact and Equity Officer, Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment
Myesha Watkins, Administrator, Office of Violence Prevention; Public Safety and Justice Services, Cuyahoga County
Moderator: Ramon Soto, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Northwell Health
10:30 am ET
10:30 am ET
10:55 am ET
Jose Prince, MD, FACS, FAAP, Pediatric Surgeon in Chief, Northwell Health
11:00 am ET
One year after launching Agree to Agree, the Ad Council will share progress on how the campaign has galvanized the public and health care to take action in protecting youth from firearm injuries, and preview the next chapter of the effort that uplifts the lifesaving work of community violence intervention.
Introduced By: Fatimah Loren Dreier, Executive Director, The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
Michelle Hillman, Chief Campaign and Program Officer, The Ad Council
11:10 am ET
Community Violence Intervention leaders are increasingly working side by side with community organizations, law enforcement, and local stakeholders to prevent gun violence before it occurs. Through focused deterrence strategies, hospital- and community-based programs, and trusted local partnerships, these CVI-led cross-sector collaborations are demonstrating measurable reductions in shootings while strengthening community trust.
Ruth Abaya MD, MPH, Senior Director, Health Systems and CVI Integration, The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
Reggie Moore, Director of Community Safety Policy and Engagement, Comprehensive Injury Center, Medical College of Wisconsin
JT Timpson, Managing Director of Community Violence Initiatives, Roca Impact Institute
Moderator: Bechara Choucair, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer, Kaiser Permanente
11:35 am ET
11:40 am ET
Gains have been made in reducing gun violence – but now, how do we maintain the momentum? This panel will focus on how to sustain progress over time, highlighting effective and replicable strategies from across the nation.
Alastair Bell, MD, President & CEO, Boston Medical Center Health System
John MacPhee, CEO, The Jed Foundation
Nancy Fishman, Senior Director, Criminal Justice Grantmaking, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Moderator: Rob Wilcox, President and CEO, Fund for a Safer Future
12:05 pm ET
12:10 pm ET
A voice of inspiration for positivity and action.
Gabby Giffords, Former Congresswoman; Co-founder, GIFFORDS
12:15 pm ET
Heading into our interactive lunch breakout session, we’ll tee up the process and rally the audience to deliver actionable outcomes through interactive roundtable discussions.
12:20 pm ET
Grab lunch and join discussion groups to discuss these pressing topics and establish actionable strategies, partnerships, and next-steps…
Discussion Topics Include:
1:30 pm ET
Jose Prince, MD, FACS, FAAP, Pediatric Surgeon in Chief, Northwell Health
1:35 pm ET
In this conversation, Chauncey Parker will discuss how collaboration across law enforcement, healthcare systems, and community organizations is shaping modern public safety strategies in New York City. Drawing on decades of experience building cross-agency partnerships to reduce violence, the discussion will explore how prevention, coordination, and community engagement are helping drive progress in gun violence reduction.
Chauncey Parker, Former Deputy Mayor of New York City for Public Safety;
Director, New York/New Jersey HIDTA
Moderator: Errol Louis, Political Anchor, Spectrum News NY1
1:50 pm ET
Shining a spotlight on how gun violence prevention initiatives, research, and funding are being scaled nationwide through innovative strategies and collaborations.
Jackie Gerhart, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Epic
Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, Editor in Chief, JAMA
Soledad Adrianzén McGrath, JD, Program Director, Gun Violence Prevention and Justice Reform , The Joyce Foundation
Moderator: Chethan Sathya, MD, Trauma Surgeon and Director, Center for Gun Violence Prevention, Northwell Health
2:10 pm ET
2:15 pm ET
Grounding us in the perspectives from survivors and those who have lost loved ones.
Lesley Hu, Founder & Pierce’s Mom, Pierce’s Pledge
2:25 pm ET
John D’Angelo, MD, President and CEO, Northwell Health
* tentatively confirmed