Mayor appoints 37 to serve on Commission Against Gun Violence
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Mayor Sylvester Turner announced on Wednesday the names 37 individuals appointed to serve on the new Mayor's Commission Against Gun Violence.
Among those chosen are students, parents, physicians, law enforcement officials, gun violence victims and members of faith-based and civil rights organizations.
Mayor Turner announced his plans to establish the commission in March in solidarity with the March for Our Lives movement.
“I’m not interested in engaging in a political battle or fight against any organization,” Mayor Turner said. “But I am interested in coming up with ideas that can make society safer for our children, irrespective of where they come from, their religious beliefs or languages they speak, because the shooters have demonstrated they do not respect human life.”
Mayor Turner has asked the commission to provide some recommendations before the start of the next school year and more before the 2019 Texas Legislative Session begins.
The following people have been appointed to serve on the Commission Against Gun Violence:
Rev. William Lawson; Honorary Chair; Founder & Pastor Emeritus, Wheeler Baptist Church
Rabbi Samuel Karff; Honorary Chair; Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel
Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza; Honorary Chair; Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Kendra Willis; 2017 Ms. Wheelchair Texas, gun violence survivor
James Tucker; Yates High School Graduate/ Family member of gun violence victim
Sam Peña; Houston Fire Chief
Dr. David Persse; Chief Medical Officer
Victor Gonzalez; Mayor's Anti-Gang Office
Art Acevedo; Houston Police Chief
Ed Gonzalez; Harris County Sheriff
Kim Ogg; Harris County District Attorney
Paul Cordova; Interim Police Chief, Houston Independent School District
Vera Bumpers; Metro Police Chief
Marcel McClinton; March for Our Lives High School Student
Wasiq Javed;March for Our Lives University of Houston Student
Madeline Lake; March for Our Lives High School Student
Ariel Hobbs; March for Our Lives University of Houston Student
Alina Dong; Chair, Mayor's Youth Council
Andrew Yoo; Law School Student
Ping Sun; Rice University and Attorney
Aimee Mobley Turney; Houston Area Group Lead, Mom's Demand Action for Gun Sense in America & Gun Safety Chair of League of Women Voters of Texas
Tiffany Ross; Director of Education and Outreach, Mental Health America and Mayor's LQBTQ Advisory Board
Sonia Corrales; CEO, Houston Area Women's Center
Judson Robinson, III; President, Houston Area Urban League
Mary Ramos; Executive Committee, LULAC
Yolanda Smith; Executive Director, NAACP
Haley Carter; Captain, United States Marine Corps, Houston Dash 2014-2016
Cornelius Blackshear; Director of Veteran's Services, United Way
Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria; Attending Surgeon, Trauma Medical Director, Texas Children's Hospital & Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Jerry Ashworth; CEO, TIRR Memorial Herman
Dr. Peter Stout; CEO, Houston Forensic Science Center
Johnny Mata; Coalition for Justice, LULAC
Abbie Kamin; Associate Regional Director, Southwest Region, Anti-Defamation League
Dr. Robert Muhammad; Founder, Action CDC
Dan Snare; President, American Leadership Forum
Sheryl Ropollo; Owner, Wagon Wheel Ranch
Deric Muhammad; Activist/Author