INNOVATOR
“Innovate or Die” -Peter Drucker
It is widely acknowledged that innovation is a crucial factor in driving societal progress. In 2005, DeVone collaborated with a community and team of highly skilled social engineers to address the pressing issue of gun violence in Richmond, California. The prevailing sentiment was that innovation was imperative for achieving significant change.
At the time, Richmond was ranked as the third most dangerous city in the nation due to alarming rates of gun violence, and there were concerns that even greater tragedy, harm, trauma, and loss of life were imminent. In 2007, DeVone played a pivotal role in establishing the first and now longest-standing Office of Violence Prevention in the country, the City of Richmond [CA] Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS). During his nearly nine-year tenure as its founding director, he led his team in successfully reducing gun violence to unprecedented levels. Notably, achieving a remarkable 77% reduction in retaliatory gun violence.
Two and a half years into his tenure in Richmond, the imperative to innovate once again became evident. DeVone discovered that individuals at the precipice of retaliatory gun violence (active or habitual firearm offenders who had evaded law enforcement and prosecution for their suspected acts of gun violence) were not being engaged or supported by any public or community-based system of care. Various factors contributed to this situation; nevertheless, the current status quo was unacceptable for achieving success against gun violence. To achieve victory, a novel system of care was necessitated. Consequently, the Peacemaker Fellowship® was established, a specialized system of care designed to address individuals at the center of gun violence.
This innovative approach to reducing gun violence has resulted in the preservation and transformation of lives across the continental United States.
“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
Arthur Schopenhauer
AUTHOR
“The pen is the tongue of the mind.” – Miquel de Cervantes
DeVone would coin the phrase “Infusing Love into Public Policy” as the Harvard Political Review would provide in more detail in 2016. DeVone made this
pronouncement in late 2007 as he publicly acknowledged that this principle would be the foundation of gun violence intervention practice inside the city of Richmond [Ca] governments new peacemaking agency. He believes that every local government working to effectively deliver sustained reductions in gun violence must embrace this, not just in sentiment, but also in policy. It is here where DeVone began to appreciate the importance of a broader public system audience being provided access to the Richmond experience. As a result, DeVone has written and co-authored several academic journal articles, op-Eds, and blog posts. DeVone has also recently (2025) completed two new books; Leading Peace: A Leadership Mandate for Community Violence Intervention Practice and Advancing Peace: Ending Urban Gun Violence Through the Power of Redemptive Love co-authored with Jason Corburn.
LEADER
“Great leaders do not create followers; they create more leaders.” -Tom Peters
In mid-2016, recognizing the urgent need for effective violence intervention practices and strategies nationwide, DeVone established Advance Peace, a Community Violence Intervention (CVI) field catalyst and leadership development organization. Today, Advance Peace® supports the Peacemaker Fellowship® system of care in over 20 cities. Boggan is widely regarded as a leading authority in Community Violence Intervention practice globally due to his significant impact on the field through his influential voice and work. DeVone and his teams are leading the reshaping of public safety and the narrative on retaliatory gun violence prevention and intervention by promoting a strong message of personal accountability, redemption, compassion, humanity, and love.
A fervent advocate for leadership development, DeVone firmly believes in the transformative potential of nurturing leaders who possess the capacity to inspire and empower others. As the co-founder of the National Office of Violence Prevention Network (NOVPN), the co-leader of the Gun Violence Intervention Through Action Learning (G-VITAL) institute at the Center for Global Healthy Cities at the University of California Berkeley, and the co-founder of the World Community Violence Intervention Society (“World CVI”), DeVone actively participates in a global discourse on effective violence intervention strategies. Furthermore, DeVone imparts his expertise to the next generation of public health leaders through his teaching positions in the Public Health Department at UC Berkeley.
“We are all called to make a difference in our generation. The kind of difference we make can be unfocused or powerful, oversold or indispensable, recreational or transformational. We get to decide whether or not we accomplish the level of significance we were purposed here to contribute.”
DeVone Boggan
