The Aspen Institute

There have been more mass shootings than days this year. Given the politicization of gun control, what work can be done to make sure our communities and schools are safe. Please join us for a conversation with Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise; Terry Keohne, Chief Communications Officer at Contra Costa Office of Education; Steve Kerr, head coach, Golden State Warriors; and Robyn Thomas,  Executive Director, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The conversation will be moderated by Thomas Peters, President & CEO, Marin Community Foundation. Hockley, who lost a son in the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, has helped create a national movement of parents, schools and community organizations to deliver gun violence prevention program and will share with us the work that needs to be done to address this crisis. Closing remarks will be made by Congresswoman Giffords.

**If you are not yet a member of the Society of Fellows, and have interest in joining, please contact the SOF Hotline at sof@aspeninst.org or call (970) 544-7980.

Speakers:

Nicole Hockley is a Co-Founder and Managing Director for Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), where she leads and manages the organization’s work, focusing on communications and outreach efforts and frequently serving as its spokesperson.

After the tragic death of her son Dylan, one of 20 first-graders killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Nicole is focused on bringing people together in honest dialogue and searching for innovative solutions in the areas of mental health, school safety, community building and gun safety. She came to SHP with an extensive background in strategic marketing and communications for companies in the US and in the UK.

Hockley oversees SHP’s strategic direction and communications, where she works tirelessly to enable social change and promote gun violence prevention.

Terry Koehne is the Chief Communications Officer for the Contra Costa County Office of Education. In his role, Koehne acts as spokesperson for the County Office of Education, and plans, organizes and directs the operations and activities of the Communications department. Prior to assuming the position with CCCOE, Koehnespent 20 years as the Communication and Community Relations Director for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

Koehne was awarded “Employee of the Year, 2012” by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, “Employee of the Year, 2008” by the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, “2010 Annual Honoree” by the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation, the Paul Harris Fellow distinction from the San Ramon Rotary, and twice given honorary service awards by the San Ramon Valley Council of PTA’s. Koehne was instrumental in the creation of the Contra Costa County Office of Education’s “Safe Schools for All,” a countywide initiative featuring a unique and extensive partnership with Sandy Hook Promise.

Steve Kerr is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors and a passionate advocate for gun law reform and gun violence prevention. Kerr owns 30 years of NBA experience as a player, coach, television analyst and front office executive, including a three-year stint (2007-10) as president of basketball operations and general manager for the Phoenix Suns. Kerr serves on the board of directors for Peace Players International, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that uses basketball as a means to bridge cultural gaps in areas of political, racial and religious conflict.

Robyn Thomas joined Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence as executive director in 2006. Robyn supervises Giffords Law Center’s work drafting and defending safer gun laws, as well as educating legislators about evidence-based gun policy. Under her leadership, Giffords Law Center has advanced a robust suite of policies that are proven to be most effective in solving our nation’s gun violence epidemic.

Robyn has testified in Congress and before state and local lawmakers as an expert witness on gun laws and the American gun violence epidemic. In 2008, Robyn oversaw the organization’s efforts to coordinate the drafting and filing of all amicus briefs in the landmark Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller and continues to supervise the legal team’s tracking and analysis of Second Amendment litigation. Most recently, Robyn spearheaded the creation of the Firearms Accountability Counsel Taskforce, a joint venture between top law firms and the gun violence prevention movement, and Giffords Law Center’s Urban Gun Violence Initiative, which aims to help save lives through a combination of community intervention strategies and gun laws.

Moderator:

Dr. Thomas Peters is President & CEO of the Marin Community Foundation (MCF). One of the largest community foundations in the country, with total assets of nearly $3 billion, MCF is home to more than 700 family and community philanthropic funds. From these funds, the Foundation distributes grants locally, nationally and internationally. Since its inception, MCF has made more than $1.7 billion in grants to support work on a broad array of educational, biological, environmental and social issues. Since joining the Foundation in 1998, Dr. Peters has been a strong voice for community philanthropy. As is well known locally and nationally, he is passionately devoted to the dedication of private resources for the public good. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Peters had a distinguished career as a public health official in California. For six years, he served as Director of the Health & Human Services Department in Marin County.