The HAVI Strengthens Executive Leadership Team to Expand National Impact

Toni Rivera named Deputy Executive Director and nationally recognized public health leader Dr. Thomas Simon joins HAVI as Managing Director of Data, Research, and Evaluation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 30, 2026) — The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI), the nation's leading organization advancing hospital-based and community violence intervention, today announced two strategic leadership appointments that reflect the organization's continued growth and its commitment to strengthening the field of community violence intervention nationwide.

Toni K. Rivera has been promoted to Deputy Executive Director, following her leadership as Managing Director of Communities of Practice, and Thomas Simon, Ph.D., has joined the organization as Managing Director of Data, Research, and Evaluation.

The appointments come as communities across the country continue to invest in evidence-informed approaches that reduce violence, promote healing, and strengthen public safety. As the national leader supporting hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) and community violence intervention (CVI), the HAVI is expanding its leadership capacity to better serve healthcare systems, community organizations, policymakers, and practitioners working to prevent violence before it happens.

“The HAVI is excited to announce new and expanded leadership roles that strengthen our ability to support our exceptional team and advance our mission of preventing community violence," said Fatimah Loren Dreier, Executive Director of the HAVI. "These appointments reflect our intentional investment in leadership, research, and strategic partnerships needed to support the field on an even greater scale. Toni Rivera has helped shape this organization from its earliest days and has earned the trust and respect of partners across the country. Dr. Tom Simon brings decades of national leadership and expertise from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he advanced groundbreaking research on firearm injury prevention. Together, they strengthen our ability to translate evidence into action, support our members, and accelerate our work to build safer, healthier communities."

Toni Rivera Named Deputy Executive Director

A founding member of the HAVI since its first convening in 2009, Toni Rivera has played a pivotal role in advancing the field of hospital-based violence intervention for more than a decade. She joined the HAVI staff in 2022 after serving in executive leadership positions across nonprofit, healthcare, and community organizations.

As Deputy Executive Director, Rivera will help guide the organization's strategic growth, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, expand national partnerships, and support the continued development of the HAVI's programs, policy, and field-building initiatives.

With more than 30 years of executive leadership experience, Rivera has dedicated her career to advancing equity and improving outcomes for communities impacted by violence and structural inequities. Prior to joining the HAVI, she served as Executive Director of Families and Schools Together (FAST), a globally recognized family-strengthening model implemented across 45 states and 23 countries. She previously held leadership roles with Children's Wisconsin Project Ujima, one of the first HVIPs in the country, and Centro Hispano Milwaukee.

“Working alongside so many extraordinary leaders, frontline workers, survivors, and partners to build the HAVI has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Toni Rivera. “Stepping into the role of Deputy Executive Director, I’m excited to continue nurturing this movement — strengthening partnerships, investing in our people, and expanding our ability to support communities across the country. Community violence intervention is transforming lives every day, and I’m honored to help build the infrastructure, connections, and momentum needed to ensure more communities have the tools and support to foster healing and build safer communities”.

Thomas Simon Joins HAVI to Lead Data, Research, and Evaluation

Joining the HAVI as Managing Director of Data, Research, and Evaluation, Thomas Simon, Ph.D., brings more than 25 years of national leadership in violence prevention, public health research, and scientific strategy.

During his distinguished career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Simon served in several senior leadership roles, including Senior Director for Scientific Programs and Acting Co-Director of the Division of Violence Prevention. He helped shape national strategies to prevent youth violence, suicide, and firearm violence while helping build the CDC's firearm violence research portfolio.

Throughout his career, Dr. Simon has authored more than 150 scientific publications and government reports and has advised numerous national and international organizations, including the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization.

At the HAVI, Dr. Simon will lead the organization's research, evaluation, and data strategy, helping strengthen the evidence base for community violence intervention while supporting members, policymakers, healthcare systems, and partners with actionable insights that advance effective, equitable violence prevention.

"I am honored to join the talented and dedicated HAVI team at a time when hospital-based violence intervention programs and community violence intervention efforts are demonstrating what is possible when we invest in people, relationships, healing, and opportunity," said Thomas Simon, Ph.D. "This work has been the focus of my professional life, and it is also deeply personal to me. I look forward to partnering with the leaders, practitioners, survivors, and communities whose lived experience, expertise, and unwavering commitment are helping create safer communities every day."

Investing in the Future of Community Violence Intervention

The appointments underscore the HAVI's continued investment in strengthening the infrastructure, leadership, and evidence that support community violence intervention nationwide. As the field continues to expand, the HAVI remains committed to equipping hospitals, community organizations, government leaders, and healthcare professionals with the training, research, technical assistance, and partnerships needed to reduce violence and promote healing.

Recent milestones include the release of the largest study ever conducted on hospital-based violence intervention programs, demonstrating a 50 percent reduction in violence-related outcomes among patients who remained engaged in services, as well as the expansion of Medicaid reimbursement pathways for violence prevention professionals in states across the country. These advances reflect growing recognition that community violence is preventable, and that coordinated, community-led strategies are essential to building safer communities.

About the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention

The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) is the nation's leading organization dedicated to advancing hospital-based and community violence intervention. The HAVI strengthens the violence intervention field by supporting hospitals, community organizations, policymakers, researchers, and frontline professionals through training, technical assistance, research, policy leadership, and national partnerships. Together with its national network, the HAVI is working to build safer communities, promote healing, and reduce violence through evidence-informed, community-centered solutions.