Eddie Bocanegra
Senior Director of READI Chicago, Heartland Alliance
Eddie Bocanegra joined Heartland Alliance in June 2017 as Senior Director of READI Chicago. In this role, he oversees the management and implementation of the evidence-based and trauma-informed program to reduce gun violence and promote safety and opportunity.
As a pioneer in the field, Mr. Bocanegra brings years of experience in community-based organizations and programs created to address trauma and build resiliency among those most impacted by violence. Most recently, he served as Executive Director for the YMCA of Chicago Youth Safety and Violence Prevention and was responsible for programs that focused on trauma informed approaches such as Urban Warriors and Bridging the Divide.
Prior to the YMCA, he was the congregational organizer for Community Renewal Society where he led FORCE (Fighting to Overcome Records and Create Equality), a coalition that advocates for increased opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. He also worked as a violence interrupter for Chicago’s Ceasefire and was featured in the award-winning documentary The Interrupters. Additionally, in 2019 Eddie was featured in two prominent books, an “American summer” and “Bleeding out”.
Mr. Bocanegra holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois University, respectively. Previous he served on Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel Commission for a Safer Chicago, and most recently co-chaired Mayor Lori Lightfoot Public Safety and Accountability Commission for a Safer Chicago.
In addition, Mr. Bocanegra is a committee member of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council, and a board member of the Juvenile Justice Initiative. Currently he serves as a Trustee for the Council of Criminal Justice and is an affiliate of SafeLab Columbia University.
He has presented and spoken at the United Nations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and various institutions such as Harvard, Yale and Colombia. He has also been invited by the State Department to present to various countries on the topic of trauma and community violence and its relationship to criminal justice.
As a pioneer in the field, Mr. Bocanegra brings years of experience in community-based organizations and programs created to address trauma and build resiliency among those most impacted by violence. Most recently, he served as Executive Director for the YMCA of Chicago Youth Safety and Violence Prevention and was responsible for programs that focused on trauma informed approaches such as Urban Warriors and Bridging the Divide.
Prior to the YMCA, he was the congregational organizer for Community Renewal Society where he led FORCE (Fighting to Overcome Records and Create Equality), a coalition that advocates for increased opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. He also worked as a violence interrupter for Chicago’s Ceasefire and was featured in the award-winning documentary The Interrupters. Additionally, in 2019 Eddie was featured in two prominent books, an “American summer” and “Bleeding out”.
Mr. Bocanegra holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois University, respectively. Previous he served on Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel Commission for a Safer Chicago, and most recently co-chaired Mayor Lori Lightfoot Public Safety and Accountability Commission for a Safer Chicago.
In addition, Mr. Bocanegra is a committee member of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council, and a board member of the Juvenile Justice Initiative. Currently he serves as a Trustee for the Council of Criminal Justice and is an affiliate of SafeLab Columbia University.
He has presented and spoken at the United Nations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and various institutions such as Harvard, Yale and Colombia. He has also been invited by the State Department to present to various countries on the topic of trauma and community violence and its relationship to criminal justice.