Katie Wells is Program Manager for Strong Cities Network North American Hub responsible for prevention training, guidance and support to mayors, city council members and senior city officials from cities across the United States. Through an innovative partnership with the National League of Cities, Katie managed the Prevention Academy US, working with city leaders to better understand and identify targeted violence and related threats, needs and vulnerabilities in their communities and operationalize a public health approach to prevent and respond to them. Prior to joining Strong Cities, Katie served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Andy Berke, Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee where she helped coordinate the response to a violent extremist attack and led the Council Against Hate, aimed at understanding and addressing the factors that lead to hate and polarization.
The Summit unites the public and private sectors, domestic and international, against hate and extremism. Researchers, activists, lawyers, technology experts, political leaders, and more come together, each bringing their unique tools to the fight. Important relationships that were established at the Summit in 2021 have carried forward into working groups with concrete deliverables for 2022 and beyond.
