Willie Pearl Evans

Driven public health professional with expertise designing and implementing community-based health promotion and educational programs with a proven track record of effective community engagement as well as experience working with state agency partners and various community groups to improve our state's overdose prevention efforts.

• Safe States, Anti-Racism and Health Equity Work Group, 02/2022, Present, Participate as core leadership team member on the national Work Group tasked with elevating the field of injury and violence prevention (IVP) through an anti-racism and health equity lens by moving a diverse community of members and partners in a unified approach toward achieving equitable opportunities and positive health outcomes for communities overburdened by violence, overdose, and injuries.Engage in open discussions on a variety of cross-cutting topics to build awareness and dialogue internally and externally.Make recommendations for strategic opportunities to incorporate an equity framework in IVP program and policy activities.Identify opportunities for collaboration across a variety of agencies, organizations, and institutions committed to equitable systems change.
• Steve Rummler Hope Network, Board Member, 09/2020, Present, Provide leadership, governance, and oversight by developing and implementing SRHN strategic plan; reviewing outcomes and metrics created by SRHN for evaluating its impact; and regularly measuring its performance effectiveness using those metrics.Approve SRHN annual budget, audit reports, and material business decisions, being informed of, and meeting all, legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
• Healing Together Advisory Council, 09/2020, 05/2021, Advised Steve Rummler Hope Network staff on approaches to increase naloxone outreach and engagement strategies to reach communities disproportionately impacted by the overdose crisis.Increased engagement with Black led community organizations by 40%.
• Opioid Emergency Response Advisory Council, 09/2019, 05/2020, Led and championed the Health Equity Subcommittee of the Opioid Emergency Response Advisory Council to lead reforms that ensure equitable access to culturally responsive substance use disorder treatment.Served on the RFP review team. Advised and recommended specific projects and initiatives for funding through Minnesota's opioid epidemic response fund.

• Strengthening Partnerships with State Public Health and Increasing Stakeholders' Knowledge by Identifying Underreporting of Somali Overdose Deaths Through Overdose Fatality Reviews, Annual Conference of the Institute for Intergovernmental Research in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Comprehensive, Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program: Overdose Fatality Review National Forum (2023), Arlington, VA
• Utilizing Multisector Partnerships to Mobilize Peer Recovery Support in Minnesota, Annual Conference of the Institute for Intergovernmental Research in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Comprehensive, Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program: Championing the Power of Recovery and Hope (2023), Arlington, VA
• Overdose Fatality Reviews: A Person-Centered Community Approach to Prevention, Annual Conference of the Minnesota Public Health Association. Together, For Planet, and Community (2022), Virtual Event
• North Minneapolis Community Forum, Hosted by Encouraging Leaders (October 2023), Minneapolis, MN
• African American Community Engagement Session, Hosted by Minnesota Office of Addiction and Recovery (December 2023), Minneapolis, MN