Meet our Community Advisory Board

Jerry Norris, founder and CEO of The Fledge in Lansing, Michigan, is a community leader and mathematician dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities. Through The Fledge, he fosters innovation, collaboration, and equity, addressing basic needs, entrepreneurship, and social justice. 

Why I Joined the Advisory Board:

1. To Bring Community Perspectives: My work at The Fledge has provided me with unique insights into the lived experiences of individuals and families affected by systemic challenges like gun violence. I want to bring those voices to the table to shape effective solutions.
2. To Foster Collaboration: I believe that tackling youth gun violence requires innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches. By joining the advisory board, I hope to build bridges between academic research, community resources, and grassroots efforts.
3. To Drive Actionable Solutions: My commitment to radical inclusion and harm reduction aligns with the advisory board’s mission. I aim to contribute to strategies that not only address the symptoms of violence but also empower youth and communities to build safer, more equitable futures.

Martel Smith is a dedicated and highly skilled professional with extensive experience in juvenile justice, social work, and community service. Currently serving as a Senior Juvenile Court Officer in the 30th Judicial Circuit Court – Family Division, Martel specializes in supervising high-risk youth, developing case plans, and providing therapeutic interventions. He has a proven ability to foster collaboration with diverse community agencies and stakeholders to improve outcomes for youth and families. Martel holds a Master of Social Work from Michigan State University and a Bachelor's in Criminology from Eastern Michigan University. He is certified in several crisis intervention techniques and is deeply involved in volunteer and guest speaking roles, focusing on youth development and gang culture. Recognized for his exceptional work ethic, Martel earned the Ingham County Michigan Juvenile Detention Association Child Care Worker of the Year award in 2017 and Peckham’s Juvenile Court Officer of the Year award in 2024.

A Lifelong learner, parent, and community member, of the Greater Lansing area since 2001. The second eldest, born to the epitome of resilience—an unwed, teen mom of five, who at just 16, began independently navigating deeply rooted systems of poverty and oppression from the northwest side of Detroit, MI. The first of the family to beat the odds, with a BA in English

Literature minoring in Family Child Ecology from MSU. Along with teacher licensure, received a MA in Secondary Teacher Education and Curriculum Design, and later, a second MA Ed in Instructional Leadership with a certification in K12 administration. Teaching and leading PK-12 schools and post secondary institutions for adult practitioners of the field has been a passion for greater than 20 years. Today, I serve as an instructional leader and administrator at a Lansing area high school.  

—To read is to be free. Literacy empowers liberation.

I’ve experienced firsthand how the health of a community directly impacts the health of its inhabitants. Schools/districts  are a direct reflection of the communities that they are embedded in. It is our collective responsibility to create spaces where students, our most vulnerable resource and our greatest assets, are at the center of data-driven decisions and policies. This project not only identifies cycles of violence but also pursues the shared responsibility to understand and disrupt cycles of violence and the tradition of disjointed efforts that have accompanied them for too long. CAB members participate in deeply reflective processes grounded by the thoughts, experience, and voice of our civic leaders of tomorrow!

Maya Manuel is a graduate of Michigan State University, she earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology with Minors in Law, Justice & Public Policy, and Youth & Society. She is an Organizer and Program Director with End Gun Violence Michigan, where she leads community education initiatives and relational organizing efforts to prevent gun violence. As a local to the Lansing

area, her work is rooted in addressing the systemic disparities that have contributed to violence in her community. Some of her efforts include organizing exhibits like the Soul Box Project, which honors victims of gun violence while raising awareness. Or utilizing relational organizing to

reach others with resources necessary to succeed. She is dedicated to empowering her community and hopes to create meaningful change through collaboration and education.