Quiwana Bell
Assistant Secretary
IDHS Assistant Secretary Quiwana Bell is the former Chief Development and Chief Operating Officer for the Westside Health Authority. Westside Health Authority (WHA) is a non-profit community development organization serving the residents of the west side communities of Austin, East and West Garfield Park and Lawndale for over 35 years.
Over her 17+ years of service at WHA, she helped guide WHA to an organization that today serves more than 15,000 residents annually through program offerings across 5 social service areas including: re-entry, workforce development, youth development, community crisis intervention, and violence prevention.
Under her vision and leadership, WHA grew to also serve as an important economic development engine in the Austin community with real estate development and beautification projects that have provided restoration to long-time blighted areas while securing millions in contracts to local contractors. In 2022, she led the development efforts for the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, which repurposes the shuttered CPS Emmet elementary School into a 37,000 sq ft mixed-use workforce development and advanced skills manufacturing training center for youth and unemployed adults located in the Austin community.
Quiwana began her service at WHA in 2004 as a volunteer while still working as an Institutional Investment Manager. She has a bachelor's degree in accounting and an MBA in Finance from Florida A&M University and has worked in several areas of financial services including public accounting, investment banking, and asset management.
Quiwana formerly served as the board chair for the Illinois Department of Human Services- Social Services Advisory Committee.
Kari Branham
Administrator of Research, Evaluation, & Innovation
Since 1993, Kari Branham has been a key member of the Illinois Department of Human Services, focusing on the public social sector. Her expertise lies in monitoring and setting benchmarks for workload, staffing, and productivity, along with spearheading initiatives for program and process enhancements. Over her three decades at IDHS, Kari has taken on multiple administrative positions, including the last two years as Senior Projects Administrator. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in organizing and executing program activities vital for the successful implementation of the Reimagine Public Safety Act. Kari's professional development includes certifications like Conflict Resolution/Mediation Skills Training from Northwestern University, and she's a two-time recipient of the Social Security Administration Disability Program national awards.
Kevin Brown
Senior Policy Advisor
Kevin Brown is the IDHS - OFVP Senior Policy Advisor and has a rich and diverse background in violence prevention, policy, education, workforce development, and training. He most recently serviced as the Senior Director of External Affairs and Community Partnerships at the Safer Foundation (Safer). At Safer, Brown managed a team of experts developing criminal justice public policy and legislative reforms for people impacted by the criminal legal system. Prior to that role, he serviced for eight years as the Community Services Division Manager at the City of Evanston where he helped build a coalition of community-based agencies, school districts, nonprofits, and private businesses to implement a citywide violence reduction initiative that led to a 200% + decrease in violence, theft, and drug related arrests for 16 to 24 year old's between 2012 and 2018.
Brown received his Juris Doctorate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Western Seminary in Portland, OR, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northwestern University. He is an Executive Board member of the Community Alliance for Better Government (CABG), and volunteers across Chicagoland supporting a wide variety of social justice peace initiatives and organizations.
Reshma Desai
Bureau Chief of Violence Prevention Services
Reshma Desai has over 25 years in the violence prevention field including 20 years in grant administration and program development. She has a Master's in Social Work from the University of Iowa where she implemented sexual violence prevention programming in rural areas. In Chicago, she has worked on the westside in the Little Village, South Lawndale communities as well as at Mt. Sinai hospital managing domestic violence intervention programming. She is committed to a safer, more just and more inclusive society.
