Meet Keenon
A native Prince Georgian, Keenon was raised in a working class family in Fort Washington where he attended Prince George's County Public Schools Rose Valley Elementary School and the former Lord Baltimore, now Isaac J. Gourdine, Middle School. After graduating with honors from Bishop McNamara High School, Keenon received athletic and academic scholarships to North Carolina Wesleyan College (now University) where he played on the men's soccer team and excelled in the classroom. Keenon then decided to continue his family's legacy of attending a historically black college choosing North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
During his years at NCCU, Keenon was an active student-leader. He served as the co-chair of the Political Action Committee for the campus' chapter of the NAACP, Director of Public Relations for the Student Government Association, cadet captain in the Duke-NCCU Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) detachment, and Polemarch (president) of the North Carolina Central University chapter, the Alpha Kappa, of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. He graduated cum laude from NCCU in 2003.
For over two decades, Keenon has dedicated his career to public service. Keenon joined the team at the Pew Charitable Trusts' Public Safety Performance Project to research and implement innovative criminal justice reform legislation with the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. He would later lead a team with the Policing Practices and Accountability Initiative at the United States Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). As deputy director of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association as well as the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Keenon has been at the center of policing practice assessments that led to major policy revisions, community oversight, and legislation to improve how policing is practiced in communities across the country.
His passion and commitment to effecting the lives of those impacted by violent crime is personal. Keenon is a gun violence survivor. His brother, Sean, was shot and killed in Takoma Park, Maryland in 1993. Today, he works hand-in-hand with gun violence survivors across the country advocating for safer neighborhoods, victims' rights, sensible gun laws, and gun violence prevention solutions as the Senior Director of Law Enforcement Engagement at Everytown for Gun Safety.
In addition to being a national leader in criminal justice reform and public safety policy, Keenon is actively involved in local police oversight. A certified practitioner of oversight, Keenon is the vice chairman of the Prince George's County Police Accountability Board. His commitment to democratic ideals and priorities is evidenced by his appointment to serve on the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee representing district 23.
Keenon is a member of several community, philanthropic, and service organizations including the Board of Visitors for Elizabeth City State University, Kappa Youth Development, Incorporated, Upper Marlboro/ Waldorf (MD) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, The AK Foundation, Prince Hall Free Masons, and Bachelor-Benedict Club. Keenon and his wife, Raneene, reside in Upper Marlboro with their daughters.
*Organizational affiliation, job titles, and photographs provided for identification purposes only and not an indication of individual/organizational support or endorsement.
