By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
CHOOSE 180, a nonprofit organization in King County that advocates to transform the juvenile and criminal legal systems while supporting impacted young people through restorative diversion and prevention programs, recently announced the selection of Nneka Payne as its new executive director.
According to CHOOSE 180’s board of directors, Payne is a relationship-focused and mission-driven leader, who has a dynamic background spanning a decade across community-based organizations, human services and the legal system. Given her firsthand experiences with the King County juvenile legal system, CHOOSE 180’s mission is deeply personal for her, as she witnessed, through her career as a paralegal, how the strain between systems, processes and people created significant gaps and limited opportunities.
“The Board of Directors is thrilled that Nneka Payne has accepted this position. She brings a unique blend of values-alignment, compelling leadership and subject matter expertise, and a passionate commitment to CHOOSE 180’s mission and vision,” said Kia Franklin, chair of CHOOSE 180’s Board of Directors.
A product of South King County, Payne was a highly recruited basketball player going into college. She finished her college career with a bachelor’s degree in human services and a master’s in education with emphasis on curriculum and instruction for higher education.
According to Payne, the work of Choose 180 resonated with her because of her personal experience with the criminal justice system growing up in the Seattle area.
“CHOOSE 180 is deeply personal for me,” says Payne. “When I was young, 11 years old and 16 years old, I faced the juvenile criminal legal system and back then there wasn’t a CHOOSE 180, there wasn’t this type of pathway or resources that advocated for me and so its deeply personal for me.”
“I am really passionate about young people and education,” adds Payne. “And not just education in an academic sense but that hands on experience, vocational skills, all the ways that we can enhance opportunities for children and young people.”
Founded in 2011, CHOOSE 180 is a community-centered effort in partnership with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to impact racial disproportionality, keep youth out of the juvenile criminal legal system and break the school-to-prison pipeline.
The organization offers a list of programs and resources for youth as they work to enhance their futures, including:
• Diversion
• Aftercare
• School-Based Diversion
• Internships
• Counseling & Expressive Arts Therapy
• Advocacy
• CHOOSE Freedom & Gun Violence Prevention
• Teaching & Advancement
• Restorative Community Pathways
According to their website, CHOOSE 180 provides school-based diversion programming in 10 middle and high schools so that students at risk of suspension or expulsion have access to resources and mentorship to stay in school. CHOOSE 180 has two mental health therapists on staff to support young people through offerings of traditional therapy and expressive arts therapy. These take place one-on-one or in peer groups and can be in-person or virtual to meet the needs of the participant.
In addition, through CHOOSE 180’s diversion program more than 90% of the young people served do not engage with the criminal legal system within the 12 months the organization supports them. CHOOSE 180 builds relationships with young people as well as the community to find out what their needs and goals are, then connects them with the programs that best serve them: from school-based diversion to counseling to violence prevention.
I consider myself a relationship focused individual,” says Payne. “I believe strongly in the power of the collective, that’s rooted in playing basketball and team sports my whole life, understanding that you take a look at some of the greatest feats in life they were never accomplished by one individual, there was always someone holding them up, so I really believe in the collective and the power of the community.”
“I am really excited about providing that lens in my new role and continue to work with Choose 180 crew, our young people, our community and keep it going,” continued Payne. “I truly believe that young people are untapped potential for our next generation, and I love that and there is no other way that I would want it than to be a part of an agency that leans into some of my core values.”