WILMINGTON – Today, End Community Violence Now (ECVN) Delaware, the state of Delaware’s community-based Office of Violence Prevention, announced two new staff hires and an appointment to its board of directors to advance the organization’s ever-growing impact across Delaware. ECVN welcomes Renata B. Kowalczyk to its board of directors, Meya Miller as operations associate, and Danielle Fisher as program associate. 

“We are excited to welcome Renata, Meya, and Danielle to the ECVN team during this meaningful period of growth,” said Lauren Footman, executive director of End Community Violence Now Delaware. “Each brings unique experience and a deep commitment to advancing community-led solutions. Their expertise will help strengthen our coordinated, statewide approach to violence prevention — grounded in equity, sustainability, and measurable outcomes. We’re especially grateful to be expanding our team at a time when the need for thoughtful, well-resourced interventions continues to grow. I look forward to the contributions they will make as we deepen our work across Delaware.”

Renata B. Kowalczyk, the inaugural chief executive officer of the Wilmington Alliance, has joined the ECVN board of directors. Established in 2019, Wilmington Alliance partners with community, civic, and business leaders to prioritize Wilmington’s highest needs to drive economic opportunity and social vitality. Its initiatives address economic mobility in Wilmington’s communities and work to make Wilmington a more beautiful, safer, and thriving city that provides opportunity for all through its programs centered on workforce development, entrepreneur and small business support, and creative placemaking.

“It’s an honor to join the board of End Community Violence Now, especially after having been part of the foundational conversations that helped shape its vision,” said ECVN Board Member Renata B. Kowalczyk. “I appreciate ECVN’s unique role as a public-private partnership that bridges grassroots leadership with strategic investment to advance safety and opportunity across Delaware. As someone who has served as a convener and supporter of violence prevention efforts in Wilmington, I’m excited to continue contributing to this transformative work. I look forward to helping ECVN strengthen the infrastructure, relationships, and collective vision needed to create lasting, community-centered change.”

Prior to becoming a non-profit leader, Renata’s career included leadership roles in several financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of New York, and Merrill Lynch. She also worked as a business consultant for startups and small businesses, as an angel investor for women-owned businesses, and in 2021 she joined RareBreed Ventures VC Fund as a limited partner.

Renata has an M.B.A. from Columbia University, an M.S. in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Baruch College – City University of New York. 

In 2019, the Delaware Business Times named Renata one of the 20 nonprofit leaders to watch in 2020. In 2020, Renata was included in Technical.ly’s list of RealLIST Connectors, “folks working to build their local tech, entrepreneurship and innovation community by linking others.”

 ECVN has announced Meya Miller as the organization’s operations associate where she will focus on building the internal infrastructure needed to support the organization’s expanding portfolio. Her experience in organizational development, process improvement, and strategic planning will enhance ECVN’s ability to effectively coordinate violence prevention efforts across sectors and sustain long-term impact.

ECVN has also welcomed Danielle Fisher as its program officer, where she will lead the development and implementation of ECVN’s grantmaking strategy, coordinate the statewide Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Community of Practice, and support fundraising efforts to strengthen the ecosystem’s growth and long-term sustainability. With a strong background in project management and community-based initiatives, Danielle is well positioned to deepen partnerships and ensure programs remain impactful, community driven, and aligned with statewide needs.

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 End Community Violence Now (ECVN) is the state of Delaware’s community-based Office of Violence Prevention. This public-private partnership seeks to break the cycle of violence through coordinated and sustained investments in evidence-based programs. This includes community engagement and education campaigns, policy advocacy, stakeholder strategy, as well as offering technical assistance and grant-making support to local organizations on the ground doing the difficult, but necessary work. ECVN envisions a future where all Delawareans are safe from the rising threat of gun violence.