Washington, DC - Today, the Vera Institute of Justice announced that Ed Chung joined the Institute as Vice President of Initiatives. Chung joins a strong and diverse leadership team at Vera. In this role, he will guide programmatic and policy initiatives and work closely with others to bolster Vera’s initiatives and bodies of work.

"I had the opportunity to work with Ed during the Obama Administration, where he led projects focused on building community trust and justice and ending the criminalization of poverty, among others. I got to see firsthand how passionate and insightful Ed is, and I know he will bring that same energy and expertise to his work at Vera,” said Nick Turner, President and Director of the Vera Institute of Justice.

“I am incredibly excited to begin my work with the Vera Institute of Justice,” said Ed Chung. “Vera’s strategic priorities and initiatives center innovative solutions, creating real transformative change in the long run, and I look forward to advancing these goals in my new role.”

Chung brings an impressive policy and practitioner background. He began his career as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and then worked as a federal prosecutor with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Throughout his career, Chung has held roles at the White House, on the Hill, and in the Department of Justice. He has developed substantial knowledge of how to move policy forward, an understanding of the inner workings of the federal government, and an impressive network of connections in peer organizations, government, and philanthropy.

In his most recent role at the Center for American Progress, he designed and launched a new justice program that developed federal and state policies on a wide range of issues including public safety, policing, and reentry. Chung worked closely with partner organizations to support and develop unique projects, including the Clean Slate Initiative, What We Know, a book of policy essays written by formerly and currently incarcerated people focused on reforming the justice system, and the Justice Votes 2020 Presidential Town Hall.

About the Vera Institute of Justice
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and activists working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.