Community Police Review Board

Austin Grant was born in Richmond, California and adopted by Lamar and Julia Grant when he was one year old when his parents moved him and his sister to Modesto, California. Austin is a supporter of local organizations such as the Men’s Group, Women’s Auxiliary, Y.E.P, Project Uplift, and others. Austin Grant is the recipient of awards including: The Leadership Modesto Class of 2018 and Community and Police Relations Class by Legacy Alliance. He received recognition from the NAACP for obtaining a master’s degree in legal studies. Austin interned with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office and the City of Modesto’s Mayor Ted Brandvold before earning his bachelor’s degree in political science at Fisk University in Nashville, TN.

Austin also holds a Master’s degree in legal studies. Growing up in Modesto, Austin recalls facing prejudice as a child and he also remembers teachers and advisors such as Joanne Means, Graham Tuck, Jesson Wajdowicz, and Ron Weltmer who protected him against discrimination, and for their sacrifice he is forever grateful.

Austin proudly served as President of the Black Student Union at Enoch’s High School, was a member of the varsity basketball team, a volunteer for the Chamber of Commerce archives program and Relief Inc., an after-school tutor, and a winner for the Enoch’s Eagle Character Award for compassion and integrity. Also, as a Black Student Union President, he and his peers headed up the Pencils for Liberia Campaign which collected over 4,000 pencils for needy children in Liberia.

As a newly appointed board member for the Community Police Review Board, Austin, wants to bring change to the area, provide comprehensive police reform which entails an emphasis on mental health services, police accountability, alternative response models, and giving the citizens of Modesto a voice when it comes to the police force. Furthermore, Austin wants to make sure that officers are receiving the proper care and services for their mental and physical wellbeing.

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Brad Hawn is a licensed civil and structural engineer, and for the last twenty-eight years he has been a proud small businessman and employer to Modesto's residents. He was elected to the Modesto City Council in 2003-2011 and was appointed Vice Mayor in 2006. He served as a member of the Safety and Communities committee and Chair of the Economic Development Committee for his entire time on the council. During his time on the council and the years following his council tenure he was the council member/community member assigned to the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Project which created a partnership with Modesto, Ceres and Turlock communities to have treated wastewater delivered to the water Del Puerto Water District to irrigate farms.

Brad served as the Vice Chair of the Citizens Redevelopment Advisory Commission from the late 90’s to 2003.

Brad is a member of Crosspoint Church, Modesto Rotary Club, Former member of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, Central California Art Association, Chair of the Stanislaus Homeless Alliance, President of Modesto Neighborhoods, Inc and former member of the Forward Together Work Group.

Brad is a lifelong resident of Modesto and has been married to his wife Nancy for more than forty-six years. Together they have three children, and six grandchildren all who live in Modesto.

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Frank Damrell is fourth generation Modesto resident who attended Enslen and Rose Avenue Elementary Schools, La Loma Junior High School and graduated from Thomas Downey High School. After graduating from Santa Clara University, Frank returned to Modesto, where he has worked and raised a family for the past 30 years. He has been a licensed broker with Merrill Lynch, Solomon Smith Barney, and vice president with BankAmerica Private Bank. Frank has also been a commercial real estate agent with PMZ. More recently, Frank was the senior district representative for State Senator Cathleen Galgiani, providing constituent services to city and county agencies, business and civic organizations, and individuals throughout the region.

Currently, Frank directs government relations for Peers & Company, a merchant bank, and manages a portfolio of clients concentrated in agriculture, food processing and renewable energy.

In addition to the Citizens Police Review Board, Frank serves on the board and is an officer of SHARE (Stanislaus Homeless Advocacy Resource Enterprise). Frank is also on the board of TeamHydro Foundation, a charitable partner of the Hydrocephalus Association, raising funds for medical research into treatment and potential cures for hydrocephalus. Frank has previously served on numerous committees related to local youth with United Way, Boys & Girls Club of Stanislaus, and Doctors Medical Foundation.

Frank Damrell volunteered for three months in an orphanage in Kolkata, INDIA, under the watchful eye of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity. Frank is a passionate San Francisco 49ers fan who was at Candlestick Park to witness "The Catch." Frank is an avid open water swimmer and has swum from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco every summer for the past ten years. Frank was a candidate for the nonpartisan position of Stanislaus County Supervisor in 2018 and Modesto Irrigation District in 2022. While Frank did not win, he considers the experience of walking many Modesto neighborhoods and talking with individual voters a tremendous perspective into the community.

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Kenneth retired as Battalion Chief from the Modesto Fire Department after 19 years. He is a current member of the Modesto City Firefighters Association International Association of Firefighters Local 1289 serving 12 years as member of the Executive Board and 5 years President. He also worked for the Stanislaus County Fire Department and CalTrans Engineering and Surveying Divisions.

Kenneth has been active in local, state, and international organizations including, Modesto Jaycees (member, 1970-1980); Board of Directors Bel Passi Youth Baseball (member 1972-1980,2 years as President). He weas elected to the California Professional Firefighters Insurance Trust Board of Directors and retired as its President in 2018.

Kenneth currently sits on the Board of Directors for the McHenry Museum and Historical Society. Kenneth was born and raised in Modesto where he attended local schools and Chabot College. He and his wife have resided in Modesto since 1971. They have two adult children and 4 grandchildren.

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Pastor Beasley-Day is an Associate Pastor at Victory In Praise Church of Modesto where she has been serving for 20 years. She worked previously as a social worker with Stanislaus County Adult Services and as an Affordable Housing Compliance Coordinator for LIHTC, HUD, and USDA Rural Development Properties in California. Pastor Beasley-Day continues to be involved in her community as a Community Organizer with Faith in the Valley.

As a proud community advocate, Pastor Beasley-Day serves in the Jewish and Black Community Circle of Belonging which meets monthly to build relationships and discuss issues that have adversely affected both communities. She also advocates for permanent sustainable housing in Modesto and throughout the state of California. Pastor Beasley-Day in collaboration with the NAACP housing chair and various community members have formed the Workforce Housing Coalition and are advocating for workforce housing in the city of Modesto.

Pastor Beasley-Day has an Associate’s Degree in Human Services from College of San Mateo and is currently pursuing Bachelor of Psychology at Grand Canyon University. She has lived in Modesto for 15 years. During her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her three granddaughters and her adult children.

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Nancy Smith is a retired deputy public defender having served Stanislaus County for fifteen years representing low-income Stanislaus residents in criminal law matters.

Nancy is proud to state that her first job after finishing law school in 1975 was in Modesto as a staff attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), a program providing legal services to low-income people in Stanislaus County, in which she worked for 13 years. Nancy also worked as a deputy solicitor for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) in Sacramento for 7 years and as an administrative law judge for the ALRB for 4 years.

Nancy attended the University of California, Santa Cruz and earned her J.D. at the University of California Davis, Martin Luther King Jr. School of Law. She grew up in a large close-knit military family with 6 siblings and moved every two or three years, although most of her time growing up was spent in California. Nancy is married to a fellow retired attorney and has one daughter who lives in Modesto.

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Nico currently serves as Secretary for Modesto’s First Federal Credit Union. Nico completed the Latino Leadership Initiative in 2021 and serves on the Ableworks advisory committee. As an active member of these boards, Nico can fulfill his calling to support bringing financial education to Stanislaus County.

Nico has a passion for a transparent and accountable police force and wanting to establish a greater trust between police and citizens. As a Forward Together Work group member he advocated for these values. Nico also currently sits on the Modesto Bee Editorial Board providing insights on community members perspective on important topics for the region. Lastly, Nico is a co-host for the Better Modesto Show, an entrepreneur and small business owner. 

Nico volunteers his time to spread valuable resources and information to underserved and minority groups as a community advocate. On his free time, he likes to read, workout, and do any outdoor activities. Nico has lived in Modesto for over 25 years and is passionate about serving Modesto to achieve a greater community.

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President & CEO, Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

Trish joined the Modesto Chamber of Commerce team in March of 2018, part time as the Programs and Events Manager. At that time, she was actively enjoying running her own consulting business. She primarily worked with non-profits and specialized in guiding clients on event development and redevelopment, fundraising, marketing, social media management, and website content. 

Trish is proud to sit on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Stanislaus County executive board and the Stanislaus County Partners in Education board. She has been a long-standing honorary member of Kiwanis Club of North Modesto. She has enjoyed many years volunteering on community events and committees such as the Amgen Tours of California and SKUSA Kart races, by being a part of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). Trish has sat on school-based boards such as Beyer Band Boosters, has participated with Team in Training raising money for blood cancer research while completing close to a dozen half marathons as a power walker, and has long been a coordinator of a broadly reaching neighborhood watch group.

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Wendy Byrd is the President of the NAACP Modesto/Stanislaus and currently an independent education consultant specializing in equity and leadership development programs. Wendy worked for Modesto Junior College (MJC) from 2000-2011 as Director of Student Development and Campus Life. She was the Chief Advisor to the Associated Students at MJC before retiring in 2013.

In 1990, she conducted the Modesto Youth Study for the Modesto City Council to find alternatives to cruising in the city following a controversial ban to end a longtime tradition which led to her employment with the City as Teen Service Supervisor for ten years. There she founded the numerous education and recreation programs for at-risk youth including establishing the Youth Recreation Financial Assistance Program. She developed joint use agreements between the City of Modesto and Modesto City Schools to create after school and late-night activities in the schools. She managed and advocated for the renovation of the Maddox Youth Center, as well as worked with the P.A.L. and D.A.R.E. programs to support late night basketball programs. Wendy’s Youth Study encouraged nighttime entertainment for young adults to include concerts at the Modesto Centre Plaza.

Wendy was twice elected president of the Modesto/Stanislaus NAACP (2006-2010 and 2018 – present). Wendy is a founding member of the Education Foundation of Stanislaus County Board of Directors. She is a graduate of Leadership Modesto and former Stanislaus County Equal Rights Commissioner. She served on previous boards including the American Leadership Forum and California Community Colleges Student Affairs Association. She obtained a master’s degree in Behavioral Science from Cameron University, in Oklahoma.

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