Remel Terry – President CCPA/NAACP Chicago Westside Branch

Remel Terry is a Chicago-based civic leader, strategist, thought leader, and advocate
whose work sits at the intersection of civic participation, equity, public safety
accountability, community engagement, and systems change. With more than 15 years of experience spanning technical leadership, advocacy, people leadership, program development, case management, and community organizing, she is known for building trust across residents, grassroots organizations, nonprofits, public agencies, and elected officials to move meaningful work forward with clarity, integrity, and purpose. Her leadership is grounded in genuine relationships and a deep belief that communities deserve to be heard, respected, and meaningfully included in the decisions that shape their lives.

She currently serves as President of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and President of the NAACP Chicago Westside Branch, where she became the branch’s first female leader in nearly 20 years. Across these roles, Remel helps shape critical conversations and strategy around civil rights, public safety, civic accountability, and equitable investment in communities that have too often been overlooked. She is widely respected for bringing together community voice, policy awareness, and practical leadership in ways that build both credibility and momentum. Over the years, Remel has partnered with grassroots leaders and institutions alike to confront legislative inequities, economic disinvestment, educational disparities, barriers to affordable housing and healthcare, and failures in systems meant to serve the public. Her record reflects a sustained commitment to advocacy that is both people-centered and results-driven. She has helped lead major public processes tied to Chicago’s police superintendent search and the selection of police oversight leadership, while remaining grounded in community trust, transparency, and accountability.

A respected moderator, speaker, and public voice, Remel brings substance, presence, and authenticity to every room she enters. She has been tapped to lead and moderate public conversations on police accountability, wealth building, and community leadership, and she is especially effective in spaces that require both strategic insight and authentic connection. Her leadership has earned notable recognition, including acknowledgment from the Fred Hampton Scholarship Fund for her work advancing neighborhood revitalization and financial and social equity in Chicago, as well as an official resolution from the Cook County Board of Commissioners, led by the late Commissioner Dr. Dennis Deer, honoring her transformative community engagement across one of the nation’s
largest counties. These recognitions reflect not only her accomplishments, but also the depth of trust, consistency, and care that define her leadership.
Remel earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration with a minor in Business from Lewis University. A proud Westside leader with deep roots in the community she serves, she continues to use her voice, leadership, and relationships to open doors, elevate critical issues, and help build a stronger, more just future for Chicago and beyond.

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