Keisha Boatswain

Keisha Boatswain is a non-profit executive with over 20 of years experience in education and social service-based environments. She holds a proven and successful record of accomplishment in program management and community engagement.

As the Executive Director of the Coney Island Anti-Violence Collaborative (CIAVC), Ms. Boatswain remains committed to developing programs that empower communities to improve their conditions. CIAVC is a coalition of Coney Island residents, non-profit organizations, businesses, schools, elected officials, and other stakeholders who have come together to address the issue of gun violence. She has hosted dozens of events which target the core of violence within a community, encompassing one common theme — trauma. Trauma-informed services are at the root of her work, and her mission is to bring awareness to trauma-informed care to those directly affected.

Ms. Boatswain is dedicated to the Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence and works to develop plans for collective action toward a safer, informed, and united Coney Island. She recently participated with CIAVC in an annual three-day Anti-Violence Academy for teenagers and young adults. A major part of the training focused on helping the 13- to 19-year-old participants recognize the triggers, trauma or PTSD they face in their daily lives.

Ms. Boatswain earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Morris Brown College and a Master of Public Administration Degree from the City University of New York. A lifelong learner, Ms. Boatswain returned to school to earn a MS. Ed. in Educational Leadership, and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in pursuit of her Ed.D.

Ms. Boatswain enjoys traveling, gardening and reading in her free time. She dreams of restoring a 1973 Mercury Cougar convertible.