Celebrating 10 Years of the Winston-Salem Police Foundation

This past year marked an incredible milestone—the 10th anniversary of the Winston-Salem Police Foundation (WSPF)! Since its founding in 2015, WSPF has been dedicated to supporting Chief Penn’s key initiatives, ensuring vital programs and resources that would otherwise go unfunded receive the support they need.
Over the past decade, WSPF has raised and invested nearly $1 million back into the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and the larger Winston-Salem community. Through our Youth Engagement programs, we’ve assisted nearly 1,000 families, creating brighter futures through education, athletics, and the arts.

In just three years alone—2023-2025—over $675,000 has been invested in strengthening our initiatives, focusing on:
✅ Building trust between police and the community through outreach
✅ Creating hope for children through youth engagement with the Police Athletic League, scholarships, and more!
✅ Supporting WSPD recruitment and retention efforts
✅ Enhancing safety and wellness for our officers
✅ Leveraging technology to reduce crime

Our 2024 progress speaks for itself:
✔️ Net positive growth in WSPD staffing, with 24 new officers added
✔️ A 10% decline in total crime across Winston-Salem

Board of Directors

• Linwood L. Davis, Jr.- President – CEO/Owner, Sylvan Road Partners, LLC
• Katie Grubbs- Vice President – Community Volunteer
• Scott Somerville – Immediate Past President – Community Volunteer (President, Hanes Activewear, retired)
• Quintin Williams, MBA, CTS– Secretary – COO, Debbie’s Staffing
• Nicholas Massaro- Treasurer – Head of Procurement, Inmar Intelligence 
• Barry D. Rountree- Director Emeritus–Retired Chief, Winston-Salem Police Department

 

• Dianne Blixt – Community Volunteer (CFO, Reynolds American, retired)
• Michelle Branson, Director of Nursing, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist 
• Mannetta Braunstein– Community Volunteer
• Chris Geis– Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP
• Justin Gomez– Director, Service Line Marketing, Atrium Health
• Brandi Haymore– Vice President Brand & Culture, WarmHub
• Casey Hough– Regional Advertising Manager, Compass Media
• Brooks Jewett– Wealth Advisor, Hanover Square Wealth Advisors
• Twanda Montgomery– Broker, REALTOR, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
• John Morgan– Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SupplyTrust (Vice Admiral, United States Navy, retired)
• Elisabeth Mulcahy- Assistant Vice President AI Program Delivery, Truliant Federal Credit Union
• Joseph Rose, Senior Quality Engineer, Cook Medical 
• Matt Schooler, M.Ed., LAT, ATC– System Vice President, Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute, Novant Health
• Ellie Shannon– Senior Associate Athletic Director, Administration and Strategic Operations,  Wake Forest University Athletics 
• Nathanael Tarwasakono– Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Allegacy Federal Credit Union
• Nancy Young– Community Volunteer (WSSU, retired)

ex officio

• William Penn – Chief, Winston-Salem Police Department

 

Message from the Chief

I am honored to serve as the 16th Police Chief of the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD). As a native of Winston-Salem, I am proud to serve as a leader in the city that made me who I am. My vision is that the WSPD will become a model agency in its use of innovative technology to supplement quality police work to help solve and deter crime and to create more efficient processes. We will embody the spirit of community policing to foster meaningful community connections and combat social drivers of crime. We will attract and retain people who have a heart for service and collaboration. Finally, we will be dedicated to the career development of our employees so that they will be equipped to succeed in the highest levels of leadership within the Winston-Salem Police Department.

We are fortunate and grateful to be supported by the Winston-Salem Police Foundation. The Winston-Salem Police Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing the capacity of law enforcement proficiency and enables the WSPD to be more effective in reducing crime and increasing public safety. The Winston-Salem Police Foundation supports community outreach efforts of the WSPD that are unable to be funded through the city’s general fund budget. The Winston-Salem Police Foundation encourages community support and understanding, as well as fosters personnel development and well-being.

The Winston-Salem Police Foundation and the WSPD merge our purposes through a partnership that enables us to serve our community in a variety of ways. For example, members of the Police Department were able to interact with and mentor about 70 children in the community through the Police Athletic League’s T-ball program. The Police Department has also benefited greatly from Operation Sweet Reads, an outreach initiative where WSPD engages our children in their communities with ice cream and books. This initiative helps to raise the reading skills of our kids to assist with elimination of the preschool to prison pipeline. Additionally, the WSPD interaction through both programs facilitates positive relationships between our youth and our Police Officers.

I ask that you support our collaboration by donating to the Winston-Salem Police Foundation. No amount is too small, and your donation is an investment into making the WSPD an agency that is dedicated to developing the community through citizen outreach and the support of WSPD personnel. With your financial assistance, we can continue to make Winston-Salem a safe and secure community that we all can be proud to call “home”.

Thank you for your support!
William H. Penn Jr.
Chief of Police

 

Note: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section at 888-830-4989.  This license is not an endorsement by the State. 

Tax ID: 47-5289473