(Washington, DC) – The Police Complaints Board (PCB), the governing body of the Office of Police Complaints (OPC), recently welcomed its newest member, Iris Maria Chavez.  Chavez was sworn in on January 5, 2012, following her appointment by Mayor Vincent Gray and her confirmation by the D.C. Council last fall.

Chavez is the assistant field director at The Education Trust, an organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap that separates students of color and low-income students from their peers.  In her role, she oversees the organization’s field and outreach operations.  Prior to her work at the Education Trust, Chavez served as deputy director for education policy at the League of United Latin American Citizens.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, History, and African Diaspora Studies from Tulane University and a master’s degree in Social Policy from the University of Chicago.

“The PCB is looking forward to working with Ms. Chavez,” said Kurt Vorndran, chair of the Board.  “We will greatly benefit from her leadership and broad experience in policy, legislation, and education.”

Additionally, the four members who previously comprised PCB were reappointed by the Mayor.  Those members include PCB Chairperson Kurt Vorndran, legislative representative for the National Treasury Employees Union; Patrick A. Burke, an assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) currently heading MPD’s Strategic Services Bureau; Karl M. Fraser, associate director at a pharmaceutical company in Rockville, Maryland overseeing clinical oncology research; and Margaret A. Moore, assistant professor in the Administration of Justice Program at the University of the District of Columbia.

For more information on the PCB members and OPC, visit our website at www.policecomplaints.dc.gov.