Shandha Louis, Director of Engagement & Continuous Improvement, Leads MTPD’s New Community Services Bureau

Metro recently announced new safety initiatives to engage the community and increase Metro Transit Police Department visibility on buses, trains and in stations. The strategy kicked off with MTPD establishing a Community Services Bureau and with that, the hiring of the department’s first civilian in senior leadership, Director Shandha Louis. In her new role, Shandha, who has been described as a “change agent,” will work with schools, neighborhood groups, and mental health advocates to foster a collaborative relationship.

Originally from Boston and a daughter of Haitian immigrants, Shandha recalls her family telling her “education is power” at a young age. She attended Howard University and graduated with a BA in Political Science and Government, at which point she fell in love with Washington, DC. She later attended Georgetown University, where she earned her Executive Master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management; studies designed for experienced leaders to prepare to respond to humanitarian crises.?

Parallel to furthering her education, Shandha spent over a decade working in District of Columbia Public Schools, where she developed partnerships with community-based organizations and built sustainable programs. Every day presented a new challenge, and as Director of Strategy and Logistics, she led operations, emergency management, programs and community engagement. She worked diligently to solve the gap in education and ensure students had a safe place to learn. She led with her heart –?taking time to listen; asking students what they were interested in studying. She learned the importance of building trust and “being present,” eventually creating after-school and summer school programming around the city in Wards 4,6,7 and 8 that focused on literacy, including an academic "power hour." She stressed how important it is to give students tools and accessibility to “unlock their potential and carve their own identities.”?

Another accomplishment was launching several programs throughout DCPS, including Theatre Arts in Ward 4. This program had over 100 students participate in a field trip to New York City to see a Broadway musical they studied and later performed themselves.

Shandha also served as a global ambassador for five years and participated in the Study Abroad program, which grants students the opportunity to travel all over the world (including Africa, China, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean). She recalls that during a trip to Costa Rica with 8th grade students, they visited a local school where mothers were living in a shelter. While on the tour bus back to their hotel, she discovered students were pooling their spending money together to fundraise for those families. They were looking for ways they could help others. She says, “I was a proud educator that day and know that access and exposure to real-world issues awakens our youth to create the change they want to see and be a part of.”?

When considering her next career move, the opportunity to work at Metro, under the leadership of Police Chief Anzallo (appointed earlier this year) was a huge draw. She recalls the moment her heart “smiled” as she accepted the position, which she says was “the easiest yes in my career.”

She added, “Chief Anzallo is a passionate leader that believes in our community and doing whatever it takes to support the people we serve. We speak the same language when it comes to supporting the people that need us most. This opportunity tugged at every heart string because it was an opportunity to strategically and thoughtfully pour into the communities that need us most. Serving our community will always be at the center of what motivates me to be a part of any organization.”

MTPD’s three-pillar approach to invest resources in the community – including youth-focused education, outreach, and wellness – aligned perfectly with Shandha’s interests and background. In her role, she leads?MTPD’s Youth Service Division and she’s currently focused on raising awareness and boosting confidence through a steady flow of community events and programs. Her plan to be “more intentional with how we are present” includes weekly pop-up events at Metro stations to advocate safety initiatives and through partnerships with community resources to assist at-risk youth.

Her work with MTPD’s Youth Service Division will also ensure that at least eight officers are deployed to local schools on a weekly basis to mentor and build relationships with students, and to educate them through assemblies on safety and more. Metro’s Youth Advisory Council meetings will continue to provide a safe space where students can speak their opinions on everyday issues and hear from special guests.?

“Our youth are excited about having their voices heard and hearing from our agency leaders about the journeys they took in their own careers.”

She’s also working on a new anti-harassment public awareness campaign and a response to the mental health crisis among adolescents. A wellness division will offer an additional layer of support for MTPD officers by deploying clinicians and mental health advocates for those in need. The youth programs will provide students with the opportunity to engage, create, reflect, and grow. The focus will be on safety, career/college readiness, mentoring, exploration, and financial literacy.

Shandha was often reminded by her elders and mentors to "pay it forward” to the next generation. That directive has remained a part of her mission, stressing that “we must pay it forward to the next generation with the charge to pour into them what others have been gracious enough to pour into us.”?