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Our Safe Community Project Leadership Team

Safe Community Project utilizes an advisory council to ensure we gain expert advice on a wealth of resilienct, command, and government related issues. Our commitment to community cannnot be successful without the input of people who have held leadership positions in urban first responder, medical, or academic positions.

Leadership Team

David Barrett

Executive Director, Commander
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Harout “Harry” Semerdjian

Director of Government Affairs
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Cameron Barrett

Education and Engagement Director
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David Yamahata

Director
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Steven Owens

Director
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William Whitney

Director
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Select past directors

The Safe Community Project & MySafe:LA

2017 - 2019

John Drake

LAFD Assistant Chief

2009 – 2017

Dean Cathey

LAFD Assistant Chief (ret)

2009 – 2015

Margaret Stewart

LAFD Firefighter

2011 – 2014

Jayson Johnson

LAFD Firefighter/Paramedic

2011 – 2014

Wayne Johnson

LAFD Captain I (ret)

2009 - 2012

Michael Thomas

LAFD Battalion Chief (ret)

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The Safe Community Project is a California 501 (c) (3) public benefit charity. We're managed by a public-safety oriented board of directors (and advisors) including active and retired fire officers, medical, educational and media experts. Our work is helping people to be more resilient.

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©2008 - 2021 The Safe Community Project , all rights reserved, except where noted The Safe Community Project is a U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 27-0967511. MySafe:LA is a unit operating within the Safe Community Project charity umbrella.

David Barrett

Executive Director, Commander

David Barrett brings three decades of senior management experience to The Safe Community Project. Raised in a motion picture household, David has earned nearly 100 awards and honors for film and video production. His projects have taken him around the world, and he continues to work closely with film and media productions. David was the founder of one of the most successful software publishers for the Amiga Computer, including the world renowned VideoScape 3D, now known as Lightwave 3D. He worked closely with Applefor 28 years, including authoring of key media-centric training and white papers for new technologies, as well as working to create a new method of editing film, using personal computers. His work with Apple’s QuickTime, SuperMac, Radius, and Adobe‘s video products helped create a new industry.

David has worked within the fire service for 19 years, including collaborations with the Los Angeles Fire Department for 16 years. He has developed training materials, web content, videos, developed live drills with firefighters and children, as well as co-founding The Safe Community Project, along with its public safety unit MySafe:LA.

His responsibilities with The Safe Community Project include strategic development, creating new programs and relationships, management and performance of grant programs, and collaboration with key partners. His focus is on changing the way people behave relative to public and personal safety. David speaks at multiple events around the country on the topic of fire prevention and disaster resilience.

David graduated from Immaculate Heart College with a Bachelors of Music, and has multiple certificates in incident command, emergency medicine, and media. He is married and lives in Orange County, California.

Harout “Harry” Semerdjian

Director of Government Affairs

Harout Harry Semerdjian has been a valued member of The Safe Community Project since March 2016. Harout is currently the organization’s Director of Government Affairs, working with elected officials throughout California to share our mission and progress. Harout has also served as a Campaign Adviser to several city and state election campaigns, and most recently helped secure victory for Professor Raul Bocanegra for California State Assembly, District 39.

Harout’s past positions include Legislative Deputy for the City of Los Angeles, Office of Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, where he focused on public safety, innovation & technology, and human relations. His numerous accomplishments for the City include securing a yearly day in April as Day of Religious Pluralism in the City of Los Angeles.

In 2019, Harout spent considerable time in Washington D.C., working for the Foreign Affairs Committee in Congress, under the leadership of Representative Eliot Engle. His work in the District has provided Harout with a wider scope of expertise, which he is now employing in his work with The Safe Community Project.

He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in modern History and Near Eastern Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an M.A.L.D. in International Law & Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. He has also been a PhD scholar in International Affairs at the University of Oxford, St. Antony’s College.

Cameron Barrett

Education and Engagement Director

Cameron Barrett brings extensive educational, training, and media experience to The Safe Community Project. She has dozens of film and video production awards, as producer, director, camera operator and editor. Her projects have taken her around the world. She has multi-faceted experience in journalism including radio, television and online news (blogs, Audio/Video podcasts), education, as well as online, corporate and for-broadcast production.

Prior to teaching broadcast journalism at both the University of Miamiand the University of Georgia, Cameron spent several years as an on-air news anchor and then news director for an NBC affiliate in New York. She is a partner in a media production company in California with expertise in film, web, and software development.

Her role with The Safe Community Project includes oversight and development of educational content, and with engagement with third party clients who require emergency operations plans, learning management platform support, and training.

Working closely with firefighters, educators, subject matter experts in multiple disciplines, Cameron and her crew create most of the video and educational content for MySafe:LA. Cameron qualified as an Emergency Medicine Technician (EMT) in 2010 and is a graduate of Brown University, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts with Honors, as well as a masters of Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University. Outside of her professional activities, Cameron is an active and competitive golfer, not to mention a killer baker (people line up to sample her cakes, cookies, and pies). She is married and is “mom” to a remarkable Labrador named Walter Scott.

David Yamahata

Director

David Yamahata brings 36.5 years of experience as a firefighter and Chief Officer to The Safe Community Project and MySafe:LA. Retiring as Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department (2nd in command), David’s career covered a wide range of expertise. After his initial promotion to Apparatus Operator, he moved quickly through the ranks as Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and finally to the number two spot directly under the Fire Chief. David’s experience includes field operations, dispatch, employee relations, chief of staff, and division command.

David also brings extensive leadership expertise to MySafe:LA. This includes positions with the National Fire Academy, IAFC, LAFD Chief Officer’s Association, LA City Employees Asian American Association, Little Tokyo Public Safety Association, and membership in the LAFD Historical Society. David holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from UCLA and a Master’s Degree in Emergency Services Administration from CSULB.

Steven Owens

Director

Steven Owens served the Los Angeles Fire Department for 32 years, including 22 as a Captain, responsible for his own engine company. During his tenure with the LAFD, Steve was responsible for management, supervision and training of a fire company to provide fire and emergency medical services within a geographical area to include fire prevention (application/enforcement of LA Municipal Code) and community relations activities. Steve spent four years as a Fire Academy Instructor and six years as a Chief Officer Aide/Staff Assistant/Adjutant.

He served as training cadre member for Flashover Simulator, Search and Rescue Operations, Firefighter Survival, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Air Management and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Training teams. In addition to regular assignments, Steve also participated in investigative duties for significant incidents and professional standards.

Prior to joining the LAFD, Steve served for 20 years in the United States Air Force (nine years active and 11 years as a reserve NCO). Steve was responsible for administrative and technical support to air defense groups, airlift wings and supply squadrons. He also provided logistical and staffing support for combat communications squadron and was assigned as Public Affairs Specialist with duties as Wing Historian and was Editor of the military magazine (Vanguard).

Today, Steve acts as the Training Officer for MySafe:LA and The Safe Community Project. This includes collaboration with the organization’s continuing education partner, The UCLA Center for Pre-Hospital Care, the LAFD, and other organizations. Steve attended the University of Maryland, Los Angeles Valley College, Community College of the Air Force and numerous military and LAFD leadership and training academies. He is the Associate Pastor and President of the Church of God in Jesus Christ.

William Whitney

Director

William A. Whitney has been with The Safe Community Project and MySafe:LA since its formation in late 2008. An expert in executive search and public safety, Mr. Whitney has worked in senior management for multiple search agencies in the U.S. and in Singapore. Mr. Whitney holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Puget Sound. A native of California, he is active in the community and been an active leader for the Men’s Garden Club of Los Angeles, has served as a Committee Chair for the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society & Museum, and is a past LAFD CERT Division Coordinator.

He is a past President and current member of the Breakfast Round Table, Past Director of the Central City Association, former Vice President and Trustee of the Los Angeles Children’s Museum, and has also served on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles County March of Dimes, The Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee of the American Business Council in Singapore.

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