NATIONWIDE — The National Association of Police Athletic Activities Leagues ushered in new leadership at its recently concluded annual training conference, celebrating a new era for the nation’s largest non-profit youth organization tied to law enforcement.
The Board of Directors selected African American Christopher Hill, National PAL’s immediate past President, to be its new CEO. “I’m honored to accept this role, continuing to lead National PAL through an exciting period of expansion,” Hill said. “We have an amazing story to tell, helping thousands of kids every year in hundreds of PAL chapters, changing young lives, and preventing crime through athletic team building, mentoring, and community service.”
Another African American, Kenny Ragland, National PAL’s first Vice President, was elected President along with the elevation of several new Board members.
“Collectively, as the curators of future humanity, National PAL will create a pathway of success for the millions of America’s youths we serve daily,” said Ragland. “My focus during this two-year tenure will include the enhancement of our organization infrastructure and the creation of a comprehensive strategic plan to increase the organization’s ability to secure unrestricted funding.”
The 79th annual conference ran May 7-May 10 in San Diego and included innovative training sessions on how to strengthen police-youth relations, thoughtful peer-to-peer networking opportunities, and fun-filled events, along with a headline community service project in honor of the late Portia Dawson, a tireless advocate for PAL programs in San Diego. The National PAL conference was an opportunity to reaffirm and re-energize the organization’s decades-long commitment to protecting, mentoring, and guiding young people to positively impact their futures.
Memphis, Tenn., was also announced as the host city for the 80th annual training conference in May 2025.
The next major event for National PAL will be its annual Youth Summit, held this year in Charlotte, N.C., June 26-29, 2024, in collaboration with Hoodie’s House of Hope for Youth, a non-profit charitable organization that seeks to offer the necessary support to enhance the lives of youth and young adults in underserved communities. At the Summit, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will teach youth and adults about the recently launched Know2Protect campaign, which includes National PAL as a founding partner, that seeks to stop online child exploitation.
Interview Opportunities:
- New National PAL CEO Christopher Hill and newly elected President Kenny Ragland can speak about the re-energized organization, its goals for the year, and the mission to expand its chapters from 300 to 500, all in service to youth.
- National PAL leadership to speak on the importance and goals of the upcoming Youth Summit, bringing National PAL youth from chapters across the United States to Charlotte, N.C.
About National PAL
The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Inc. is the largest non-profit youth organization tied to law enforcement, with more than 300 PAL chapters across the United States and the world serving two million youths ages 5-18. National PAL exists to aid in the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by providing mentorship, service, athletics, recreational enrichment, educational opportunities, and resources to PAL Membership Chapters. Its National Mentoring Grant Programs are funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, and the United States Department of Justice. Read more about National PAL here.
For press inquiries, contact Kimberly M. Starks, APR at (404) 717-2502 or kimberly@bluescorpionrm.com
(News media are invited to cover the Youth Summit in Charlotte in June. Journalists planning to attend need to notify the media contact listed here in advance or upon arrival to be best assisted on-site. Opportunities are available for media request interviews with officers, youth, and leadership from their local market.)
