Katie Wells is a Program Manager for the North America Regional Hub of the Strong Cities Network, responsible for prevention training, guidance and support to mayors, city council members and senior city officials from small and mid-sized cities across the United States. Through an innovative partnership with the National League of Cities, Katie works with city leaders to better understand and identify targeted violence and related threats, needs and vulnerabilities in their communities, and to operationalize a public health approach to prevent and respond to them. Prior to joining Strong Cities, Katie served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Andy Berke, Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she helped coordinate the response to a violent extremist attack and led the Council Against Hate, aimed at understanding and addressing the factors that lead to hate, extremism and polarization.