Dena Dickerson

Dena is a native of Alabama, after being sentenced to 114 years and returning home in 2012, having transformed herself and with a vision, she was determined to make a difference. Dena’s pain had turned into purpose. She was ready to be a part of the solution. Using her voice, Dena understands that her journey and the hardships of life prepared her for her life’s work, serving and standing in the gap for those that are harmed by institutional structures that need rebuilding. 

She is a founding member of the Offender Alumni Association (OAA) circa 2014. Dena served as a volunteer for 7 years in various organizations capacities prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer. Her vision birthed the youth program “Heroes in the Hood” circa 2017 and influence led to OAA’s expansion to the state of Georgia and its cooperative relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia. Dena was also instrumental in OAA becoming a partner with the Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative. Additionally, she was assigned to the Federal Reentry Task Force for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Northern Alabama. 

In 2018, Dena was selected as a Reentry Research Intern at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. In 2022, She became the Outreach Coordinator for the Alabama Prison Art and Education (APAEP). Currently, Dena is an active participant with the violence intervention and prevention initiative (a partnership with Jefferson County Health Department, UAB Hospital, and the City of Birmingham). She was appointed by Mayor Randall Woodfin to serve on the Public Safety Committee for the City of Birmingham. As a testament to her tireless work, Dena will receive an honorary humanitarian doctorate from the Global Alliance at Morehouse College in June 2024. 

Seeing people is her biggest gift and Dena aspires to rebuild people and help restore communities by exposing people to their self-worth, through unconditional love.