Malik S. Nevels Biography

Malik S. Nevels is the Executive Director for the Illinois African-American Coalition for Prevention, a statewide coalition of after school providers, executive directors, advocates, and community activists committed to the development of culturally competent programs, policies, and plans for African Americans by ensuring that prevention, early intervention, and educational resources are available throughout the state of Illinois.

Before joining the ILAACP, Malik was the Youth Initiatives Director for the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention.  In this capacity, Malik was responsible for managing YouthPeace, SisterNet, Peace Leadership Project, and IVPA Youth Advisory Board - a statewide network of innovative youth programs that provide structured opportunities for young people to actively prevent violence and foster peace in their families, schools, and communities.

Prior to joining ICVP, Malik served as the Executive Director of the Duncan YMCA Chernin Center for the Arts, the only arts and education YMCA in the city of Chicago. His responsibilities included managing a $1M+ budget, strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, board development, and operations. Under his leadership, the Duncan YMCA successfully launched the Chernin Center for the Arts Training Academy, providing high quality performing arts education to low-income residents of the city's Near West Side community.

From 1999 to 2002, Malik served as the Director of Youth Development for the Chicago Urban League, the city's oldest civil rights organization. Malik played an instrumental role in designing and implementing innovative, award-winning youth development programming for the League including the Youth Investment Project, Youth Entrepreneur Project, Youth Celebration Day, Youth to Leaders, Summer Internship Institute, and the Grand Boulevard Youth Consortium.  Malik has also worked for a number of publicly elected officials including United States Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr., Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley, and United States Senator Carol Moseley-Braun.

Malik earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois' College of Law at Champaign-Urbana.  During the summer of his second year in law school, Malik traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to study at the University of the Western Cape Law School and clerk for the law firm of Findlay & Tait, the second largest commercial law firm in southern Africa.   Malik also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Certificate in Strategies in Non-Profit Management from the University of Chicago.

Malik is active in various civic organizations and professional associations including Healthy Schools Campaign, Leaders United, Public Allies, 100 Black Men of Chicago, Lugenia Burns Hope Center, Junior Achievement of Chicago, Chicago Council on Urban Affairs, and Tavis Smiley's Youth to Leaders. 

Malik S. Nevels, J.D.
ILAACP Executive Director