At this month’s Transform Westside Summit, neighbors, partners, and community leaders gathered once again to connect, reflect, and move forward together in the work of restoring Atlanta’s Historic Westside.
The morning opened with a warm welcome from WFF President & CEO John Ahmann, followed by a powerful devotion from Ebony Charley, Founder and Owner of Trinity Financial Management Solutions, and time for fellowship — an important reminder that the strength of this work begins with relationships. The Summit then moved into a focused conversation on public safety with Major Karla Baldini, Zone 1 Commander for the Atlanta Police Department, highlighting how collaboration continues to shape safer, more stable neighborhoods across the Westside.
A Community Rooted in Purpose
This month’s devotion was led by Ebony Charley, a soon-to-be Home on the Westside homeowner. Her story reflects the very heart of the Westside — deeply rooted in faith, commitment, and a personal call to reinvest in community.
Drawing from the story of Nehemiah, Charley connected the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls to the ongoing restoration happening across the Westside today. In doing so, she reframed the Summit itself as part of that work:
“I believe if Nehemiah lived today and he were to gather with his brother and others, it would look and sound much like a Westside Summit meeting.”
Her message underscored a central truth: that restoration is not the work of any one person or organization, but of an entire community — each individual contributing in their own way.
Charley also shared her own journey toward homeownership, made possible through the Home on the Westside program. Her experience reflects the program’s broader mission: ensuring that longtime residents and new homeowners alike have the opportunity to put down roots and thrive.
Following the devotion, John Ahmann expanded on the core pathways of Home on the Westside — homes for sale, homes for rent, and the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund — each designed to support community stability while honoring the history of the neighborhoods. Together, these efforts form a system that prioritizes legacy residents and creates pathways for long-term belonging.
Advancing Safety Through Partnership
The Summit’s featured presentation focused on one of Westside Future Fund’s four original impact areas: safety and security.
John Ahmann reflected on the early days of WFF’s work, when public safety challenges — particularly in neighborhoods like English Avenue and Vine City — were among the most urgent issues facing the community. Over the past decade, sustained collaboration with the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta Police Foundation has helped drive meaningful progress, including the presence of more than 25 officers now living within historic Westside neighborhoods.
This month’s featured speaker, Major Karla Baldini, Zone 1 Commander for the Atlanta Police Department, brought both experience and perspective to the conversation. Having served with APD since 2005, she emphasized the importance of relationship-building and long-term commitment to the communities she serves.
“I keep coming back here,” she remarked. “It’s like a magnet… I love the ability to see the actual transformation take place and develop these relationships with [the WFF] team and the community.”
Major Baldini provided an overview of current public safety trends, noting that while crime across the city has decreased overall, Zone 1 experienced an increase in 2025 — particularly in aggravated assaults and robberies. In response, her team is focused on targeted strategies to reduce violent crime while continuing to address the everyday concerns that impact residents’ quality of life.
“Things that affect people’s daily lives might not affect overall crime numbers. I have to have a balanced approach to targeting violent crime and quality of life issues.”
Addressing Root Causes, Together
A key theme throughout the conversation was the importance of addressing the underlying factors that contribute to instability — from blighted properties to housing insecurity to mental health challenges.
Major Baldini emphasized that long-term change requires more than traditional enforcement alone: “From APD’s standpoint, and just from a human standpoint, there’s no way that we can arrest ourselves out of these long-term deep root cause issues.”
Instead, she highlighted the role of alternative pathways, including diversion programs, outreach partnerships, and community-based resources that help connect individuals to support rather than defaulting to arrest.
The Role of Community in Building Safer Neighborhoods
Throughout the discussion, one message remained clear: lasting safety is built through partnership.
Major Baldini pointed to the critical role that residents, organizations, and local stakeholders play in supporting public safety efforts — from maintaining open lines of communication to working together on shared challenges like blighted properties and neighborhood stability.
She also emphasized the importance of trust and accessibility, encouraging community members to engage directly with officers living in their neighborhoods: “The presence is strong and the presence is important for a couple reasons. One, it provides safety, just a visible deterrent. But two, they’re engaged in the community.”
This presence — both visible and relational — continues to be a cornerstone of progress across the Westside.
Major Baldini addressed a range of questions from audience members on topics including night patrols, APD’s response to ICE, the support zone 1 receives from other APD teams, potential understaffing issues, and what to expect when the World Cup comes.
As the Summit concluded, John Ahmann extended gratitude to both Major Baldini for her leadership and partnership, and to Ebony Charley for grounding the morning in purpose and perspective.
Together, their messages captured the essence of the work ahead: that restoring the Westside is not simply about rebuilding structures, but about strengthening the systems, relationships, and shared commitments that make communities whole.
Missed the event? Watch the full March Transform Westside Summit on YouTube.