About Us

Our Goal

Our goal is to prevent gun violence through research, education and advocacy by energizing the public and government to effectively implement the gun safety laws that can save lives.

To accomplish this, Safer Country is working to:

Ensure prohibited names, particularly people who have committed acts of violence, are entered into the background check system for gun purchases.
Improve the system by which people legally purchase firearms, such as requiring fingerprints at the point of sale, to ensure that buyers have no disqualifying criminal records
Promote the creation and effective implementation of gun crime prevention protection order laws ( a.k.a. extreme risk laws/risk protection order laws – ERPO’s, SRPO’s/red flag laws and other names.)
Seek annual reports from the states on their progress on the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues.

Our Accomplishments

Incorporated in Virginia on February 14, 2019, the first anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stonham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were gunned down, Safer Country has:

Worked with Rep. Gerry Connelly’s (VA-11) office to motivate action on getting the Pentagon to fully participate in the background check system for gun purchases and close a domestic violence loophole in the law.
Held a candlelight vigil to honor Heather Heyer and the victims of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton featuring former Safer Country President Gene Rossi; Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8); Rabbi Jack Moline, Executive Director, Interfaith Alliance; Luis Aguilar, Virginia Director, CASA and Dreamer; Del. Mark Levine (D-45); Del. Charniele Herring (VA-46); Mo Seifeldein, Alexandria City Councilman; Gene Rossi, then-President, Safer Country; and performances by Tamara Wellons & Kinard Cherry, a husband and wife duo. The location was a memorial tree grove in Chinquapin Park, Alexandria, created by then VTV Family Outreach Foundation Executive Director Paul Friedman, with the support of the City of Alexandria and Virginia Tech graduate students in Alexandria, to honor the victims and survivors of the Virginia Tech mass shooting tragedy.
Held a launch party at the home of David Lord and Greg Parks featuring former Alexandria mayor Allison Silberberg; Del. Mark Levine (VA-45); Mike and Kristen Song, the parents of Ethan, a child lost to a gunshot in a neighbor’s home, who passed Ethan’s law in their state to hold homeowners criminally accountable; national pollster Pete Brodnitz, President, Expedition Strategies; and had a performance of the original song, “Duty to Resist” by its co-writer, Dusty Horwitt.
Held a Zoom forum on Virginia’s new substantial risk protective order law featuring Del. Rip Sullivan (VA-48); Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown; Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter; Expert on protection orders, Attorney Rebecca Wade, Wade Grimes Friedman Meinken & Leischner PLLC; Army Colonel (ret.) Mike Jason, Defense Consultant, The Pentagon.
Held a Zoom forum on police use of force featured Safer Country’s Zoom forum on use of force by the police featured Police Chief Michael Brown and Captain Sean Casey of Alexandria, as well as Del. Jay Jones (D-Norfolk), Arlington County Chief Public Defender Brad Haywood, and Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor.

For more info, photos and relevant articles and commentary, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/safercountry – and LIKE us!

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Press Release: Office of Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) “I want to thank Safer Country…”

Domestic Violence Loopholes: Under current law, Military Protective Orders (MPOs) issued by unit commanders in response to domestic violence incidents do not prohibit individuals from purchasing firearms. However, comparable civilian protective orders issued by judges do prohibit such purchases.

Connolly’s amendment, based on his Safe Homefront Act, tasks the Department of Defense with studying the feasibility of creating a database of military protective orders issued in response to domestic violence incidents, and either reporting such orders to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or establishing a process by which military judges, and not unit commanders, could issue protective orders in response to domestic violence.

“Abuse is abuse, and no perpetrator of domestic violence – be they military or civilian – should be able to pass a background check and legally purchase a gun,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11).

“This amendment simply asks DoD to hold servicemembers who break the law to the same standard as their civilian counterparts. I want to thank Safer Country for its help in turning the bipartisan Safe Homefront Act into reality.”

Safer Country is proud to have spurred legislation offered by Congressman Connolly that subsequently passed in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which mandates that the Department of Defense (DoD) do a feasibility study to establish a military protective order database.

This is important because, federal law, “generally prohibits a person who is the subject of a qualifying protection order from possessing a firearm or ammunition that has affected or traveled in interstate or foreign commerce.” 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(8).

In addition, as a result of Congressman Connolly adding an amendment to the House 2020 NDAA, Congress has directed the DoD to take immediate and deliberate action to ensure strict compliance with established DoD standards regarding submission to the FBI of criminal history information for servicemembers.

While not a legal requirement, this is expected to effectively push the DoD to follow its policy to report to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) service members who are prohibited from purchasing firearms.

This is important because, among the very many other instances, the Air Force failed to report the name of the mass shooter who killed 25 people, including a pregnant woman, at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas on November 5, 2017. That allowed the shooter to legally purchase the weapon he used.

Our Leadership

Executive Director

Paul Friedman is the founder and Executive Director of Safer Country, a gun violence prevention non-profit focused on keeping guns out of unsafe hands. He is inspired by the memory of his great aunt, Elizabeth Shulkin, who was shot and killed in Florida on December 1, 1981.

Of note, one of Elizabeth’s brothers, and Paul’s great uncle, the Hon. Sam Friedman, was the subject of the 2017 movie, Marshall, about the criminal defense of Joseph Spell in 1940-41, which had Thurgood Marshall’s input.

Prior to Safer Country, Paul served as Executive Director of the Virginia Tech Victims (VTV) Family Outreach Foundation, during which time he worked with the City of Alexandria and Virginia Tech’s local graduate schools to create a tree grove in Chinquapin Park to honor the victims and survivors of the April 16, 2007 massacre.

Paul graduated with a B.A. in Politics from Brandeis University and a J.D. from New York Law School. In 1987, Paul moved to Washington, DC, worked on Capitol Hill. In 1988, he was a Field Organizer in Iowa for Paul Simon for President (where he had the privilege of informing Sen. Simon that he had received the Des Moines Register endorsement for the Democratic nomination) and an Advance Man for the Dukakis/Bentsen campaign.

In 1990, he was elected Chair of the Ward 6 Democrats and became the PAC Director for Environmental Action, where he wrote that year’s Dirty Dozen. On August 25, 1991, Paul married his lovely wife, Lori, moved to Alexandria. In 1992, Paul successfully managed a state representative campaign in Orlando, Florida and, later, a City Council race in Alexandria.

Paul went on to work as a liaison to the Legal and Financial Community in the DMV for the Development Corporation for Israel and the Director of Development for Save A Child’s Heart, Neediest Kids and Every Child Matters. In 2015, prior to joining VTV, Paul served as Mark Levine’s political consultant in his victorious effort to run for Delegate in Virginia’s 45th District.

Recently, he was elected to serve as the Alternate Delegate from Virginia’s 8th Congressional District for Joe Biden for President to the Democratic National Convention, which was originally to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Board of Directors

Boyd Walker

President

Boyd is a real estate investor who manages his own properties. A political and community activist, Boyd was a Delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and is a former member of the Alexandria Democratic Committee Executive Board.

Laura Mandala

Vice President

As head of Mandala Research, one the world’s leading travel and tourism research firms, Laura evaluates emerging developments in the industry and her firm has pioneered policy changes in the industry, including minority inclusion.

Named one of the 14 Most Influential Women in Group Travel, Laura’s firm has pioneered the “firsts” of many niche studies in the industry.

As well, she has served as an appointee to the State Council on Women by Governor’s Warner and Kaine and as a Board member to the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board under Secretary Penny Pritzker.

Additionally, Laura is founder of Women in Travel and Tourism International, an organization committed to the promotion, support, and advocacy for women’s leadership in the travel industry. Laura is also a former candidate for State Delegate in Virginia’s 45th District and has served two Virginia Governor’s on the State Council on Women.

Vincent Smith

Treasurer

A graduate of Bryan College and Washington & Lee University School of Law, Vincent is a reentry attorney in Northern Virginia. He works with individuals who have criminal convictions and/or charges, helping them overcome the collateral consequences that they face due to their record such as employment challenges, court fines, driver’s license suspensions, etc…

Vincent has a deep appreciation for how the justice system works and the need to ensure that the rights of all individuals are protected. In that light, he wants to ensure that the reporting of convictions of violent crime and domestic violence prohibits individuals from owning, purchasing and possessing firearms while not increasing unnecessary barriers to non-violent individuals seeking to return to and play a positive role in the community.

Lori Friedman

Secretary

Lori is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience in public and private accounting. Since 2009, she has operated her own firm in Alexandria, Virginia.

When Lori isn’t grappling with accounting principles or the Internal Revenue Code, she enjoys life with her husband, Paul, the Executive Director of Safer Country, and the couple’s dog, Sadie.

Paul Friedman

Advisory Committee

Pete Brodnitz

President,
Expedition Strategies

The Hon. Leslie Byrne

Former Congresswoman (VA)

John Capozzi

Former U.S. Statehood Representative (WDC)

Captain Sean Casey

Alexandria Sheriff’s Office

Charlotte Cohn

Theatre Actor/Director/Producer

Ken Cummins

President,
Capitol Inquiry

Michael Epstein

Documentary Filmmaker

Mike Gelb

Former White House Correspondent,
Reuters News Agency

Michael “Misha” Gill

Attorney

Tim Gleeson

Alexandria Undersheriff

Chris Harris

President,
Alexandria Branch,
NAACP

Sandy Horwitt

Author/Documentary Producer

Mike Jason

U.S. Army Colonel (retired), Defense Consultant, Pentagon

Dana Lawhorne

Alexandria Sheriff

Norm Lodato

Gun Violence Widower

David Lord

Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

Maurice Middleberg

Former Executive Director, Free the Slaves

Bryan Porter

Alexandria County Commonwealth’s Attorney

Kate Ranta

Gun Violence Survivor/Author/Activist

Amanda Roberts

Psychologist,
Mount Vernon Counseling Center

Allison Silberberg

Former Alexandria Mayor

Donnie Simpson

President,
Simpson Development Company

Terron Sims II

CEO,
Doug Pollard, LLC

Stacey D. Stewart

President & CEO,
March of Dimes

Shannon Taylor

Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney

Mary Wadland

Publisher,
The Zebra Press

Jason Odell Williams

Playwright/Television Producer