BOSTON — Governor Maura T. Healey and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell appointed Reverend Clyde Talley and Deborah Hall to serve on the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. 

 

Reverend Talley is a joint appointee by the Governor and Attorney General. Hall is a joint appointee who was nominated by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. The POST Commission was established in 2020 to help improve policing and enhance public confidence in law enforcement. 

 

"The members of the POST Commission have a critical role to play in building public trust in law enforcement," said Governor Healey. "Over the last three years, the commission has taken important steps to improve public safety, transparency and accountable, and Attorney General Campbell and I are confident that the appointments of Reverend Clyde Talley and Deborah Hall will help build on that progress. They bring unique expertise and a commitment to justice to the commission that will be influential in their efforts to make Massachusetts a safer and more equitable place for us all." 

 

The POST Commission is responsible for the certification process for Massachusetts police officers, including decertification, suspension of certification, or reprimand in the event of certain police misconduct. They are also responsible for investigating police misconduct complaints, including those that concern improper use of force and biased policing, and training for all peace officers in the Commonwealth.  

 

"I am grateful to Governor Healey and Attorney General Campbell for giving me the opportunity to join the POST Commission. It's clear that over the past three years the commission has laid the foundations for strengthening accountability and trust in law enforcement, and I'm eager to continue building on that work," said Reverend Talley.   

 

Reverend Talley is currently Senior Pastor of Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church. He is also serves as President & CEO of Yes We Care, Inc., Governor for Board of Governors for National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives (NANOE),?Governor's Black Empowerment Council, Attorney General's Advisory Council on Racial Justice and Equity,?and has served as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Board of Directors of Early Childhood Centers (ECC) in Springfield where under his leadership, ECC built a new 4.5 million-dollar facility.?Rev. Talley is an award-winning speaker and has dedicated his career to working directly with his community. 

 

"I am honored to have the opportunity to better our system and help make it a safer experience for our victims, survivors and our law enforcement community," said Hall. "With the leadership of Governor Healey and Attorney General Campbell, I am excited to work on the POST commission to deliver accountability to our Commonwealth." 

 

Hall is CEO of YWCA Central MA. She has over 35 years of experience working with survivors of domestic violence and addressing the intersection of race, gender, and community violence. She is a frequent speaker on gendered violence and violence in the lives of Black women. She has served in leadership positions for several programs throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Missouri addressing issues of homelessness, violence, and substance abuse. Prior to moving to Massachusetts, Deborah worked for the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office and Jackson County District Attorney's Office in Kansas City, MO where she oversaw client services for Drug Court. She has served on the boards of Worcester Business Improvement District, Jane Doe, Inc., and Worcester Education Collaborative. She currently serves on the board of Mass Humanities, American Antiquarian Society, and is a member of Central MA Housing CoC Advisory Board. She is the founder of the Worcester Black History Project. 

 

Deborah holds a BS in Political Science and African American Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and a MS in Nonprofit Management from Worcester State University.