LaShawn Johns is a Washington, DC native and trusted community leader advancing Restorative Park Engagement at Anacostia Park. Drawing from personal experiences with the impacts of drugs, incarceration, and gun violence on loved ones, she designs programs that support high-risk youth and families while fostering resilience, belonging, and hope. LaShawn plays a key leadership role with Friends of Anacostia Park (FoAP), helping guide the Friends Corps workforce program and supporting partnerships as well as community and youth engagement initiatives. In 2019, she founded Creating Safe Space, an initiative dedicated to cultivating supportive environments where young people feel seen, valued, and empowered. With deep roots in the city and strong social capital across the DMV, she builds authentic relationships that connect residents, organizations, and public partners around community well-being. A graduate of DC Peace Academy Cohort 4 and an Urban Conservation Fellow with The Conservation Fund, LaShawn combines training in conflict resolution, community engagement, and conservation with lived experience, making her a powerful advocate for parks as spaces of healing, growth, and community renewal.