This community engagement leader is joining our team to build and coach Chicago Documenters.

By Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel

Portrait taken by Caroline Olsen

We’re so excited to welcome Tristion to the team as City Bureau’s new Chicago Documenters Program Manager!

With a background that spans business relations to gun violence prevention, Tristion has always been drawn to work that’s mission-driven and rooted in community. Based in Chicago, he also brings his lived experience as a church kid and a strong foundation in trauma-informed philosophies to his work in program development and mentorship.

We asked Tristion to share more about his experiences, background, and what he’s bringing to the role. Here are a few highlights from our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO CHICAGO, THE CITY YOU CALL HOME.

I was born in Oak Park and lived on the Far South Side, in the south suburbs, for most of my life. I was a church baby, and I didn't even realize that going to church three or four times a week wasn’t the norm. My home churches spanned from 38th to 71st street. The church was where the wealth of my friends were, the wealth of my connections were. So, I felt deeply connected to the city growing up, even though I was raised in the suburbs. Those experiences really sparked my passion for the South Side and how much I love the South Side. 

YOU PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN SALES AND BUSINESS RELATIONS. WHAT ENCOURAGED YOUR PIVOT TO A MORE COMMUNITY-ORIENTED PATH? 

I’ve always had a heart for people and care for people, but I didn't necessarily think I wanted to center that when it came to my work. A turning point for me came when I was working in pharmaceutical sales as a business relationship manager—which is pretty much a fancy title that means building relationships with doctors so they will write more scripts. My experiences there changed my trajectory and made me realize I couldn’t keep doing work I didn’t believe in just for the paycheck. I left that job without a backup plan. After a small break, I knew I wanted to get into nonprofit work and I ended up taking a role at READI Chicago, which was at the time the most data-driven gun violence prevention program in existence. That already had my ears perked up. 

At READI, I went on to be a senior coach and learned so much about trauma-informed philosophies and working with people impacted by the justice system. It shifted my perspective about what it means to serve people. I thought that I was coming in with all these answers about “how you can improve your lives.” Then I got there and I quickly realized that I had so much to learn about my own thoughts, beliefs and the way trauma impacts the way we perceive the world. I was able to be in a space to work with Black and brown men finding ways to build the lives they envisioned for themselves all while shedding the past and the narratives that no longer served them. I am truly grateful for the experience. 

WHAT DREW YOU TO CITY BUREAU AND THE DOCUMENTERS NETWORK? 

Coincidentally, my panel interview happened the day after Trump was elected. In a sense, all the way up to where I was interviewing, I just kept thinking about how people around me were feeling disconnected from democracy. I see so much power in the voice of the people, and I feel like oftentimes the voice of the people goes unheard because of our belief that it doesn't matter. So City Bureau’s mission—to equip and inform people to engage with their local government in a way that is tangible—is already something that aligns with my spirit. I felt this role was something I could do really well. There's also this small coaching aspect of my role that I still get to keep which I am excited about. Being able to pay people who are civically curious to get involved in their local government is exciting. I like to think of it as paying people to hold power accountable, which is a key pillar of democracy. I believe that people power is the way democracies survive, not only survive, but thrive. I see City Bureau and all the Documenters sites at the forefront of people centered civic engagement and that makes me proud to be a part of this team. 

HOW DO YOU APPROACH YOUR WORK AS THE CHICAGO DOCUMENTERS PROGRAM MANAGER?

I like to believe that I lead with a listen-first mentality. I just feel like there's a wealth of knowledge I picked up at READI that I’ve brought here to City Bureau. That’s why it exists and the people that work here, the people that worked here before, have been committed. So I just try to listen and learn as much as I can. That's the first thing I want to do. And then I want to be reflective on what I listen to — to not only hear what people say, but actually reflect to make sure that I understand the sentiments of it. Ultimately, my goal is to approach the work in an equitable way. I want to make democracy feel reachable and tangible for all people even if people don't recognize that or don't feel like they should be a part of democracy. There are a lot of people who felt it didn't matter who they voted for in the presidential election, that it doesn't matter if they vote for their alderman because it’s already in the system. I want to challenge that belief and help people to know that they, too, have the power to change their outcomes.

HOW DO YOU STAY GROUNDED IN YOUR WORK?

One way I stay grounded is maintaining connections to coaching and other aspects of being on the ground with Documenters. I think it helps me stay grounded in the original purpose and the bigger mission. I care about community, so consistently being involved in community efforts in and outside of City Bureau helps me stay focused on why this work matters.

To connect with Tristion, feel free to reach out at tristion@citybureau.org.