Tyrina Newkirk joined the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation as Program Officer in 2021 to manage the organization’s growing grant portfolio from the grant application process all the way through evaluation of social impact. She will be a point of contact for community partners and provide direct support to the Executive Director, contract project managers and the Grant Committee.
For more than a decade, Tyrina has dedicated her career to restoring equity for marginalized communities and fighting for social justice. Prior to joining the IEJF, Tyrina was the Community Programs Manager at Susan G. Komen – Chicago where she was responsible for grant management, community partnerships and the advocacy arm of the organization. Over the years, Tyrina has worked at various non-profit organizations dedicated to providing access to college persistence programs for youth in-need, behavioral services to adults with co-occurring disorders, and substance use treatment services. She has been on the front lines of many social justice issues often providing direct services to high-risk populations.
Outside of work, Tyrina serves as the Health Committee Chair for the NAACP Westside Chapter and volunteers for the office of her State Representative.
Tyrina Newkirk received her Bachelor’s degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. She later earned her Master’s degree in Social Work and her Master’s degree in Public Health concurrently at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Tyrina is native to Chicago’s westside and continues to reside there with her family today.