Darneicea Day’s Leadership in Reentry and Empowerment in Los Angeles

Dec 02, 2024   |  By Philip Fera

Darneicea Day, Site Director of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Los Angeles location, has journeyed down a winding and resilient road to reach her current position.

A Los Angeles native, Darneicea’s career has continuously grown and evolved. She began as a paralegal, working in various legal fields such as family and immigration law. After her incarceration, she transitioned to human resources, taking a position at a National Security Company. While pursuing her MBA, she got her first taste of leadership when she joined a homeless services organization. There, she advanced from a data-focused role to a leadership position in case management.

While beginning her doctorate program, which she is currently undertaking at Capella University, a DHS in Human Studies and Organizational Leadership, Darneicea sought organizations aligned with her goals. This is when she learned about CEO and its mission of providing employment opportunities for individuals returning from incarceration. With her background in homeless services, Darneicea saw the strong connection between housing and employment, both essential for successful reentry.

"The biggest obstacle to reintegration is housing and employment. So for me, it goes hand in hand,” Darneicea spoke in regards to her homeless services background and how it gave her a leg-up in understanding CEO’s reentry programs. “You need to have housing in order to be able to successfully work, and vice versa.”

As someone who has lived through the struggles many justice-impacted individuals face, Darneicea considers her “superpower” the ability to help others see their worth. While leading a team at CEO, Darneicea felt confident enough to share her experience as a justice-impacted individual openly, and it was at that moment she says she truly found her voice. In the past, Darneicea would hide the fact that she had a felony, but she has since embraced her past with openness to propel her justice-impacted coworkers and program participants forward.

“The Los Angeles team; we are almost all justice-impacted. We really do live our mission here, but that comes with a set of challenges as well. We have passion. But with that passion does come trauma responses. We still struggle with those triggers. We see individuals coming in, and we’re kind of reliving trauma.”

Darneicea highlights several key partnerships that have been instrumental to CEO’s success in supporting reentry in Los Angeles. They include the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Los Angeles City Mayor’s Office Project imPACT program, an employment-focused program for individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Most recently, the Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) awarded a grant that funds cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI) sessions and provides a mental health professional on-site.

“The one thing about CEO LA is that we do really take a holistic approach to being human-centered. Every person that comes through those doors for help we look at individually.”

Looking to the future, Darneicea’s vision is to continue building a comprehensive, supportive community for justice-impacted individuals. Darneicea is focused on increasing CEO’s capacity to serve more participants and spreading awareness of its mission throughout Los Angeles, ensuring that more justice-impacted individuals find paths forward. With the largest jail system in the country, Los Angeles has a tremendous need for reentry services, and Darneicea is committed to meeting that need head-on.

“I was not aware of CEO when I came home. So, I had to navigate differently and go another route. It wasn’t the easiest or the best route, but I went through the channels. I want to make it a purpose to have brand awareness as a stamp of impact in the Los Angeles area.”

Serving the justice-impacted community within the LA area is of the utmost importance to Darneicea’s team. As the team continues its important work, CEO is poised to make an even greater impact on the lives of those seeking a fresh start. Through a holistic approach that places people as individuals first, the hope is to see justice-impacted individuals not only reintegrate into society but to thrive.