Clyde Terry specializes in transforming the lives of men and women returning home from prison, and gang members who are looking to break the cycle of despair and violence.

Clyde is a Retired Sergeant and 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and former U.S. Marine. In 2003, he took a leave of absence from the Sheriff’s Department to assist the U.S. State Department as an International Police Advisor in their rebuilding efforts in Iraq.

In his work with the Emerging Leaders Academy, Clyde uses his many years of experience in many roles to help master his craft. Through his patrol experience in the Compton/Watts/South Los Angeles areas, plus his time with the LA County Jail system — where he worked with hardcore gangs and high-security, dangerous, even notorious inmates, e.g., the Menendez Brothers, Tupac Shakur, Rick James, Suge Knight, and more — along with his undercover assignment to a Federal Violent Crime Task Force, he has gained a deeper insight into the participants of the Emerging Leaders Academy, ultimately leading to the success of the program and its reduction in the LA County recidivism rate.