Rochester Police Accountability Board Elect New Board Leaders

The Rochester Police Accountability Board has unanimously elected William Clark as chair and Lwam Tecleab as vice chair of its Board of Directors, the agency announced this week.

William Clark and Lwam Tecleab

Clark, a former president and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester, was appointed to the board in 2023 by Mayor Malik Evans. He served in that role at the Urban League for 25 years before retiring in 2019. A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Clark is also a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served as a staff sergeant.

Tecleab, a Rochester native and City Council appointee to the PAB representing the East District, joined the board in August 2024. Tecleab brings her experience as a grassroots organizers and education advocate. She holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and a master’s degree from the University at Buffalo.

Both leaders bring a combination of community roots and experience in public service to their new roles.

Their leadership comes in the wake of a court decision stripping the board of nearly all investigative and disciplinary powers. The decision handed down in late April by State Supreme Court Judge Joseph Waldorf rescinds the board’s authority to: Investigate misconduct (independently or via civilian complaint); subpoena officers or witnesses; maintain access to internal RPD databases, personnel records, or body camera footage; release individual case reports and enforce its disciplinary matrix.

The Police Accountability Board was created to provide independent oversight of the Rochester Police Department and ensure accountability in cases of alleged officer misconduct.