Bending the Arc

For the final episode in our podcast series on grassroots community leadership we are joined once again by Mayor Michael R. White, the visionary and driving force behind the Neighborhood Leadership Development Program in Cleveland. Mayor White launched our series in Episode 22 with an overview of NLDP and in this episode he reflects on lessons learned and shares some of his aspirations for the future of the program.

Mayor White served the City of Cleveland for three terms from 1990 to 2002. He is currently the Senior Policy Advisor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and Program Director for NLDP. Prior to serving as Mayor, he held elected office as an Ohio State Senator and as a Cleveland City Councilman. 

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode continues our series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this episode, we go behind the scenes to talk with the team of coaches who are a vital part of the secret sauce of the Neighborhood Leadership Development Program here in Cleveland. Every NLDP participant is assigned a personal coach. Participants meet regularly with their coach for mentoring and self-reflection and are encouraged to keep up the coaching relationship after they graduate from the program. 

The current lead coach is Pam Turos and her fellow coaches are Joe Black, Audra Jones and Ian Heisey.

Pam Turos oversees communications and marketing at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. Before joining the Foundation, Pam was a communications consultant working with a variety of nonprofit clients. She has also held social service roles that include Director of Social Work, Bereavement Coordinator, and ICU/ER Case Manager.

Joseph Black is the Senior Program Officer for Place-Based Community and Economic Development at The Cleveland Foundation, overseeing neighborhood investments and Racial Equity and Racial Justice Initiatives. Joseph is also the driving force behind the "Reverse Ride Along," an innovative community engagement training program that has successfully empowered and educated over 500 law enforcement and medical professionals, aiming to redefine community/police relations and elevate public safety standards.

Audra Jones is the founder and CEO of Krystal Klear Communications, L.L.C., a full-service communications design firm. She is also the Co-Owner and COO of Pulmonary Apps, L.L.C. and has over 10 years serving in the healthcare industry.

Ian Heisey is an Audience Support Coordinator at Ideastream Public Media, the Cleveland affiliate of NPR and PBS. Ian spent the majority of his career at Jefferson-Puritas West Park CDC as Mediation Coordinator and later Director of Community Engagement. He worked for two years as Coordinator for Project Peacemakers, an ecumenical peace and justice non-profit in Winnipeg, Canada.

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode continues our podcast series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this series, we are shining the spotlight on local everyday community leaders. In this episode we talk with three community leaders who share a passion for community gardening and healthy eating.

Veronica Walton is the Executive Director for Food Depot to Health, a non-profit established in 2018 that supports cohorts of growers to participate in urban agriculture as a resource to community businesses. Over a 30-year period, she has managed over 450 farmer’s markets and participated in hundreds of food-related health fairs and presentations to positively impact health outcomes for youth and adults in communities across our region. Erika Ervin-Acy is founder and CEO of “We Are Unique TV, LLC” and the nonprofit Gardening in the District. Gardening in the District teaches neighborhood residents that growing fruits and vegetables helps to set the foundation for self-sustainability and healthy living. Mikki Smith is the Executive Director of the Little Africa Food Collaborative, which educates the community about nutrition and sustainable food systems. She has certifications as a Master Rain Gardener and Master Aquaponics Instructor and is an active member of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, the National Black Food Justice Alliance, and the Black Farmers Conference.

Veronica’s full bio

Erika’s full bio

Mikki’s full bio

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode continues our podcast series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this series, we are shining the spotlight on local everyday community leaders. In this episode we talk with three community leaders who share a passion for developing programs to build skills among youth and adults.  

Steph Mukenyi Wahome has been a Program Manager for City Year in Detroit and helped start a Charter school in Washington D.C. She is currently the Regional Cleveland Coordinator for Scenarios USA and a professor at Cuyahoga Community College. Mary Kauffman describes herself as an artistic, bohemian-techy and promotes connections to resources and programming through the innovative use of technology. One of her projects is TechBOOM, a community-based program that provides technology instruction through an entertaining gaming format. Jonathan Steirer is passionate about housing, equitable neighborhood development, transit access, and facilitating relationships between community members. He is involved with the Cleveland Global Shapers, Big Brothers Big Sisters and is a block club leader.

Steph’s full bio

Mary’s full bio

Jonathan’s full bio

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode continues our podcast series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this series, we are shining the spotlight on local everyday community leaders. In this episode we talk with three community leaders who share a passion for promoting health and wellness.  

Quiana Howard has transitioned her career over the past decade from nail technician to Cardiovascular Health Equity Scientist. While pursuing her doctorate in nursing at Case Western Reserve University, Quiana also works full-time and leads community health clinics offering free cardiovascular risk screenings for low-income Cleveland residents. In 2016, Becca Britton founded Neighborhood Pets Outreach and Resource Center, a community-based non-profit focused on supporting low-income pet owners. Neighborhood Pets uses a dynamic intuitive model based on relationship and trust-building within the community. Sarah Murphy is a proud alumna and now one of the leaders of Edna House, a nonprofit that ensures access to safe, supportive substance abuse recovery programming and longer-term residential housing. She has a lead role at The Edna House Residence and Education Center.

Quiana’s full bio

Becca’s full bio

Sarah’s full bio

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode continues our podcast series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this series, we are shining the spotlight on local everyday community leaders. Each of the leaders we will talk to are graduates of the innovative Neighborhood Leadership Development Program in Cleveland. Today we will be talking with three community leaders whose passion is helping youth and families to thrive: Letitia Lopez, Dennis Knowles, and Tonya Perkins Stoudemire.

Letitia Lopez is now the Executive Director of the Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center which is dedicated to transforming lives by preserving, educating and promoting Latino heritage through the teaching and practice of the visual, performing and literary arts. Dennis Knowles founded The Fishing Foundation in 2010 which aims to enrich youth’s lives through fishing by offering training and education on casting, water safety and conservation in a safe and secure environment with nurturing adults. Tonya Perkins Stoudemire founded Bessie’s Place in 2012, a facility that provides affordable housing for young women aging out of foster care and offers them a safe haven and life skills for leadership and career development.

Letitia’s full bio

Dennis’s full bio

Tonya’s full bio

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode continues our podcast series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this series, we are shining the spotlight on local everyday community leaders. Each of the leaders we will talk to are graduates of the innovative Neighborhood Leadership Development Program in Cleveland. Today we will be talking with three community leaders whose passion is cultivating connections and partnerships among community members: Bridgette Smith-Jackson, Diana Sette and Josh Jones Forbes. 

Bridgette Smith-Jackson has spent much of her career at Vesta Corporation developing resident services for the families of Rainbow Terrace Apartments and the neighboring community. She is committed to working with families to address challenges and eliminate barriers by fostering community partnerships and developing non-traditional collaborations with existing organizations. Diana Sette has extensive experience in social and environmental justice work, from working with a radical political puppet troupe and numerous direct action projects focused on supporting communities, especially youth, and climate justice. She co-founded the Possibilitarian Garden, a community garden that has served as a resource incorporating educational workshops, art and culture events, ecological agriculture, and anti-racist activism. Josh Jones Forbes works as Director of Communications at Northwest Neighborhoods CDC, the nonprofit provider of affordable housing and community development services for Cleveland's Cudell, Detroit Shoreway, and Edgewater communities. Josh is also passionate about LGBTQ+ activism, racial justice, public transit, environmental sustainability, arts, and personal wellness, and he is the founder of a community-based fitness studio.

Bridgette’s full bio

Diana’s full bio

Josh’s full bio

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

This episode launches a new podcast series focused on impacting community change through grassroots community leadership. In this series, we will shine the spotlight on local everyday community leaders. Each of the leaders we will talk to are graduates of the innovative Neighborhood Leadership Development Program in Cleveland. In this episode, to kick off the series, I’m joined by Mayor Michael R. White, who served the City of Cleveland for three terms from 1990 to 2002, and is the visionary and driving force behind NLDP. Mayor White is currently the Senior Policy Advisor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and Program Director for NLDP. Prior to serving as Mayor, he held elected office as an Ohio State Senator and as Cleveland City Councilman. There is no more passionate advocate for cultivating the community change power of everyday home-grown leaders here in Cleveland than Michael White.

Neighborhood Leadership Development Program

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

Where to next in the quest for urban equity and inclusion? This episode returns to focus on our journey as an impact research center. In November 2023, the National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities celebrated our 10th anniversary and kicked off a year of reflection, recommitment, and reimagining. In this episode I am joined by three of our longtime collaborators who are working closely with us to help shape our plans for our next decade. Dr. Alyssa Nickell is a Senior Research Associate with our center based in Chicago, Salin Geevarghese is Principal of the consulting firm SGG Insight based in the DC area, and Frankie Blackburn co-leads the community network-building firm Trusted Space Partners, based in North Carolina. We have an energizing conversation about what we’ve learned from our first decade of research and consulting and what pivots we’d like to make as we head into our second decade.

The National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

SGG Insight

Trusted Space Partners

Episode 15: Spotlight on the National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities

In this episode we conclude our special series focused on Urban Strategies, Inc., a national non-profit that exemplifies the quest for urban equity and inclusion. Urban Strategies works with more than 30,000 low- to moderate-income families in 31 communities across 24 major metropolitan areas. We welcome Esther Shin, President and CEO of USI, back to the podcast, and invite her to share her list of housing and social policies that are counterproductive in the quest to help marginalized households on their quest for economic mobility. She describes several problematic policies and indicates the changes that USI would recommend to provide better incentives and support and achieve greater impact.

Urban Strategies Inc.