Agenda2015

Tuesday September 29, 2015

DAY 1

11:00am Registration Opens | Lunch Available

12:00pm Opening & Welcome

4:00pm Debrief of Non-Traditional Leadership Conversations

4:30pm No-Host-Bar at Hotel St. Regis and Self-Organized Dinners

2:50pm Wisdom and Guidance from Non-Traditional Leadership

Mary Luevanos, Community Connections Grant ProgramClark Washington, Detroit Action Commonwealth

1:45pm Experiences and Insights from People Doing Non-Traditional

Leadership Development

Lisa Leverette, Community Connections Grant ProgramDarel Ross, LINCMartha Thawnghmung , Burma Center

12:30pm Group Introductions

Wednesday September 30, 2015

DAY 28:30am Continental Breakfast

10:00am In the Field with Non-Traditional Leaders

Erik Howard, Young NationMeghan Sobocienski, Grace in Action Pastor John Cummings, Grace in ActionMary Luevanos, Community Connections Grant Program /CLAVE Jerry Hebron, Northend Christian Community Development

9:00am Opening & Welcome

9:30am Load Up Buses for Field Trips

11:45am Sharing Lessons from Field Trips

Field Trip

#1

Oakland Avenue Community Garden Food Security, urban farming and public art as a launch for leadership development. Leaders who come directly from the neighborhood and how they are addressing food desert, under employment, youth employment.

Field Trip

#2

Southwest Detroit Grace and Action: Around the corner from art installation. How the faith community and public art community has morphed to create their non-traditional leadership. Space for non-traditional leadership to happen and the impact of gentrification and how public art is a launching point.

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Choose one of two field-trip options:

Agenda

Thursday October 1, 2015

DAY 38:30am Continental Breakfast

9:00am Who Decides What Success Is and Who Makes Meaning of the Data?

Dr. Ebony Roberts, JFM Consulting Group

Sally Leiderman, Center for Assessment and Policy Development (CAPD)

11:30am Closing Creating Space XII

10:00am Meaning Making

12:00pm Lunch

Boxed Meals Available

1:00pm Equity Lab: The History of How Systemic Racism

Created Conditions in Detroit

Dr. Peter Hammer, Wayne State Law School

1:30pm Non-Traditional Leadership: A National Perspective

Jah’Shams Abdul-Mu’mim: Success a New Beginning

Allen Frimpong: #Blacklivesmatter

2:10pm Hybrid Open Space

Offerings will include:

Samantha Magdaleno: Immigration

Debra Taylor: Water Affordability, Emergency Management

4:00pm Open Space Sharing

4:30pm Closing Reflections

5:00pm Self-Organized Dinners

12:15pm Lunch

Notes:

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Jerry Hebron

Erik Paul Howard

Lisa Leverette

A dedicated passionate change agent, Lisa Leverette has extensive experience managing

people, systems and dynamics in order to achieve superior outcomes for organizations,

individuals, government, foundations/funders and communities. She has worked

throughout the city of Detroit, cultivating alliances and working on behalf of Detroit’s

children and families for over 20 years.

Lisa has a unique combination of education and experience that allows her to understand,

manage and change systemic processes and barriers in order to reduce their impact on

individuals and groups to achieve a win-win scenario for all parties. Her experience allows

her to manage and help others manage relationships and expectations in order to

transform individuals, communities and systems by reducing barriers, embracing

democratic participation and challenging outdated paradigms.

Miss Leverette currently contractually manages two grant programs, Community

Connections and the Lower Eastside Community Grant Programs. Both programs are

recognized civic engagement, leadership development and systems change tools. She

currently serves as chairperson of the International Committee with Self Development of

People (SDOP) where she provides leadership on grant making internationally including in

Belize, West Africa and other regions around the globe.

I am a native Detroiter and product of the Detroit Public School System and have two

years at Wayne State University. I am a member of the New Prospect Missionary Baptist

Church under the leadership of the Rev. Wilma R. Johnson. In October, 2008 my

mother, Rev. Bertha L. Carter, Senior Pastor St. John Evangelist Temple of Truth and

School of Wisdom passed the torch and placed me in charge of the Northend Christian

Community Development which was formed by the church as a separate 501c3. This

move included participating in Leadership training through the Skillman Foundation,

working with the Northend Central Woodward Governance Board as an Interim Director,

working with the Northend Central Woodward Vacant Lot Task Force and consequently

working with young people. The vision of Rev. Carter was to develop a project to reach

and engage the community surrounding the church. We started meeting with 15

residents and Greening of Detroit a couple of times a month to talk about and plan a

community garden. This garden was to be a place for families and young people to

gather, work, interact and build relationships. Through this garden project we have a

small number of community volunteers, children from Youthville, volunteers from Deloitt

Accounting Firm, City of Detroit Youth and Youth ages 5 to 13 that were involved in our

summer Garden and Golfing Program. This program taught young people about

growing food, compost, worms, weeds and taking care of the earth.

Erik Paul Howard is a photographer as well as co-founder of Expressions and Young

Nation in southwest Detroit. He combines his passion for youth and community devel-

opment with his love of photography. Using group activities such as lowriding and

street art as a mentoring tool, Erik has been able to reach out to young people in the

community of southwest Detroit. Erik’s photography documents his personal relation-

ships and interactions in communities. It captures the excitement of people in their

process of self discovery, development, and life experiences.

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Mary Luevanos

Samantha Magdeleno

Samantha Magdaleno is the Director of Community Organizing at Detroit Hispanic

Development Corporation. Samantha is a third generation Detroiter. Her family

migrated here from Jalisco, Mexico. At age 13, she participated in the summer youth

program at DHDC where she began her organizing career. Samantha has organized

at the grassroots level around several issues in various parts of the country and

Mexico. Some of the issues include Women’s, LGBT, Immigration, Voting, and

Education rights. She has a BA in Psychology from University of Texas Pan American.

She recently made her way back home to Michigan and is glad to be working in her

home city. Samantha spends her free time with her three younger siblings Jasmine

17, Giuliana 6, and Octavios 3. She is also on the board for One Michigan for

Immigrant Rights and mentors 20 members ages 12 - 40 years old that are in the

fellowship.

We the People of Detroit (WPD) is a grassroots organization founded in 2008 and

grew out of citizens who fought against the Mayoral Takeover of Detroit Public

Schools in 2008/09. WPD is dedicated to community coalition building and provid-

ing vehicles that inform, train and mobilize the citizens of Detroit to improve their

quality of life. WPD is currently participating as the on the ground coordinator of

Outreach related to the recent widespread water shutoffs and the city's resistance to

a water affordability plan. the group is working in cooperation with the People’s

Water Board Coalition.

Other examples of WPD’s work include the Save Ourselves Mobilization Forums that

focused on the Charter Revision, Fair Elections, Public Education, Emergency

Management, Districting, Welfare Safety Net and Employment and Entrepreneurship

and a voter education initiative that reached over 50, 0000 citizens, They were an

active participant in the statewide REFERENDUM AGAINST the defeated Public Act

4 (PA 4) Emergency Management Law and also formed the DARE Coalition to

defend and protect earned pensions.

Mary is a well respected elder stateswoman and Director of CLAVE, Community of

Latino Artists, Visionaries and Educators. CLAVE provides free weekly art workshops

for Detroit youths. Mary is a steadfast supporter and contributor of Young Nation,

working with others to develop youth, build relationships and pursue passion driven

projects. Mrs. Luevanos, often works alongside her daughter, Lisa, another noted artist

and photographer in Southwest Detroit on a variety of artistic, organizing and youth

focused projects and activities. Many of her art installations are featured in Southwest

Detroit, around the city and in local galleries. She is a gifted storyteller, puppeteer and

serves as a community grant maker on the Community Connections grant panel. Mary

was honored by the Detroit Lions last year during Hispanic Heritage month with a

special presentation for her many contributions to Southwest Detroit-which has some

of the strongest Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods and commercial districts in the

city-including the historic Mexicantown.

Debra Taylor &

Monica Lewis-Patrick

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Darel Ross II

Grace in Action

Jeffrey B. Jones

Dr. Ebony Roberts

Darel Ross II has been living in and serving the Grand Rapids community his entire

life. In 2008, Darel Ross was named Co-Executive Director of LINC. Since that time,

he has led LINC in revitalizing neighborhoods through authentic engagement,

stimulating economic development, expanding housing opportunities, creating

affordable housing, and developing leadership and capacity to residents and

grass-root organizations. He has positioned LINC to create intentional connections

at the national, state, local, and block level to maximize impact in the communities

served.

Since joining LINC, he has helped secure over $42 million in funding for community

improvement efforts resulting in over 300 families increasing their assets, improving

over 650 homes and creating over 120 full time jobs. Under the leadership of Darel

Ross, in its current fiscal year, LINC Community Revitalization, Inc. will improve 130

units of housing, help 350 families build assets, provide training to 240 resident

leaders, incubate 15 businesses and create 40 jobs in their neighborhoods.

Dr. Ebony Roberts is a planning consultant with JFM Consulting Group. She is

involved with a number of projects in the Detroit area that positively impact youth

and families. A graduate from Michigan State University, Dr Roberts is a published

author and a passionate advocate for the academic excellence of Michigan’s children.

Pastor John Cummings & Meghan Sobocienski, Grace in Action

Grace in Action Church and Collectives is a Congregation and non profit rooted in the

Southwest Detroit Neighborhood. Grace in Action began nearly 6 years ago with Pastor

John and over 200 conversations in the community. As these conversations unfolded it

became clear that there was a direct connection between the dynamics of power and

empire that Jesus and His disciples encountered in the bible and the realities of

Southwest Detroit residents: exploitation of work, the need for immigration reform,

access to economic capital and freedom from systems of systemic poverty. This led to

the formation of several art and culture projects such as the creation of murals, guitar

classes and the creation of monthly open mic nights as well as text studies on

decolonizing faith. In 2012 a group of youth came together to launch Radical

Productions, a youth run graphic and web design collective, teaching themselves and

one another coding, and graphic design. Radical Productions grew and became a

network of collectives and cooperatives that is now Grace in Action Collectives. Meghan

Sobocienski along with many more is an active and instrumental member of the church

and collective.

Jeffrey B. Jones is a seasoned community advocate and self described “Agent of Change”.

As the Director of Community Organizing and Coalition Building for D4, he is dedicated to

strengthening Detroit neighborhoods, equitable development and improving the quality of

life for all residents. In his 20+ years of experience in the community, notable projects that

were implemented by Jeffrey include the Kenilworth Greenway & Chalfonte Farmway,

Brightmoor Spirit Garden & Talking Fence Project and the East Grand Boulevard

Transformation. Prior to joining D4, Jeff’s breadth of professional talents which include

organizing & fostering collaborations, coordinating municipal services and implementing

community redevelopment strategies, were the foundation of his consultancy to the City of

Detroit’s consent decree reorganization and as community manager for the Next Detroit

Neighborhood Initiative (NDNI).

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