What would it mean to put the lens of place on how we judge the health and effectiveness of our Economic Development efforts? What if it is not just about jobs or services or tax revenue? What if the purpose of Economic Development was to create neighborhoods of vibrant social connectivity, pride in neighborhood identity, and accessible opportunities for people of all income levels to grow personally and professionally while increasing the wealth and well-being of all? In this episode we are talking about the future of Historic South Atlanta’s economic development as comparing and contrasting some common model of economic development with the place-based mindset FCS brings to the work.
Shawn Duncan, Director of The Lupton Center
Dr. Shawn Duncan is the Director of FCS’s Training and Consulting Division, The Lupton Center. Shawn comes to FCS from the nonprofit leadership sector with research and writing focused on pedagogies for social impact. In his previous careers he has focused on multi-sector coalition building for community impact, content and curriculum design, group facilitation, leadership development, and immigration reform advocacy. As the leader of The Lupton Center team, Shawn brings a visionary voice for innovation, a strategic mind for resource development, and the leadership acumen to support and equip the team for success. He loves being a part of a mission-driven team that finds joy in one another while doing such important work.
Marvin Nesbitt, Jr., Senior Director of Community Development at FCS
Marvin Nesbitt, Jr. has committed his entire career to facilitating positive outcomes and success for society’s most vulnerable and the communities in which they reside. Today, he serves as Senior Director of Community Development at Focused Community Strategies (FCS). At FCS, Marvin teams up with a group of talented directors to lead the organization’s Neighborhood Engagement, Affordable Housing, and Economic Vitality efforts. Prior to joining FCS, Marvin has worked as an independent consultant providing his skills in human services and community development to numerous nonprofit, and government agencies in the areas of planning, implementation and evaluation of service delivery systems, community engagement, and the development and writing of HUD Choice Neighborhood Grant People Strategies.
Jeff Delp, Director of Economic Development at FCS
Jeff Delp, Director of Economic Development, has been operating small businesses in Historic South Atlanta for more than a decade. He has been a resident of the neighborhood since 2001, and has been with FCS since 2009. Prior to his time with FCS, he started and operated two other local non-profit organizations in Atlanta. He is a graduate of Messiah College with Bachelor degrees in History and Political Science.
Special thanks to our podcast editor, Tim Rhodes, for making this episode possible. If you are interested in working with Tim, you can contact him via email at tim@whistlingblue.com, or through his website, whistlingblue.com. If you have questions, feedback, or wish to contact us, please email Rose Silva at rose@fcsministries.org.
