Danielle Lewinski
Chief Program Officer
Danielle Lewinski is the Chief Program Officer at the Center for Community Progress. As an impact-oriented expert in urban revitalization, she ensures the organization’s programs strategically inform and inspire vacant property policy and practice change.
Pulling from her deep experience in land banks, property tax, code enforcement, and reuse strategies, Lewinski aligns and evaluates activities across programs to achieve local impact while moving the national field of practice. Lewinski supports an experienced program team motivated by curiosity, justice, excellence, and joy who have cemented Community Progress’ legacy as the preeminent expert on vacant properties and equitable revitalization. An adept strategist and analytical problem-solver, Lewinski evaluates new partner, funder, and client opportunities to identify how those opportunities will bring the team insights into vacant property innovation.
Lewinski’s approach to community revitalization is rooted in data-based decision-making, informed by market dynamics, and driven by local perspectives. She has spent her career focusing specifically on vacant and deteriorated properties, starting with her first vacant property survey two decades ago; going on to deliver neighborhood vacant property plans for nonprofits in Detroit; and bringing community and technical experts together through a 50-year land use planning process.
Lewinski earned her Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies from Mount Holyoke College. She has an Economic Development Finance Professional Certification through the National Development Council and an Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is currently working towards her Not-for-Profit Certificate I from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is based in the Detroit, Michigan area.