Meet the 2024-25 Cohort of Community Revitalization Fellows

Each year, Community Progress welcomes grassroots community leaders to our Community Revitalization Fellowship (CRF) program, where they collectively learn how to help their neighborhoods tackle vacancy, abandonment, and disinvestment. CRF equips fellows to better advocate for and lead change that improves vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties through creative placemaking. The fellowship will also build the capacity of a key institutional partner in each community to provide ongoing local support to the fellows and their neighborhoods.

Keep reading to meet our 2024-25 cohort of fellows from Lafayette, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; and Rochester, New York.

Lafayette, Louisiana CRF Fellows

Erica Fox

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I began by volunteering in my community and assisting in neighboring communities with their neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? One project I am extremely proud of is the creation of our creative co-op, Attakapas Collective. I was able to rally 30+ local artists together to create an artisan makerspace where we teach, share workspace and combine our resources to support a brick-and-mortar retail shop of BIPOC artisans in a disinvested area of town. It is there that we create, encourage other artists, and are able to make a living from our work.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love the diversity of ideas and ingenuity of the people. We are very resourceful and creative folks.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Strong, determined, fun-loving

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Read, watch documentaries and research history.

Keler Mitchell

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? As Chief Operating Officer at Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, we are committed to supporting our local neighborhood organizations by serving as fiscal agents, project managers and community conveners. On a personal level, I understand the value of resident leadership and the impact it has on revitalizing and lifting up communities and neighborhoods. 

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? In partnership with the local university, I was instrumental in creating and launching a community-wide volunteer effort that supported several community revitalization projects that included tree planting, home repairs, trash pickup, garden/landscape projects, activities with youth, and more. We developed the project, managed logistics, and engaged volunteers from different sectors to complete the projects submitted by local nonprofit organizations.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I am proud of the work that Steel Magnolias of Louisiana is currently doing in our community. It is a nonprofit organization that I started in 2019 for girls ages 8-15 years of age and is focused on educating, engaging and empowering them to be successful in life. Monthly empowerment sessions on topics relevant to them are planned and led by women leaders in our community. We have expanded our monthly sessions, which includes 35 girls by hosting an annual Girl Empowerment Day that engages over 100 girls. Additionally, we host a Girls Inspiring Excellence Awards Banquet that highlights extraordinary girls in our community and provides scholarships to support them in their efforts.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Historical, proud, resilient

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I am a movie watcher, so any chance I get to relax will include sitting back and watching a great movie…or binging on an amazing series.

Gabe Giffin

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I was speaking to a neighbor shortly after I moved back in 2015, they mentioned we had a neighborhood group, called the Freetown Coterie. I stayed involved with the group over the years and became the Coterie Chair in 2019. Needless to say, 2020 taught me how important your community is. The blocks surrounding your home are where you spend more time in your life; it’s important to know who’s in those homes and how they are doing and feeling. There are other Coteries in our city and those groups have been the inspiration to stay involved with your community groups and empower oneself to on-the-ground progress in a community.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? We have a parklet and a garden the community group has overseen in the last couple of years. These two spaces are along a gateway road into our neighborhood and were once a gravel lot and an overgrown property. Through various efforts and time, these spaces have improved. They not only look great due to the city agreeing to keep these areas cut, but neighbors maintain the garden and take vegetables back to their homes. The Freetown Heritage (Parklet) will soon be receiving custom made benches from a local artist. This was made possible by a grant a few neighbors applied for. I’m proud of these projects because they have seen significant improvement over time and locals have begun to improve their spaces tapping into community grants. It’s so important to have several people in the community thinking and working on these spaces, understanding the process to revitalization.

What’s one thing you love about your community? Being so close to our downtown/university where the best festivals happen and Mardi Gras! We have so much culture in our town through our food and music, but even within our neighborhoods; our neighborhood is home to many artists and musicians. There’s so much history and we’re fortunate to have a university that wants to do research of how things once were and how people overcame challenges throughout the past centuries and decades. I love the pride people in Lafayette have for recognizing what area they are from, and I love knowing that there are people in those neighborhoods working in sync to make our entire town better.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Historic, colorful, friendly

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I get coffee every morning of the week, and drive through the neighborhood, then on to our downtown and university. That’s my home and I love to check up on it. I love to see how people decorate their homes and yards. Also, I take my boat out on the Bayou Vermilion which runs through the heart of Lafayette.

James Proctor

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I moved to a revitalizing community.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? We installed a basketball court on an empty lot for the local kids.

What’s one thing you love about your community? We all know each other and we’re all trying to improve things. We have a rich history.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Unity, diversity, progress

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Beekeeping and bike riding.

Justin Arceneaux

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I became involved through my volunteer efforts in the community.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? Established and built an ongoing community garden free-to-use to the community, transformed from an abandoned lot which I acquired.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love the “village” culture. People desiring to do life alongside one another.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Unique, charismatic, diverse

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Garden.

Jessica Brown-Mason

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I relocated back home after some years from the Los Angeles area.  I worked in communities where there was major blight, homelessness, and gentrification happening throughout the community to the displacement of many families. Upon returning home I viewed some of the same problems happening in my home community and vowed to ensure that revitalization would be a priority for communities.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? Recently, I have worked with a group of community members interested in the preservation of the community. We began to survey and clean up the area, making plans to remove blight and restore the neighborhood. A major part of the process is looking into affordable housing and mixed-use properties, restoring medical and retail infrastructure.

What’s one thing you love about your community? It can be a place, a tradition, a group you’re a part of, etc. I love that we are a community built on love, fellowship, and knowledge of our community members. 

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Resilient, empowered, people.

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I enjoy visiting with family and friends. 

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Memphis, Tennessee CRF Fellows

Phyllis Duckett

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? As of right now I am just getting started in community development

What’s one thing you love about your community? This is where I grew up and I am so grateful to have the privilege of being able to live and share my history with the community now

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Peaceful, beautiful, pleasant

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Looking out of my window, sitting on my front porch.

Chris Campbell

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I started clean-up projects and collaborated with other nonprofit organizations.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? Habitat for Humanity, The Works where we build and revitalize homes.

What’s one thing you love about your community? The evolution of the people’s will to recreate evolve their environment.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Creative, dedicated, capable

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Plan for the next creative task to encourage cooperation and participation among families in the community as well as my own.

Corey Davis

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I worked as a legal extern at Neighborhood Preservation, Inc. now The Works, Inc.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? We are currently working to turn the historic home of Memphis legend Tom Lee into a community museum that will house oral histories from community residents and be an archival home of community history

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love Memphis BBQ!

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Resilient, proud, caring

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Spend time with my kids

Charnell Johnson

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? Working with Smokey City CDC and attending monthly meetings sporadically. I’ve also managed two apartment complexes for about three years.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? I am about to start another project working with the Green Law Community Garden.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love the neighborhood partners that are involved. They have been of much support even through the many obstacles that we challenge as the community.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Patient, hardcore, relaxed

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I love herbs, creating body butters, teas, health regimens, and any natural product that supports the body in healing to its optimum state.

Vivian Bolden

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? Working with nonprofit organizations.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? Being able to assist my neighborhood with free bus rides to the grocery store and farmers market for fresh food and vegetables

What’s one thing you love about your community? The nonprofit organizations that assist my neighborhood.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Close, caring, concerned

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Surf the Internet for more ways to assist my neighborhood, and play online games!

Beverly White

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? Involved with neighborhood watch problems.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? Supporting building a park in the neighborhood.

What’s one thing you love about your community? The history of my neighborhood.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Good place to retire!

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Gardening.

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Rochester, New York CRF Fellows

Tammy Westbrook

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I work at Connected Communities and that is a big part of what we focus on.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? I helped inform residents, did outreach to recruit volunteers, and helped construct our new adventure course at one of our parks.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love that Connected Communities is in my neighborhood and is making changes to improve the residents’ living conditions.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Improving, friendly, accessible

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I like to garden and do jigsaw puzzles.

Sheila Carpenter

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? After three years of violence on my block, I wanted to be a part of the solution rather than a victim of the situation. At first, I just started getting to know my neighbors. Then, as I learned more about the work of Connected Communities, I read research about how simple actions, like forming those relationships and cleaning up your block, can actually lower the violence. The opportunity to get involved with Connected Communities came at the perfect time and has taught me so much about how to help my neighbors and community.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? Last summer, a local high school student designed interactive sidewalk art. I was a part of the team that invited area school aged children to participate in the paint day, and that set up the event.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love the relationships. There are many people who live in this community that are committed to making it a better place, and I consider many of them friends. I often run into someone I know on my neighborhood walks.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Beautiful, diverse, challenged

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I love to hang out on my front porch with a good book and a cup of coffee and greet my neighbors as they walk by.

Solomon Davis

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? At a renters meeting I was approached by a member of Connected Communities to ask if I wanted to be a part of making a change in my neighborhood.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? I have been very involved in working on the new Neighborhood HUB, which also has a community garden. I also was a part of a sidewalk art project at the neighborhood park.

What’s one thing you love about your community? I love the block clubs, where the neighbors come together and focus on solutions to their issues.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Welcoming, sincere, focused

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? I love to watch the Buffalo Bills games and walk my dog.

Rebecca Fuss

How did you first get involved in supporting revitalization efforts in your community? I have lived in Beechwood for 35 years and love my home and my community. My first involvement was walking PAC TAC (police and citizens together against crime), meeting people by walking the streets and seeing where we could make better spaces for people.

Can you tell us about a revitalization or creative placemaking project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of? I am currently a Block Ambassador for Connected Communities. I also coordinate Beechwood’s National Night Out Against Crime event every year. Last year the topic was bail reform and about 60 people attended.

What’s one thing you love about your community? My neighbors. We have people from all walks of life, and as a Block Ambassador, I enjoy seeing people come together and share ideas and camaraderie.

What are three words that you would use to describe your community? Camaraderie, hope, diverse

What do you like to do on your days off—something that brings you joy or helps you relax? Bicycling, singing, and reading.