Maye Johnson grew up in the East Central neighborhood of Fort Wayne, and returned to the neighborhood seven years ago after retiring from a twenty-year career as an award-winning broadcaster and community activist in Cincinnati. Like Dorothy Richardson, Maye lead a more recent battle against development that threatened East Central. When Fort Wayne 's Redevelopment Commission planned to acquire a large portion of the neighborhood through eminent domain, Maye organized her neighbors in a highly-publicized battle against the plan. As a result, the plan was withdrawn, and a long-term working partnership between the City's Community/Economic Development Department and the East Central neighborhood was born.

 

Maye led the effort to study model redevelopment programs in other cities around the country and coordinated planning efforts and workshops with residents and representatives of government, financial institutions, faith-based institutions, academia, and other stakeholders. Through formal training and informal motivation and encouragement, Maye has raised awareness and helped empower her neighbors to identify problems and implement solutions instead of giving up.

 

Maye holds volunteer leadership positions in several community organizations. She is president of the East Central Neighborhood Association, board member of Project Renew, chair of the East Central/Memorial Park Neighborhood Planning Initiative, and chairperson of Fort Wayne 's Metropolitan Human Relations Commission.

 

East Central's Neighborhood Association receives support and development services from Project Renew. A community development corporation, Project Renew provides educational and mortgage-loan services to low- and moderate-income central city neighborhoods throughout Fort Wayne . Project Renew's executive director Nicole Turner-Abrahams says of Maye: “She has brought tireless passion and energy into the community. She has challenged local officials to include neighborhood representation at the planning table. She has challenged residents to get more involved in civic affairs so their voices are heard. And she has inspired residents of all ages to get involved and become leaders.”