News Release

October 14, 2011

Contact:
Erin Angell Collins, eangell@nw.org, 202 220-6317
Doug Robinson, drobinson@nw.org, 202 220-2360

NeighborWorks America Announces the 2011 Dorothy Richardson Award Honorees

Washington, DC –Today NeighborWorks® America announced the recipients of the 2011 Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award, an honor that recognizes seven community leaders from around the country for their outstanding contributions to their communities. Through years of community building, activism and service to their neighbors, these individuals have made a difference in the lives of many.  NeighborWorks America announced the honorees during the fourth annual Community Leadership Institute, a training event for resident and volunteer leaders.

Each year, NeighborWorks honors one individual from each of its districts with the Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award.  This award acknowledges outstanding individuals for their achievement in the field of affordable housing and community-based development, as resident leaders whose energy, commitment and concern for their communities are vital to the success of the NeighborWorks system locally and nationally.

“This year’s honorees have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving the communities where they live,” said Eileen Fitzgerald, CEO of NeighborWorks America. “They have full-time jobs, families, and other important obligations, yet they devote so much time to their communities and their neighbors.  Thanks to their important contributions, each of the honorees has helped to transform and enrich their communities, creating lasting benefits for countless residents. We are proud to honor them for their generous service to others.”

The 2011 Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award recipients are:

• Joseph Bryant, Home HeadQuarters, Syracuse, N.Y. -- While many young adults choose to leave Syracuse for opportunities elsewhere, Joseph Bryant has decided to stay, and work to create opportunities in his hometown.  His ability to bring together stakeholders has led to an impressive list of developments: the South Side Communication Center, green infrastructure developments, free wireless access to neighborhood businesses, and, most significantly, the development of a community-owned grocery store.  Joseph is a champion of the Southside neighborhood's rebirth and revitalization, raising the hopes of its residents in the process.

• Denese Meteye James, CDC of Tampa, Fla. -- As a board member for the CDC of Tampa and other organizations, Denese Meteye James is a vocal advocate for the revitalization of the East Tampa Community.  Her advocacy has helped create more than $30 million in development projects.  She also led the creation of an annual tree lighting celebration, which in 2010 resulted in more than 100 bikes and backpacks being given to local youth.    Her volunteer commitment follows a 32-year career in healthcare, where she fought to ensure that residents receiving services at the health department were treated with respect and dignity. 

• Sophia Jeffrey, Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services, Springfield, Mass. -- Sophia Jeffrey is the first and only board president of Springfield NHS.  As the organization has evolved, expanded and changed its name, Sophia has been a constant, for 33 years.  During this time, Sophia has been committed to working with others to give a voice not only to the members of her community but to all residents of the city of Springfield. Her efforts were even recognized by President George H. W. Bush, who named her as one of the Thousand Points of Light.  Sophia Jeffrey personifies leadership, dedicating her life to improving the lives of her neighbors.

• Kris Kumaroo, Montgomery Housing Partnership, Silver Spring, Md. -- Frustrated with the level of crime, foreclosure and lack of resident involvement in his community, Kris Kumaroo decided to take action.  With the assistance of Montgomery Housing Partnership, he formed the Greater Glenmont Civic Association in 2008 to organize neighbors and explore solutions.  In a few short years, the group has tripled in size, and the crime rate in some areas has dropped by 40 percent.  The group has also tackled foreclosures and loan scams, and under Kris’ guidance, residents have a heightened awareness that they can solve problems and improve their community.

• Wing Hoo Leung, Chinatown CDC, San Francisco -- When the new owner of his apartment building announced plans to evict all the building’s residents and remove the building from the rental market, Wing Hoo Leung and his fellow tenants decided to take a stand.  Leung emerged as a leader, uniting the tenants and motivating them to fight.  With the support of the Community Tenants Association and Chinatown CDC, they won their fight and were able to remain in their homes.  That struggle inspired him to continue to fight on behalf of others in his community.  Under Leung’s leadership, volunteers are sharpening their community organizing skills and serving as advocates for the city’s most vulnerable immigrant populations.

• Keith Pamperin, NeighborWorks Green Bay -- Keith Pamperin’s passion for housing and community development has led him to a life of service.  He is the founder of NHS of Green Bay, now known as NeighborWorks Green Bay.  He has served on the organization’s board for almost 30 years and has been deeply involved in every one if its programs and projects over that time.  Keith is well known for experimentation and promoting new ideas.  He was an early advocate of environmental conservation, equal access for those with disabilities, housing choice vouchers and grooming neighborhood residents for board positions.  Many advances throughout the city of Green Bay can be credited to Keith’s innovate thinking and persistence.

• Tiffany Sandberg, NeighborWorks Salt Lake, Salt Lake City -- When Tiffany Sandberg sees a problem, she steps up to fix it.  She’s been instrumental in bringing in a millions of dollars of development, while rallying her neighbors against businesses that are detrimental to community stability.  She has consistently taken leadership roles within the agency and in the broader community, and routinely engages young people to get involved in advocating for their community.  After attending a CLI, she and her group formed a storytelling initiative called the Urban Pioneers. The group was invited to Athens, Greece, to share their concept, showing that the principles of grassroots community leadership resonate with people worldwide.

The 2011 Dorothy Richardson Award honorees exemplify the commitment to community service and to helping others that is championed by NeighborWorks America and the NeighborWorks network.

For more information about the 2011 Dorothy Richardson Awards, please contact Erin Collins, 202-220-6317, eangell@nw.org or Doug Robinson, 202-220-2360, drobinson@nw.org.

About the Dorothy Richardson Awards

The awards are named in honor of Dorothy Richardson of Pittsburgh, a pioneer in the community-based development movement who was the driving force behind the establishment of the first Neighborhood Housing Services resident-led partnership, the forerunner of today's NeighborWorks network.

Richardson and a small group of her neighbors in the 1960s banded together in a fight to save their dying neighborhood in Pittsburgh's Central North Side. They recruited partners in local government and the business community. Together, they won their battle and doing so set a precedent that changed the nation's approach to urban redevelopment and spawned the new field of community-based development.

About NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated $20 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.

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