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metroMAGAZINE
YPconnections
CONNECTING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS www.ready2serveomaha.org
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PROFILE
“YP” ORGANIZATION PROFILE
incommon communitydevelopment
urbanleagueofnebraska contact Tawanna Black Tawanna.Black@cox.com
contact Christian Gray christiandgray@gmail.com Recognizing that “the single greatest cause of sustained poverty in our cities is isolation,” inCommon Community Development exists to affront poverty through the cultivation of supportive community networks that participate in the holistic development of vulnerable populations and neighborhoods. Simply put, the poor not only need food, clothing, and shelter, they also desperately need people; they need relationships, the “RFactor” required in human transformation. Unfortunately, many of the relationships that those in poverty know are either broken, destructive, or purely service-oriented. Located downtown, inCommon primarily serves the surrounding area and Park Avenue neighborhoods in Omaha, Nebraska. Aimed at the health and development of both people in poverty (CommonLife) and the under-resourced neighborhoods in which they live (CommonGround), each focus of inCommon appropriately gears its efforts toward a wide-range of vulnerable and individually unique communities, including those who are homeless, near-homeless, post-incarcerated, resettling (immigrants and refugees), and at-risk youth. It’s inCommon’s belief that the community of Omaha would be poised to make an incalculable impact in the fight against poverty if we, everyday people, were to become personally involved in the lives of those in need; if we were to make a shift in our view of poverty in favor of a community-owned reality over an agency-owned dilemma. We invite you to join us in this movement of “transforming communities through community.” BOARD MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES/REQUIREMENTS: Role: Programming Advisor Role Requirements: 5+ years non-profit programming experience; MSW, or other related degree
MISSION: To engage young professionals in the National Urban League’s movement toward social and economic equality. HOW TO GET INVOLVED: Join the NEULYP by visiting http://www.urbanleagueneb.org/about/young_professionals/index.shtml and completing the online application. Dues are $85/year. The organization is currently offering a $30 discount to new members, making the dues only $55. NEULYP is open to all young professionals, ages 21-40 who desire to join the Urban League movement and actively engage in our programs. Program facets include: • Networking for YP’s of color • Youth Development and Mentoring • Professional & Leadership Development Training for YP’s of Color • Promotion of YP’s of color for positions of leadership within the community
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
andreafox
Role: Marketing Advisor Role Requirements: 3+ years marketing experience
LEGISLATIVE AID STATE SENATOR HEATH MELLOW
Growing up in West Omaha in the 1980s, my family was probably the only family in the neighborhood with compost piles in the backyard and more recycling bins than trash cans. I was that kid with the waxed paper bags and all natural fruit roll-ups in my lunch box. Vacations generally involved camping, and it was usually someplace where you’re really connected with nature, like camping at the Niobrara River or Yosemite National Park. Being a good steward of the earth was ingrained in me from a very young age, and I blame my parents 100 percent. After graduating high school, I went to college at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado for my Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs and Spanish, and Master of Public Policy degree. While in Colorado, I was surrounded by other like-minded individuals and also learned about the environment through the lens of public policy, using evidenced based decision making. When I moved back to Omaha in 2005, I began working for Mayor Fahey as an Assistant. Mayor Fahey signed the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement in 2006, and shortly afterward, I asked if I could be the person in the office responsible for seeing the agreement through. As I began to meet with City of Omaha staff and local community members who were passionate about sustainability, I eventually connected with Nicolette Amundson, who invited me to attend a meeting with other community members who
worked for organizations interested in sustainability. This meeting led to the eventual formation of the Green Omaha Coalition (GOC), where I served as a board member, Public Agency Council Secretary, and member of the Finance committee during my term from 2007-2009. I am very proud to be a founding member and past board member of the GOC, and am impressed at what the GOC has accomplished in a short amount of time. Through the process of forming the GOC, I learned a lot about what it takes to start a new organization, from writing by-laws and applying for 501(c)3 status to getting the right people at the table. I was also able to learn what other local organizations were doing on the sustainability front. This in turn helped with my work at the City, and through connections made on the GOC board, the City was able to partner on some really great programs, like the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL) recycling program, and a pilot program testing Light Emitting Diode (LED) street lights. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve on the GOC board through my role in Mayor Fahey’s Office, and I’m very excited to be able to use my background with environmental issues as I begin my new role as the Legislative Aid to Nebraska State Senator Heath Mello. It’s an over-used quote, and probably a little cliché, but there’s a saying that goes “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I’ve thought of this quote often working in public service, and am hopeful that with time, I’ll again be able to be part of a small group of people working to change the world.
ANDREA FOX 29 33
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metroMAGAZINE • DEC 2009