Civic Catalyst: Finding the Good and Transforming the Narrative Jack Daugherty, Neighborhood Stabilization Director, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation  Jack Daugherty is a consummate optimist. Growing up on the west side of Youngstown, he remembers feeling frustrated when people would tell him what a great place it used to be and that he should “get out …

From Blight to Beauty: Returning Warren to the Vision of Its Residents Matt Martin, Executive Director, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership Accountability. That’s the first word that comes to Matt Martin’s mind when he thinks about equitable community building. “As a steward of resources, we’re accountable to residents,” said Martin, Executive Director of Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership (TNP), …

Devotion to the Past: Sharing Lessons of the Civil Rights Movement with Area Students Penny Wells, Executive Director, Sojourn to the Past As a college student at Brown University in the 1960s, Dallas native Penny Wells organized a voter registration week in Alabama. She also participated in the March Against Fear, later known as the …

A True Inspiration: Helping Youth See Anything Is Possible Deryck Toles, Founder and CEO, Inspiring Minds The founding of Inspiring Minds is a well-known story. After suffering a career-ending injury to his professional football dreams, Warren native Deryck Toles reflected on what had helped him along his path: It was the people in his life …

A Critical Partnership: Paving the Way for Government and Philanthropy to Work Toward Common Goal Jay Williams, President and CEO, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Jay Williams no longer resides in the Mahoning Valley full time, but the former Youngstown mayor’s impact is lasting. Likewise, the community and the work he was a part of …

What We’re Here For: Finding Purpose in Serving Others Dionne Dowdy-Lacey, Co-founder and Executive Director, United Returning Citizens Whenever Dionne Dowdy-Lacey has a bad day or feels overwhelmed, she seems to run into someone she knows who was helped by United Returning Citizens (URC), the nonprofit organization she founded just over 10 years ago to …

Silver Maples and Blueberry Bushes: Sowing a Thriving Community in Boulevard Park  Mary Danus, Secretary, Boulevard Park Block Watch  Mary Danus remembers the silver maples covering every inch of Boulevard Park when she moved there 50 years ago. This section of the Pleasant Grove neighborhood in Youngstown was always known for its tall trees—an urban …

Engaged Resident: Showing Up Wherever There Is a Need Christina Anderson, Licensed Independent Social Worker Christina Anderson is the picture of an engaged resident. The licensed independent social worker lends her expertise to a number of boards and causes in the community. She’s served as the precinct committee representative for her neighborhood and is a …

Mission-aligned Partner: Connecting Opportunities Through Capital Angelo LoCastro, Youngstown/Warren Office Director, Bridgeway Capital There is a new mission-aligned partner in town: Bridgeway Capital. Founded in 1990 in Pittsburgh after the collapse of the region’s steel industry, Bridgeway Capital seeks to combat injustices and advance opportunities in places that have been devastated by disinvestment and lack …