Andrew Cuomo, Secretary

Volume 1, Issue 1

“We were able to explore community issues and strategies throughout our region at an in-depth level and bring this knowledge back to the communities that we work with”

Community Builders Gather to Learn From Each Other With so much experience and expertise in the Community Builders ranks, in two regions of the country, Secretary’s Representatives have led retreats designed to introduce new Fellows and share knowledge and ideas among all HUD Community Builders. In HUD’s Southeast/Caribbean region, Secretary’s Representative Davey Gibson welcomed the region’s newest Community Builder Fellows with two days of orientation in mid-April, emphasizing teamwork and training. The conference gave Davey an early opportunity to provide essential information, set the tone, and pump-up the region’s Class of 1999 CB fellows as they reported to their field offices after receiving the initial two week orientation in Washington, DC. During his opening remarks the following day, Davey asked everyone – Community Builder Fellows, Atlanta staff, and career Community Builders – to write the words "I" and "Me" on small pieces of paper to be placed in a cup being passed around the room. He then asked that the cup be discarded into the trash can. As he put it, "We are one team now … the only word we use is ‘We’." Upbeat and inspiring, Davey made it clear that each Community Builder Fellow would receive the support they needed in order to be successful in their jobs. Program representatives showed-off their expertise on a wide range of issues, offering region-specific aspects of their programs. HUD’s Public Trust Officers briefed new Community Builders on Multi-Family Housing, Public Housing, Single Family Housing, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, The Enforcement Center, The Real Estate Assessment Center, Community Planning and Development, and Economic Development. Southeast Community Builder Fellows present uniformly expressed positive comments in regards to the training they received. Andrea Schmidt, a newly assigned Fellow in the Greensboro office stated that "as a new Community Builder Fellow, I found the training and orientation offered by the Atlanta regional office to be most useful in my work on the local level. I learned about HUD's unique organizational structure and how it impacts upon program and service delivery. And it helps keep my spirits up to learn that I am part of such a large and supportive family! Together we can change the world (or at least our little piece of it)!" Mid-Atlantic Community Builders converged upon Ellicott City, Maryland to share best practices and to develop a rich peer network of Community Builders throughout the region. On the first day of the conference, Secretary’s Representative Karen Miller and Senior Community Builders Diane Lello (Delaware Field Office), Richard Nemoytin (Pittsburgh Field Office), Fred Roncaglione (Charleston Field Office), Bob Warner (a Community Builder representing the District of Columbia), Mary Ann Wilson (Richmond Field Office), and Harold Young (Baltimore Field Office) showcased the roles that Community Builders in each office are playing in addressing HUD’s mission. Over sixty Community Builders provided unique insight into the successes and challenges of serving as the community convenor and relationship manager for HUD. The Mid-Atlantic conference successfully tapped into the diverse knowledge and experiences of career personnel and fellows. An entire day was devoted to 16 peer workshops that were led by Community Builders. These sessions focused on issues that every field office is currently facing, such as rural development (led by George Klaus), housing development (led by Al Curatola), and consolidated planning (led by Margie Coccodrilli). Discussion in each session fused an in-depth understanding of community issues, such as with the knowledge of best practices from various public, corporate, nonprofit, and education perspectives. Before heading back to local offices, Community Builders met Bud Carter, Director of the Philadelphia Home Ownership Center, to discuss the current transition to new contractors for marketing HUD properties for sale. Afterwards, Karen accompanied by Senior Community Builders, facilitated a forum to address any remaining questions and concerns across the region. “I found this retreat extremely valuable, “ said Virginia Community Builder Anne Davis. “We were able to explore community issues and strategies throughout our region at an in-depth level and bring this knowledge back to the communities that we work with,” said Davis. Through these two regional convenings, HUD’s leadership is preparing Community Builders for success in their roles. New recruits are given a thorough grounding in preparation for the challenges they will face. In addition, HUD is striving to achieve synergy by fully accessing the knowledge, insight, and experiences that exists in its ranks.