Nashville Regional Technical Assistance Workshop Attracts More Than 180 Neighborhood Networks Stakeholders

Neighborhood Network Centers Director Delores Pruden and Atlanta HUB Multi-Family Director, Bob Reavis

More than 180 Neighborhood Networks stakeholders gathered on April 23-25 in Nashville, Tennessee for the first of two 2008 Regional Technical Assistance Workshops (RTAWs).

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Nashville Multifamily Program Center and Headquarters, the RTAW, themed "Providing Resources, Producing Results" provided stakeholders with the tools they need to help residents of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured and -assisted multifamily housing communities achieve even greater results.

Delores A. Pruden, Director, HUD Multifamily Neighborhood Networks Initiative; Robert Reavis, Director, Atlanta Multifamily Hub; Ed Phillips, Director, Nashville Multifamily Program Center; and William Dirl, Director, Nashville Field Office welcomed workshop participants. The opening session began with the presentation of colors by the Tennessee Air National Guard’s Honor Guard and the singing of the national anthem by James Conley, Project Manager, Nashville Field Office.

The RTAW offered 28 customized workshops to meet the specific needs of Neighborhood Networks center staff, property owners and managers, residents, and volunteers. From building mutually beneficial partnerships and securing funding to launching age-appropriate programs and providing training on the latest technology, the RTAW demonstrated methods and techniques for providing programs and services for residents. The RTAW featured dynamic speakers and panelists, including Neighborhood Networks center staff and property owners and managers. Responses to the sessions were positive. For example, Tonya Speller, center director of the Cross Creek Neighborhood Networks Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, said that, "Each time we attend a RTAW, we learn something new that helps make our center more successful."

HUD-Nashville Multi-Family Program Center Director, Ed Phillips with housing staff at the Regional Neighborhood Network Training held in Nashville (l to r): Ron Austin, Joy Wall, Carolyn Davis and Beth Brewer-Lay.

A consistently popular two-day comprehensive grant writing workshop was offered prior to the RTAW. The pre-RTAW session was taught by a proven grant writing expert and covered the entire grant writing process from identifying potential funding sources to submitting a complete proposal, including strategies and tips for writing award-winning grants.

The RTAW concluded with a tour of the CWA-Cayce Learning Center, the first Neighborhood Networks center to achieve Model center status in the Neighborhood Networks Center Classification System.

"Each time we host a RTAW, I am impressed with the dedication, commitment, and creativity of everyone who works to make Neighborhood Networks a success. With each passing year, the centers are producing greater results, enjoying more successes, and helping more residents achieve greater self-sufficiency. Also, the loyalty and enthusiasm of the HUD Neighborhood Networks Coordinators and staff who support this Initiative tell me we are on the right track and making a difference. Our success would be impossible without the support of individuals such as Robert Reavis, William Dirl, and Ed Phillips. Ed and his team were instrumental in helping us ensure that the Nashville RTAW was a pleasant and positive learning experience for everyone who attended," concluded Pruden.

Neighborhood Networks will hold its final 2008 RTAW in San Francisco, California, on July 9-11. Neighborhood Networks is in its 13th year and has more than 1,400 community learning centers in operation throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S Virgin Islands. For more information, visit www.NeighborhoodNetworks.org.