Knoxville Recognizes Community Development

Over seventy awards program attendees were present to recognize the Knoxville Community Development recipients

FOD Ed Ellis and Mayor Madeline Rogero discussing community development awards program

Knoxville HUD staff recently joined with the City of Knoxville and Mayor Madeline Rogero in recognizing businesses, organizations and committees, advisory councils and groups for their commitment, efforts and accomplishments leveraging Community Development Block Grants in the areas of Housing, Economic Development, Access and Inclusion Programs, and Community Impact.

"These achievements were the result of Knoxville's leadership and commitment to the citizens of the City to bring about positive economic change and opportunity," said Ed Ellis, HUD's Knoxville Office Director.

Erik Hoglund, HUD Community Planning and Development Division, Knoxville, provided the opening remarks. Presenters of the awards included Todd Kennedy, Construction Management Supervisor with Positively Living, presented the award for fair, affordable and accessible housing to Positively Living for their supportive housing program which provides housing and case management to men living with a combination of mental illness, substance abuse, and catastrophic illnesses, and to Second Story Construction and Kennie Riffey for her work on owner occupied rehabilitation projects; Becky Wade, City of Knoxville's Community Development Director presented the award for Access and Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Seniors to the Patricia Neal Innovative Recreation Co-OP; Gwen Winfrey, Senior Project Specialist with the City of Knoxville presented the economic revitalization award to Brian Hann, Jason Stephens, Diane Reynolds, owners of the business Sokno Taco, for their work in revitalizing a vacant, blighted building into a vibrant, and beautiful meeting space in the South Haven neighborhood. Other awards were presented by Knoxville's Economic Development Project Manager to the East Tennessee Community Design Center, which is instrumental in helping get revitalization projects off the ground, and to the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum for helping residents to grow their own vegetables, and offering classes related to urban agriculture.

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