Kathie Dunbar, Executive Director
When Kathie moved to Lansing in 1996, she discovered that many of her neighbors didn't know each other, even those who had lived in the same area for decades. To build connections within her immediate community, Kathie founded the Sagamore Hill Neighborhood Association (SHNA). Over the next several years, Kathie transformed her neighborhood from a place where people barely knew each other to a community where people shared keys to each others' houses. Today, neighbors still hold annual Easter egg hunts, summer picnics, Halloween Parades, and Christmas dinners.
In 2002, Kathie received Lansing Neighborhood Council’s Bea Christy Award for dedication to neighborhoods. Later that year, Neighborhood Associations of Michigan presented Kathie with their annual Community Leadership Award. Around that time, the Ingham County Health Department hired Kathie to coordinate the South Lansing Healthy Communities Initiative, addressing community development needs identified by citizens who participated in the South Lansing Summit. This work led her to found the South Lansing Community Development Association.
In addition to her work at South Lansing CDA, Kathie serves on the Lansing City Council. She continues to live in South Lansing with her husband and four children.
Catie Parker, Health Initiatives Coordinator
Catie Parker is SLCDA’s Health Initiatives Coordinator and Farmers Market Manager. In 2009, during her time as a Social Work Intern for MSU, she managed SLCDA’s first ever farmers market. At the same time, she worked with segments of South Lansing’s elderly and refugee populations to increase fruit and vegetable intake. This year, Catie is starting a Southside walking program and teaching nutrition and safe food handling classes in neighborhoods and schools. She'll be working hand-in-hand with Rita, SLCDA’s Americorps, to increase local access to fruits and vegetables through gardening.
Rita O'Brien, AmeriCorps Food Systems Project Coordinator
As a recent transplant to Michigan, Rita is excited to make Lansing her home. With her background in community organizing, focusing on gardening, bicycling and youth development, Rita joined SLCDA as an AmeriCorps Food Systems Program Assistant. She is excited to work with the South Lansing community to create community garden spaces, which will increase local access to healthy food. She loves Lansing’s parks and enjoys walking in them with her dogs and parrot.
Jerrell Braden, Communications Coordinator
Jerrell Braden is the SLCDA's Communications Coordinator. In that capacity, Jerrell is responsible for maintaining the the Southlansing.org website, researching and writing the SLCDA's bi-monthly newsletter, and all new Web 2.0 endeavors. In his spare moments, Jerrell enjoys helping out with the Farmers Market and coaching debate at Okemos High School.