Community Development with Réna Bradley
By Tabitha Ervin
Editorial Director
Originally from Metro Detroit, Réna has lived in Fort Wayne since August 2015. Bradley studied Architecture at Howard University and she has had an environmental focus since high school both creatively and scientifically. She also loves community impact work as well. Growing up in Southfield, Michigan which at the time was one of the 10 most diverse cities by race, culture, age and class, her parents raised her to dream big and never have any limits so she went to college with the mindset, “I can do whatever I want”. Her parents were overcomers and advocates and they were very loving and encouraging while teaching a strong work ethic. As she graduated and began to look at the field of architecture, she realized there was a lack of diversity in the profession. At the time less than 0.2% of architects in the U.S. were African American females. Even some of her professors at Howard were part of the first 50 black women to ever become licensed architects in the country.
In 2007, during the auto industry collapse, instead of returning to Detroit initially, Bradley remained in the Washington DC metro area and interned at an architecture firm that specialized in health care- working on large hospitals. It was the first time she learned that design decisions had real and measurable impacts on the health and well-being of individuals- like hospital patients - who spent time in them. She fell in love with the notion that great design not only had the potential to be beautiful, but also the potential to radically improve quality of life and well-being for individuals and entire communities.
After practicing on the east coast for 4 years, she returned to her hometown of Detroit as a Detroit Revitalization Fellow-. Her fellowship included working at a quasi-governmental agency to help implement eco-friendly residential rehab projects that improved the economic well-being of homeowners in select Detroit neighborhoods. When Detroit ran into some bankruptcy challenges, she began to work on projects as a consultant.
It was during this time, she stumbled up Bridge of Grace and thus began her Fort Wayne journey. Nearly a year after her initial interview, she moved to Fort Wayne as Bridge of Grace’s Community Development Coordinator and moved into a Director position a year later. During her seven years working with Bridge of Grace as a staff member and consultant, she helped raise 7.5 million for a neighborhood in SE Fort Wayne, renovate 23 homes, support initiatives that helped bring down crime by 65%, worked with 1000s of volunteers, ran education programs and helped create after school education programs among many other initiatives supported through her work. She enjoyed engaging the community within the process of building and changing the neighborhood, one house, one vacant lot, and one smile at a time.
In July, Réna joined the City of Fort Wayne's Community Development Department as a member of the four-person Neighborhood Planning & Activation Workgroup. The group was established in January 2022 and their work continues to actualize her dreams of changing and building communities.
The group works with Fort Wayne residents, community leaders, and neighborhood associations, to create and support strong and vibrant neighborhoods by developing plans, amd overseeing various grants, programs and projects that help equip neighborhoods with tools and guides to build their capacity and skills. Some of Réna’s current projects include producing and facilitating 101 Presentations and Workshops to provide neighborhood leaders, members and residents with tools and resources they need to be well informed, and active, agents of change in and for their communities.
Some topics include the following:
- Grant Writing 101 (Currently available)– basics of grant writing and tips for maintaining relationships with funders;
- Civic Engagement 101 (Launching in October) – Tips and tools for being an effective advocate including: writing op eds, engaging public officials, testifying before commissions, working with city staff, etc.;
- Asset Based Community Development (coming in 2023); and
- Neighborhood Association Governance (coming in 2023).
Some projects that are coming soon are as follows: “101” guides which are digital and print materials that will quickly spell out how residents can begin a project and identify some of the resources that are available to help them do so (with a particular emphasis on resources available within the City.) Neighborhood Leaders Conference – (1 day event) Coming in Spring 2023 and Neighborhood Leaders Academy – (workshops and training for association leaders) launching in Spring 2023.
To access this information and more please see the website or social media: www.fortwayneneighborhoods.org and Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook.
And thank you to Réna for your continued work to better our neighborhoods in the City of Fort Wayne!
