Celebrating our 2024 Community Development Award Winners

Last month, LISC Jacksonville honored multiple community visionaries during its biennial Community Development Awards celebration at the Ritz Theatre & Museum. The award winners represent four highly successful community development initiatives that are creating economic and social advancement opportunities in Jacksonville’s historically under-resourced neighborhoods.

“These pioneering individuals and projects have invested significant energy and resources into spurring neighborhood and economic vitality that will have ripple effects for years to come,” said Dr. Irvin “PeDro” Cohen, executive director for LISC Jacksonville. “The transformation these individuals and projects are propelling in their neighborhoods is evident – not only from a physical landscape perspective but also in the mindset shift that is occurring. Through these investments, our urban core neighborhoods are more empowered to pursue the potential they have known inherently exists in their neighborhoods.”

2024 Community Development Award winners at the Ritz Theatre & Museum. Left to right: Janet Owens Award Winner Shirley Thomas; J.F. Bryan Award Winner Melanin Market representative Dawn Curling; Janet Owens Award Winner representative Tia Leathers (Board member for MyVillage Project); and Igniter Award Winner Union Terminal Warehouse representative Dillion Barnes.

LISC Jacksonville created the Community Development Awards in 2016 to recognize the local heroes and visionaries who have committed themselves and their organizations to positively transforming Jacksonville’s urban-core neighborhoods – providing more vibrant opportunities for residents to live, work, play, and succeed in the neighborhoods they have called home for generations. The Awards exemplify LISC Jacksonville’s mission and its role in convening the private sector, government agencies, and community organizations to bridge investment gaps to improve quality of life, increase access to wealth-building opportunities, create jobs, and provide affordable housing in Jacksonville’s urban core neighborhoods.

The 2024 Community Development Awards, which also recognized LISC Jacksonville’s 25th anniversary this year, set a new record with four winners among three award categories. Two individuals received the Janet Owens Award, as both were deemed highly worthy of recognition. The 2024 award winners include:

J.F. Bryan Award: Melanin Market, Inc. 

The J.F. Bryan Award, sponsored by Wells Fargo and named in honor of LISC Jacksonville’s founding Advisory Board Chair who served in the role for 20 years, recognizes a Community Development Corporation (CDC) or non‐profit organization that has provided collaboration and leadership in bringing diverse voices to improve community through targeted programs, initiatives, or physical development.

Dawn Curling, President of Melanin Market (middle), accepts the J.F. Bryan Award and the $5,000 donation from LISC Jacksonville Executive Director Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen (R) and Economic Development Program Officer Dr. Melissa Chester (L).

Melanin Market, Inc. was created to serve as a cultural destination and marketplace that elevates, engages, and supports the community, local artists, and Black-owned businesses. In addition to providing local businesses a platform to promote themselves, the street markets also curate live performances and events by local artists of all genres, including music, spoken word, dance, and visual arts. As a community collaborative, the Melanin Market also hosts workshops, provides small-business grants, and offers additional opportunities throughout the year that promote economic development and inspire community fellowship. As part of the J.F. Bryan Award, Melanin Market also received a $5,000 donation.

Janet Owens Award (Tied for 2024): Ronnie King and Shirley Thomas

The Janet Owens Award, sponsored by VyStar Credit Union and named in honor of LISC Jacksonville’s former executive director and community visionary, recognizes an individual who has served as a catalyst in one of the following three pillars: Community Development, Safety and Justice, or Family Wealth Creation.

MyVillage Project Board Member Tia Leathers (middle) accepts the Janet Owens Award on Ronnie King's behalf from Gregory Owens (L), husband of the late Janet Owens, and LISC Jacksonville Executive Director Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen (R).

Ronnie King is the co-founder and CEO of the MyVillage Project, a community fund that supports more than 185 Black nonprofit organizations in their collective quest to build the most scalable education platform for communities of color. By organizing nearly 100 Black grassroots nonprofits under one unified umbrella, the MyVillage Project has created a powerful network of community-driven initiatives aimed at uplifting youth, ensuring organizational sustainability, and fostering economic impact through subgrants. Let by Mr. King’s visionary guidance, the Project began as a community fund to support Black nonprofits and has since evolved into a dynamic force for positive change.

Shirley Thomas (middle) accepts the Janet Owens Award from Gregory Owens (L), husband of the late Janet Owens, and LISC Jacksonville Executive Director Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen (R).

Shirley Thomas is president of the North Riverside Community Development Corporation (CDC) and also serves as assistant to the CEO and foreman of volunteers at the Daily Manna Serving Center, a food bank. Under Mrs. Thomas’s leadership, the North Riverside CDC has made significant progress in educating the local community about the issue of heirs’ property and providing resources and connections to community members to help them resolve heirs’ property issues, remain in their homes, and build generational wealth. Mrs. Thomas is highly active in the community, her church, and with several nonprofit organizations, in addition to being a breast cancer survivor, community educator, and supporter of those experiencing breast cancer.

Igniter Award: Union Terminal Warehouse by Columbia Ventures

The Igniter Award, sponsored by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, recognizes a real estate project that advances the urban core in Jacksonville’s underserved neighborhoods.

Dillion Barnes (middle) accepts the Igniter Award for the Union Terminal Warehouse from Guest Speaker Mayor Donna Deegan (L) and LISC Jacksonville Local Advisory Board Chair Sherry Magill (R).

The historic, 109-year-old Union Terminal Warehouse in Jacksonville’s Historic Eastside is a major catalyst for local economic development while providing much-needed workforce and affordable housing. LISC Jacksonville provided a $4.5 million loan to help Columbia Ventures acquire the warehouse at 700 E. Union Street, which is one of the first urban core projects in Jacksonville that attracted capital from outside Jacksonville. With a total estimated development cost of $72 million, the rehabilitated and renovated warehouse, when completed in 2024, will house 228 apartments and 50,000 square feet of commercial space for artist studios, restaurants, retail, and small office space.

LISC Jacksonville will celebrate the next Community Development Awards in the Spring of 2026.