The LISC Greater Kansas City team stayed very busy throughout the month of June. Just to highlight a few of our activities, at the beginning of the month, we were pleased to join Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Mayor Quinton Lucas, the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Brinshore Development, and over 100 attendees at the ribbon cutting of the new Sam Rodgers Place apartments. This was the seventh and final project of the HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant in Kansas City, Missouri’s Historic Northeast neighborhood. Known as Paseo Gateway, the project started 14 years ago to relocate 134 units of the old Chouteau Courts. LISC was proud to partner with the City and Housing Authority on the initial HUD planning grant for this multi-phase effort, and would later support community engagement efforts during the implementation phase of the project. Under the leadership of Brinshore Development, 380 new units were created across seven different sites. During the ceremonies, Rita Rodgers-Stanley spoke about the impact and legacy of her father, Dr. Samuel Rodgers. The development team also provided a fitting tribute to Mr. Jim Nunnelly, a longtime community leader and healthcare advocate, by surprising him with the naming of the Jim Nunnelly Community Room.
Later in the month, our team was pleased to attend the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Regional Assembly and Leadership awards luncheon. The honorees this year included a long-time LISC partner in our Community Development Corporation (CDC) Network, Gloria Ortiz-Fisher of Westside Housing. LISC participated in the video recognizing Gloria’s tireless contributions to our region, and we were pleased to celebrate her well-deserved recognition. In addition, former LISC Local Advisory Board (LAB) member, Marlene Nagel, was recognized for her 50 years leading MARC’s community development efforts. LISC has enjoyed working with MARC on a number of various initiatives over the years, including our current collaboration on a Regional Housing Partnership that was also highlighted during the lunch. As our regional planning organization, MARC is a critical leader of our region’s collaborative efforts across multiple industries and initiatives.
Finally, just this past week, members of our team were able to join U.S. Department of Commerce Under Secretary Eric Morrissette during his visit to our region. Under Secretary Morrissette leads the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the United States’ newest federal agency. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver hosted the Under Secretary for a roundtable discussion at the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to learn about the entrepreneurial ecosystem and discuss issues surrounding access to capital for entrepreneurs of color. Later in the day, the Under Secretary hosted a listening session with the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where he also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a formal partnership with the two Chambers and the MBDA expressing a shared commitment towards advancing access to capital and equity for diverse communities. LISC was honored to be invited to participate in the day’s activities and discussions. Supporting our entrepreneurs of color is critical to building a more inclusive and thriving community.
These are just a few of the many events and meetings that the LISC Greater Kansas City team participated in during the month of June, as we continually strive to amplify the work of our communities and partners.