In Search of What Works: A LISC Conference to Explore Local Solutions for National Problems
If you’re like me, these days you brace yourself before turning to the morning’s headlines. A serial of high-profile violence and conflict is plaguing our country. Social and racial tensions are palpably high. An unprecedented number of Americans 45 million struggle below the poverty line. The world around us can seem like a blur of grim broadcasts and statistics.
And in the midst of that blur, it’s hard to know where to look for solutions.
But solutions do exist. And if we move past the headlines, deep into pockets of American cities and rural communities, we find local leaders putting those solutions into practice, to reinvigorate neighborhoods, to forge relationships between residents and police, to create jobs and good schools and peaceful, equitable places to live. To help real people build better lives for themselves and their families.
This, of course, is the work of community development, and those local leaders our partners are the keepers of the vision that inspires hope and action. All of us in this wide, diverse field know that the change we’re after is critical to the health of our society. It’s the change we desperately need to combat the monumental issues of poverty and inequality that affect us all. And it’s the potential for that change that motivates us to get up and get going every day.
To daylight those solutions, and to nurture solidarity and the exchange of ideas when we most need them, LISC is hosting a national community development leadership convening, November 14-16, 2016. This invitation-only event will gather leaders from the non-profit and private sectors as well as from philanthropy and government.
A roster of knowledgeable, thought-provoking speakers will frame the meeting, posing questions and ideas to inspire ongoing discourse and problem-solving. And because the proceedings will take place in an open plenary, all participants will share in the discussion together and learn about promising new approaches to community revitalization.
Highlights from the convening include:
- Neighborhood tours of Houston that will reveal how comprehensive community development is invigorating local communities.
- Robert Rubin, LISC’s board chair, introducing Maurice Jones, our new president and CEO, at a luncheon. Jones will share his vision for LISC and the future of community development.
- New York Times columnist and author Charles Blow, an eloquent expert on race and politics in America, will deliver the keynote address at our gala reception and dinner.
- A series of “LISC Talks” by guest speakers pinpointing persistent obstacles to our work and offering plans of action.
- Pollster Anna Greenberg will recap the elections at a closing-day breakfast, followed by a panel discussion about community development work in a new political landscape.
To stimulate thinking and conversations in advance of the program, we are launching a blog series on this website. We hope you’ll come back and keep reading, be part of the conversations with LISC locally and carry the insights you glean into our discussions at the conference.
So, join us in Houston! Bring your experience and your ideas and together, we will engage with colleagues and redouble our efforts to revitalize disinvested places and nurture a better quality of life for low-income Americans. We look forward to lively and productive dialogue about the critical issues facing our industry.
We hope to see you there!
Denise Scott, President
With more than three decades of experience in community development, Denise leads LISC’s investment in 38 local offices in cities and rural communities across 49 states with a firm commitment to ensuring local leaders have the platform and capacity to drive strategies for equitable community change. She is responsible for providing vision and setting the strategic direction for local offices and national programs and leading implementation of enterprise priorities like Project 10X. Denise previously served as LISC’s Executive Vice President for seven years. In this role, she elevated the field agenda and refined a service delivery system for national resources, investments and technical assistance to maximize LISC’s impact.
@LISCDeniseScott