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Arthur
Flemming Community Leadership
|
| Name | Neighborhood | Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothea Ferrell | Barry Farms | 8 |
| Reverend William B. Bynum | Trinidad | 6 |
| Lydia Goring | Mount Vernon Square | 2 |
| Patrick Jordan | Near Northeast | 6 |
| Lucille Coutard | Mount Pleasant | 1 |
| Thelma Jones | Fairlawn | 7 |
| Brenda Aviles | Columbia Heights | 1 |
| Jackie Ward | Hillsdale | 8 |
| Marshall Phillips | Edgewood | 5 |
Dorothea
Ferrell is known as both the “Mother of Barry Farm” and
the “Mayor of Barry Farm”. She has earned both titles
through her years of dedication to the children and residents of the
Barry Farm public housing complex in Southeast Washington, D.C. where
she has lived since 1956. With this award, Dorothea Ferrell will
also be known as the first recipient of the Dr. Arthur Flemming Community
Leadership Award.
Always a community activist, Mrs. Ferrell began her career as a licensed practical nurse at George Washington University. Her interest in community activism led her to change careers and she joined the D.C. Housing Authority to work as a community outreach specialist. In 1990, she founded the Barry Farm Community Center. The Center, which is based in a six-bedroom unit of the complex, has established numerous innovative programs and activities that have helped children and young adults avoid crime and drugs on the path to realizing their full potential.
Mrs. Ferrell has been very active in soliciting support for The Barry Farm Community Center’s programs, including an innovative initiative begun in 1996 that provides stipends to high school students who remain in school and graduate. Children who attend the Center can look forward to using its computers and to enjoying a snack.
Mrs. Ferrell is also active on the Barry Farm Resident Council. A three-time president of the Council, she led the Council to provide services such as food distribution, computer-based tutoring, and micro-enterprise development.
She is also a proud family member. In her own list of her accomplishments,
she began with her family:
“I am the mother of six children, grandmother of 19 children, and great-grandmother
of 23 children. I love children and that is one of the reasons I founded
and organized the community center in 1990”
Mrs. Ferrell was nominated by the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation. The
Washington, D.C. LISC staff and Local Advisory Committee are very proud
to present the first Arthur Flemming Community Leadership Award to
Dorothea Ferrell.
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Reverend Bynum is both an ordinary and extraordinary man. He
is a devoted husband and father, a successful businessperson, a man
of the cloth, a good citizen, a good neighbor and a genuine hero.
In
1948, at the age of 14, Rev. Bynum moved with his family from Wilson
County, North Carolina to Washington DC, where he has lived ever
since. After working in construction, he formed his own construction
company in the 1950’s and built the business over the years.
About 25 years ago, Rev. Bynum began to take an active leadership role
in his Trinidad neighborhood. He joined the Public Interest Civic
Association and became a committed member and leader, serving as President
of the Association and Chaplain of the DC Federation of Civic Associations. Rev.
Bynum and the Public Interest Civic Association were among the founding
members of H Street CDC in 1984, and remains an active member of the
board.
In addition, Rev. Bynum gives his time and energy to the Howard University Community Relations Council, the Gallaudet University Relations Council, the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Club, the Prince Hall Masons and the Northeast Citizens Against Drugs and crime. Through his efforts, a community newsletter is published and the annual 15th Street Capitol Hill Festival is held each year at the end of August. In 1998, Rev. Bynum was awarded the distinction of Father of the Year, by the DC Federation of Civic Associations. His latest mission is bridging the gap between his predominantly black neighborhood and the largely white campus of Galludet University.
Rev. Bynum practices the belief that residents must actively work to
rid their community of violence and criminal activities. To this
end, in 1988, he organized an anti-drug march in the Orleans Place
neighborhood, adjacent to Gallaudet University off Florida Avenue. Rev.
Bynum led the march of six or seven residents through the neighborhood. As
they continued walking the streets, residents came out of their houses
to join them. By the time they reached 8th and H Streets, NE
the small, brave band of marchers had grown to over 300! Feeling
the power of the moment, the group continued to march until they reached
the steps of the Capitol. It was a glorious, momentous day and
everyone knew it. People were empowered and emboldened by the
strength and courage Rev. Bynum and others had shown.
The Friday after the march, while Rev. Bynum was removing items from
his car, he was shot twelve times. Miraculously he survived the
murder attempt. But Rev. Bynum had gone too far to turn back. After
he left the hospital he stepped up his activities, using the Civic
Association newsletter to get residents and the authorities to call
attention to the neighborhood drug wars. He took his family on
walks to show his neighbors he was not afraid and continued to press
the police to do more. Overcoming their fears, the residents
began cooperating with the police, and in turn, the police, bolstered
by the community support, were able to arrest, convict and send to
prison many drug dealers and other criminals. The neighborhood
around New Orleans Place is no longer ground zero in the drug wars
and people have reclaimed their streets and sidewalks.
Rev. Bynum was nominated by the H Street CDC to receive this award. The Washington, D.C. LISC staff and Local Advisory Committee are very proud to present the second Arthur Flemming Community Leadership Award to Rev. William B. Bynum.
Lydia Goring possesses all the qualities of a community leader. She
has been a hard working champion for her neighborhood since purchasing
her first home in the District of Columbia in 1978. For the past
22 years, she has been a community activist in the Shaw and Mount Vernon
neighborhoods. Ms. Goring seizes every opportunity to improve
her neighborhood, whether it is pushing confronting drug dealers to
push them off the streets, encouraging property owners to rehabilitate
boarded up properties, fighting city services for cleaner streets,
or advocating preventing monolithic development projects from taking
over the community.
She is a tenacious leader who is not afraid to tackle very complex issues. For example, Ms. Goring was recently invited by the National Capital Revitalization Corporation to represent the community when they selected developers for the Wax Museum site located at 5th and K Streets, NW. Ms. Goring introduced the development teams to the residents and made sure that the community’s priorities and concerns were factors in the decision making process.
Ms. Goring is currently serving as a commissioner for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission. She was elected a commissioner to ANC2C three years ago and has represented people from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds without fail. Although Ms. Goring is for mixed income, affordable housing she does not favor housing projects and economic development activities that do not force people to do better. Always encouraging young families and professionals to purchase a home and be actively involved in civic participation in their communities, her true leadership abilities are revealed in her acknowledgement that “we can’t do it alone and must have other partners/stakeholders in community revitalization activities”.
Ms. Goring has served her community over the years in numerous ways. She was the first chair of the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood House and Garden Tour, as well as the Co-Chair of the Mt. Vernon Square Neighborhood Association Yard Sale. She organized the neighborhood’s first Orange Hat Patrol, and served as a president, vice-president and treasurer to the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association.
Ms. Goring used her award to purchase a computer and printer, thus enabling her to expand her activism and community outreach with the aide of technology.
Patrick Jordan embodies the qualities sought in the Emerging Leader award recipient. By the time this twenty-five year old started law school at Catholic University, he had already launched multiple community development programs in Trinidad and Near Northeast. Yet it is not only his accomplishments that make him a worthy recipient of the Emerging Leader award. Mr. Jordan imbues his efforts to serve his community with diligence, resourcefulness, and a passion that transcends age and racial differences.
As a graduate of Gonzaga High School, Mr. Jordan took to heart the school’s mission that the graduates become “men for others.” After graduating from college, Mr. Jordan returned to Gonzaga High School as a teacher and set to work making a difference in the community. He formed a non-profit organization called Restoration Enterprise: Healing Ailing Buildings, Inc. (RE: HAB) to convert abandoned buildings into transitional shelter. He also developed new opportunities for students at Gonzaga High School to serve in the surrounding neighborhood – through an extracurricular Construction Club that he formed and as volunteers with his organization. Mr. Jordan also reached out to the H Street Community Development Corporation. He established a new GED preparation program for the CDC and presently serves as the coordinator for the organization’s summer youth program.
Armed with the knowledge that community development never follows a straight path, Mr. Jordan persists in seeking means to address a problem until he finds a strategy that works. After several attempts to acquire property were cut short, RE: HAB switched gears and began providing support to existing service organizations and facilities.
Mr. Jordan also recognizes young people’s potential to make a difference in their communities. Gonzaga students do painting and rehab work, and they have also participated in neighborhood clean-up days that brought together the efforts of students and residents. By his example and concern for individuals, Mr. Jordan teaches young people to become leaders by their own right and motivates others to join in his efforts to improve the community quality of life.
Finally, he recognizes a leader’s responsibility to chart a clear path for others so that they can make the most of their contribution. Not only does he craft creative ideas for making a difference, he takes care to make plans that will allow him and his supporters to achieve their goals.
Lucille Coutard
Lucille Coutard emerged as a leader during her 
tenant association’s four-year battle to purchase and renovate their building at 1611 Park Road. Her persistent yet compassionate leadership was instrumental in the renovation of her building and its preservation as affordable housing. She is now a beacon for neighborhood residents who face similar housing challenges.
Following a period of drastic deterioration caused by owner neglect, the quality of life for Ms. Coutard’s family and the rest of the tenants markedly declined. Armed with the knowledge that she and her fellow tenants deserved better living conditions, Ms. Coutard took proactive steps to form a tenant association and end the housing injustices. She learned how to document housing code violations and taught her fellow residents the same. Once she convinced the tenants that their plights were similar, the tenants mobilized to fight against the property owner and work to purchase their building together. Ms. Coutard faced the additional challenge of organizing residents who did not speak English and who had recently immigrated to the United States. Ms. Coutard sought out the assistance of other non profit organizations that could assist with language and cultural translations including Mi Casa, Asian American Lead and CARECEN.
During the fight to save their building, Ms. Coutard exceeded the call of duty as tenant association president. She and her husband patrolled the vacant units at night and worked with the police to prevent drug users from taking over the building. She also worked closely with the organizations and individuals providing technical and financial assistance to the residents of 1611 Park Road. She relied on them for their technical expertise while preserving the association’s decision making authority. For example, after the property owner abdicated responsibility for the building, Ms. Coutard guided the association in making wise decisions for using funds from a rent deposit escrow account. In addition, Ms. Coutard told us that one of the association’s proudest moments occurred when the residents appeared at the building’s auction and made their successful purchase bid.
Ms. Coutard’s efforts to maintain tenant organization and to preserve the integrity of the building’s renovations are also evident. When the building reopened in April 2003, only five of the original households returned. As new families move in, Ms. Coutard presents them with a warm welcome letter and invites them to join the tenant association. She works hard to engender an environment in which the residents are proud of their building and work together to maintain it as a safe, clean, and comfortable place to live.
Ms. Coutard’s leadership in her building has inspired her to become a leader within the neighborhood at large – and with city wide efforts. She advocates for affordable housing preservation initiatives in front of City Council and other public audiences. She has spoken at several rallies to capitalize the Housing Production Trust Fund. She also provides guidance to other resident groups who wish to improve the quality of life in their buildings. She continues to mentor other tenant leaders who want to know their rights as tenants and want to improve their living conditions. Her knowledge of the housing code and effective ways to document housing code violations has been a tremendous asset to other tenant associations in the neighborhood. As an active member of the All-ways Mount Pleasant organization, Ms. Coutard works toward the ambitious goal of having organized tenant associations in all neighborhood buildings. With organization, tenants can address housing injustices and work together to improve their quality of life. Ms. Coutard’s experiences motivate her to share this lesson with her neighbors and provide them with information and insight to make effective tenant organization a reality.
Mrs. Thelma Jones reflects the spirit and embodiment of the Lifetime Achievement Award. She has dedicated most of her life to improving the quality of life in the Fairlawn neighborhood. Unafraid of a challenge and always at the ready, Mrs. Jones works tirelessly, giving of her time, energy, and experience. Her work has led to positive change in the neighborhood for the benefit of her neighbors, the community and the city as a whole.
Born and raised in Washington DC, Mrs. Jones moved to the Fairlawn Neighborhood in 1973. Since then, she has been a tireless advocate and champion for Fairlawn. She is currently serving her third term (11th year) as President of the Fairlawn Citizens Association which she stepped into after her retirement from the Government Printing Office where she worked for 24 ½ years. Mrs. Jones has developed a reputation for getting things done and keeping City officials and developers accountable.
What stands out most about this community leader is her remarkable ability to recall past events, her resourcefulness, and her boldness. Although 78 years old, she can recall details of various housing or commercial developments around the City, laws enacted, and parcel specific zoning. If she doesn’t know the answer to a question, she will research and investigate until she finds an answer. She possesses a strong understanding of DC’s zoning and regulatory laws. She puts this knowledge to use- whether boldly standing up to a developer who is in violation of the law, or testifying on behalf of Fairlawn to the City Council and the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
When asked to name the best characteristics of the neighborhood- she mentions a quiet, tight-knit community- one that helps their fellow neighbors in need. People tend to remain in place, most residents have lived there for long periods of time. The area does have its share of issues- especially crime, but Mrs. Jones is actively engaged in finding solutions. She and the Association work closely with the police department to share information and keep officials accountable.
Since joining the Fairlawn Citizens Association as its president, Mrs. Jones has structured the organization into various committees with specific responsibilities. Realizing she cannot handle everything that comes up on her own, she has learned to delegate to trusted members of the Association. Her efforts have resulted in numerous activities for families and children such as, and annual Christmas dinner and tree lighting, Easter Egg Hunts, annual Harvest Ball, and the annual crime night out. Many of these events help raise money for scholarships for neighborhood youth. To date, the Association has helped send eight youth to college.
Mrs. Jones is a busy woman. In addition to her work as President of the Citizens Association, she is a founding member of the Friends of Anacostia Library, a member of the 6th District Advisory Council and the Postal Advisory Council. She is also mother to seven children, grandmother to 13 and great grandmother to four. Most of her family remains close by, one daughter is even a member of the Association.
She recalls always being involved in civic life, largely following after the example of her mother. From her children’s PTA, to the local church, to leading visits to capital Hill to request additional funding for schools, Mrs. Jones has always been a doer. When she sees something that needs to be done, she does it, without any expectation of recognition. The City, and Fairlawn especially, are indebted to her service.
Brenda Aviles works with young women in Columbia Heights to help them overcome difficult personal situations, which include violence, gangs, unstable family situations, domestic abuse and other significant challenges. Brenda has experienced and overcome major personal issues of her own and is as a result an empathetic listener, who provides guidance, and is looked up to by the young women.
Four years ago Brenda was on a destructive path, in a gang and out of school. She was the victim of domestic violence and substance abuse. Brenda, suffocating under the weight of her everyday life ran away from home and was gone for over 2 months. When Brenda returned she joined the Latin American’s Youth Center’s Girls Leadership Program. Slowly, with the support of the Latin American Youth Center, Brenda began to focus on her future and worked to turn her life around. Today she is high school senior, with perfect attendance, excellent grades, patiently awaiting acceptance from a 4 year college or university. Above all else Brenda is a role model for the young women she mentors at the Latin American Youth Center.
Brenda gives generously of her time, experiences, and understanding to help young people in the neighborhood. She is currently the Assistant Coordinator of the Latin American Youth Center’s Girls Leadership Program. The young women in the program have been identified by their schools as gang involved or troubled, and are referred to the Latin American Youth Center for support and intervention. As Assistant Coordinator, Brenda spends hours talking to the young women about the risks of the gangs, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Brenda helps the young women cope with their circumstances through dance, drama, and creative writing and assists the coordinator in developing workshops that teach the young women more constructive ways to resolve disputes and manage their anger.
Brenda has a very positive energy. The young women in the Leadership Program feel comfortable with her because she is not only trustworthy but genuinely fun to be around. When questioned about Brenda’s qualities the young women in the program use phrases like “a lot of fun”, “always there”, “just like us”, and “someone you can trust”. Brenda has also won the respect of her peers. As a former gang leader Brenda can be forceful and intimidating in a way that reinforces respect in the young women in the Leadership Program. Finally because Brenda’s experiences mirror those of the young women in the program she mentors with an incredible amount of honesty and empathy
Jackie Ward 
Since moving to the Overlook at Washington View in 2002, Jackie has become an ANC Commissioner, condominium association board member, environmental activist, tutor, and surrogate grandmother to the neighborhood’s children. She has worked with her local Police Service Area (PSA) to remove abandoned cars that were lining the streets of her neighborhood; the Department of Education to run school supply, clothing and toy drives for the children of Wilkinson Elementary and Moten Community Center; and the Ward 8 Environmental Council to increase awareness around environmental issues. Jackie Ward was recently elected ANC Commissioner for Ward 8A and is currently Chair of the Ward 8 Environmental Council.
A former resident of N Street Village, a shelter and wellness center that serves homeless women, Jackie Ward overcame illness and financial hardship to become a homeowner. As one of the first buyers of the Overlook condominiums at Washington View, Ms. Ward is an active community member who has opened her heart and home to her neighbors and fellow residents of Ward 8.
Before the renovation The Overlook at Washington View was a neglected site. Determined to remove blight left over from the neighborhood’s past Jackie worked with the local PSA to remove the abandoned vehicles and deter illegal dumping. Through her work with the Overlook Condominium Association and active participation in her ANC, Jackie developed a relationship with Casey Trees and convinced them to donate trees to her community. This relationship has proved fruitful as Casey Trees donated 12 trees that were planted at the Overlook and intends to donate 21 additional trees to be planted in the Fall.
Ms. Ward also volunteers to tutor Wilkinson Elementary School students. Through her work Jackie noticed that too few Wilkinson students had access to school supplies and resources to improve academic performance. As a result, Jackie Ward developed a relationship with the United States Department of Education which granted her access to their supply warehouse which is full of surplus school supplies and electronic teaching resources. Ms. Ward was able to procure truckloads of school supplies, and hundreds of Leap Frog Learning Pads from the United States Department of Education for the students at Wilkinson Elementary School and the Moten Center.
Jackie Ward also serves at the Chair for the Ward 8 Environmental Council. She brings together policy makers and citizens of Ward 8 to discuss environmental issues that impact their community. In furtherance of her goal to increase environmental consciousness in her community Jackie is finalizing plans to hold a Ward 8 Energy Expo on May 16, 2007.
For more than 20 years Marshall Phillips Sr. has been a mentor and father figure for the young people of the Edgewood community. His mission is to keep young people safe, in school, and out of the grasp of the drug culture that once overwhelmed the neighborhood. As founder and director of the Edgewood Youth Development Center, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 14 years, a leader in the Edgewood Civic Association and his church he has devoted much of his adult life to helping young people and improving his community.
In the early 1990s Mr. Phillips, a single parent, worried about his son and neighborhood youth as he watched open air drug transactions occur while the children walked to school. As a result he decided escort the children to school himself and made the neighborhood drug dealers agree not to sell drugs in the neighborhood during the hours that children walked to and from school. Searching for broader ways to help, Mr. Phillips became an increasingly vocal presence at local political gatherings insisting that candidates for public office pay attention to the problems plaguing the Edgewood community.
When in response to community demands Mayor Sharon Pratt- Kelly established the Edgewood Empowerment Center, Mr. Phillips took the initiative to assure the Center had enriching youth programs. He rounded up donations of food for youth picnics, corralled transportation to take young people on outings to museums, football games, and roller-skating rinks, coordinated with the District of Columbia’s Department of Recreations and Catholic University to organize college tours and most importantly forged mentoring relationships that inspired young people to study and stay in school. In 1995 the Edgewood Empowerment Center closed. Mr. Phillips determined that the youth programs must continue, re-opened the Edgewood Youth Development Center as a 501C3 corporation in 1996. He currently operates the program out of his home and in space provided by the Family Life Center of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church. Through his work at the Edgewood Youth Development Center, Mr. Phillips continues his role as a mentor and counselor to young people, organizing recreational outings, museum visits and college tours.
During the 1990s the task of curbing violence, and protecting Edgewood residents from crimes that were the result of a devastating drug epidemic was daunting. Determined to bring effective law enforcement to Edgewood, Mr. Phillips met with Congress Woman Eleanor Holmes Norton. After meeting with him Congresswoman Norton pledged federal funding for a National Park Police detail to patrol the Edgewood neighborhood and crack-down on the violence for 90 days. Bringing a federal enforcement agency to a neighborhood was bold move in a city that chafes under restrictive federal government oversight, but Mr. Phillips had the courage and foresight to call for an unorthodox remedy. Today Mr. Phillips continues to work with law enforcement officials as Vice Chair of the 5D Citizens Advisory Council. Officers from the 5th District readily admit that they rely on community members like Mr. Phillips to update them on community concerns ranging from nuisance properties to criminal activity.
The H Street CDC credits Marshall Phillips with the fact that they expect to break ground, in the summer of 2007, on the construction of a 170-unit affordable housing rental building with 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail space on the former site of the infamous "Heroin Hotel". Mr. Phillips was also an advisor to Community Preservation & Development Corporation, the redevelopers of the 16 acres, 884 unit Edgewood Terrace complex. Mr. Phillips lobbied the developers for a job training center, and other neighborhood service programs. The training center and social service programs are now among the most successful elements of the Edgewood Terrace redevelopment.
After over 25 years of living and working in the community Mr. Phillips has the ability to understand his neighbors’ concerns, and incorporate their concerns into his strategy for improving the neighborhood. He is a committed member of the community with empathy, devotion, and above all optimism. Mr. Phillips is also an inclusive leader. He leads by listening and uses a variety of techniques to involve participants as equals in a deliberative process.
| © 2005 LISC DC 1825 K Street, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 | T: 202-785-2908 F: 202-785-4331 E: dc@lisc.org | |
