Category: Chair’s Update

It’s election season and I expect many of us are uneasy going into next week’s election given the level of polarization in this country, the degree to which we know little about who is likely to win, when a winner will emerge, and what will happen in January when we install a new government. The election […]

As we head into Fall, I hope everyone is getting settled into their routines after an active summer and finding fun and innovative ways to support their work with communities. Where I live in Minnesota that fall can be spectacularly beautiful and offers a nice transition to the challenges of winter and winter can be pretty […]

As the summer ends and the school year begins it can be a busy time for those of us engaged in the work of community development. Maybe it’s the energy people get from taking a little time, connecting with friends and family or sending kids back to school. There’s something about the Fall that gets people […]

It was great to reconnect with friends and colleagues in Omaha at the 2024 Annual Conference of the Community Development Society. We had a nice venue, excellent plenaries and engaging sessions. The conference is where I get my batteries recharged and reconnect with friends and colleagues. I hope others did as well. Even though we’re a […]

I am very excited to be just weeks away from our Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska! I do hope to see a strong showing of our Members there to learn with one another, celebrate one another, and have the chance to experience on-the-ground work in yet another terrific host community. I also eagerly anticipate the results […]

It’s hard to believe June is just around the corner–the last full month of my term as Board Chair! Get ready for our upcoming elections for Board of Director seats that will begin at our Annual Business Meeting in July! You will receive an email with the official electronic voting link in early June. As I […]

Revised bylaws were ratified during a special meeting of the CDS membership and Board of Directors on March 25th. Many thanks to all who invested time and effort to ensure productive deliberations! As promised, the Board of Directors has decided to honor all previous election results through appointments under the new bylaws. Steve Jeanetta will continue […]

Greetings! On behalf of the entire CDS Board of Directors, I’d like to thank our Members for their thoughtful feedback and input to the revised bylaws that we discussed in January, approved and presented in February, and which were ratified during the special meeting of the general membership on March 25, 2024. The Board’s Governance Committee, […]

I hope CDS Members are enjoying the new benefit of free access to National Civic Review, a long-standing publication of the National Civic League. I’ve had the pleasure of working on NCL’s 9th Edition of the Model City Charter and publishing in the Review in the past. I encourage CDS Members to submit article proposals to […]

Greetings CDS Members! As 2023 draws to a close, I reflect back on the commitments I made at the start of my term serving as the Board Chair and would like to offer a midterm update. We are moving ahead steadily with support from our new Executive Director, Tammy Baxter. This is especially true in regard […]