Economic and Environmental Resilience in a Historic Black Community
Yolanda R. Owens
2023-2024 | City of Jackson – Jackson Redevelopment Authority
YOLANDA R. OWENS is an accomplished professional with a civil engineering and contract administration background. Most recently, she served as executive director of the Jackson State University Development Foundation and has several years of experience in non-profit fundraising. Her corporate and volunteer service demonstrates her ability to achieve organizational objectives through effective communication, strategic planning, problem-solving, and capacity building. Her corporate, higher education, and non-profit work includes project management, planning, and fundraising, bringing a distinctive skillset to the Farish Street Historic District project.
Project
The Farish Street Historic District in Jackson, Mississippi, is facing economic decline and the impact of climate change, including a recent water crisis. FUSE Executive Fellow Yolanda R. Owens will collaborate with the Jackson Redevelopment Authority and partners to revitalize the district by analyzing existing plans, securing resources, building operational capacity, and developing effective marketing strategies. She aims to establish relationships, address gaps, secure funding, enhance capacity, and attract investment to promote long-term economic and climate resilience in the district and surrounding neighborhoods.