Beth Nagy
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Beth attended the University of Cincinnati and received her Bachelor of Urban Planning (BUP) and Master of Community Planning (MCP) from the College of DAAP. Beth is completing her doctoral dissertation and exploring "community connectors" in Urban Educational Leadership at UC's College of Education. Beth holds certifications in Geographic Information Systems and Program Evaluation and Assessment. She also loves her adjunct teaching positions at UC's School of Planning and Xavier University. Beth lives in Clifton Heights, part of the Cincinnati CUF community.
Beth was the GIS Analyst for Cincinnati Public Schools where she was responsible for much of the enrollment planning and demographic analysis for CPS' long-range district planning, namely the Facilities Master Plan.
She is currently with the Community Building Institute, a partnership between Xavier University and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. She is the project manager for place matters, a Greater Cincinnati comprehensive community initiative. She provides technical assistance in the implementation of community-based projects with the lead agencies and community partners working towards sustained community revitalization.
Posted By: Beth Nagy
Posted: 8/27/2009
As most UC students do, I settled into the surrounding neighborhoods around UC as a student of urban and community planning. I spent most of my college years hopping from apartment to apartment, but mostly in CUF (one stint in Covington). After learning the nuances of the city and feeling the roots of my field, I decided to purchase a home in Clifton Heights. This told me that I was staying for a while. It is a beautiful historic home in one of the most colorful communities in Cincinnati.
The best part of my community is my neighbors, but I didn't know it until I started to see little things going on in the neighborhood. People out on the streets picking up litter, a care package of energy efficient light bulbs left on my front porch, newsletters in the mailbox, Christmas bows on the telephone poles, invitations to neighborhood parties and, my personal favorite, March Mulch Madness - mulching trees on the neighborhood sidewalks. I just asked someone out there one day what the deal was and there I began my journey of involvement.
So here I am, a community planner, beginning my career as not just a technician, but a socially responsible citizen engaged in a variety of different service, volunteer, marketing, beautification, politics and all that good stuff that enriches my toolbox of community planning skills. I really didn't get this "community engagement stuff" as a student, nor did I really want to. Now I know that it is an essential component of community development, the next step of my development as a student and practitioner of "community stuff." I can bring my planning skills and talents to my community and have done so many times in the connecting, planning and involvement of many projects in CUF.
I am now one of those weirdos out in the streets picking up trash, checking that street lights are working and sewer grates are free of debris for the next storm, or attaching the red ribbons to the telephone poles at Christmas. Then there are my neighbors who I volunteer with to keep my community looking and feeling good. My neighbors, block captains, community council group and Clifton Heights Improvement Association gang and partners such as UC, the Clifton Heights Business District, schools, Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and others all work together. Together, we all do a little bit of something to keep Clifton Heights a great place to live.
So, I ask you Soapbox readers, how do you participate in your communities?
Posted By: Beth Nagy
Posted: 8/26/2009
Let's begin by defining silo behavior as the execution of seemingly interconnected activities being supported by a variety of organizations with little or no collaborative or coordinated alignment. Think about its inefficiency and thus ineffectiveness. Now consider a group of philanthropists, corporate entities, community developers, community-based organizations and resident leaders all saying "we all care about the same thing, why doesn't our business model reflect the collaboration necessary to advance an agenda of asset-based community development?" This is one of the ideas that the Community Building Institute is advancing and I am proud to be a part of that.
An example of a powerful collaboration is that of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) and Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS). Just recently, CPS and CRC collaborated in a new and productive way. CRC is in the midst of their facility planning. CRC was using 2000 Census data to plan youth service location capacities, but it is 2009 and the best data source needed is right up the street and probably on speed dial. CPS maintains reliable population data for kids in kindergarten to grade 12 on an annual basis for all kids in the district, no matter what school they attend. This data is crucial for CRC to plan for their facilities just like CPS did with the CPS Facilities Master Plan. A complimentary and new way of collaborating on behalf of the community.
place matters, a comprehensive community initiative in Greater Cincinnati, asks people to change the way "business as usual" is conducted by deliberately introducing levels of collaborative accountability and capacity building assets advancing an agenda of healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities. It makes better sense every time I think about it and wonder how silos can still operate in this era if the complete model of partners, collaborative decision-making structure and leveraged investment model is in place.
As new generations of community and philanthropic leadership flow into the world of community development, we must consciously assert our moral and ethical values toward an end of supporting community endeavors that can be mutually agreed upon, supported and measured to sustain the American Dream for all people and places. I am proud to be a part of that movement.
Do you know of silos that exist and if so, how would you propose breaking them down?
Posted By: Beth Nagy
Posted: 8/25/2009
We are living in an era of renewed interest in "community." The best thing about this is it doesn't matter what field of study or career path you've chosen.
Community issues are in our everyday lives and now we've begun to re-explore our involvement in communities in a variety of ways. It's the relationships you develop that begin my suggestions for starting out as a community development professional.
Network, network, network! It sounds very "yp-ish," but it really is the best way to start navigating the field of community development. Look at your plethora of local media for events and activities to attend or volunteer - resources such as Soapbox, the Chamber of Commerce, HYPE, City's Community Council directory, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, and University Centers of Service or Engagement. This is basically saying find a way to get involved, both online and in person. You don't know what you're missing until you do it. If you're a bit anxious about in person events, remember that you are probably not the only "newbie" and the best way to overcome this is to take a friend.
If you really want to immerse in community development, consider service in the AmeriCorps VISTA program, or just intern/volunteer somewhere that interests you. Doing something is what gets you into the field of community development.
To get involved in community development, the primary requirement is to care about community "stuff." Is there a corner of your neighborhood that could use some sprucing up? Find out where your local community groups are to ask how you can help. Do you see that the local high school is looking for mentors? Be one! Do you get irritated by litter in your neighborhood? Create an awareness campaign and get a beautification team started.
I encourage you to share your suggestions to nurture the next generation of thoughtful, committed community development professionals and even opening your doors to those who might want to work with you.