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Women of Color in Community Development’s mission is to support the personal, educational and professional development of women of color engaged in fields related to community and economic development. WCCD is a 501c3 organization. WCCD focuses on advancing the industry through advocacy for community and economic development, including preservation and development of affordable housing, expansion of educational, recreational, health and social service opportunities in low-income communities, and the expansion of financing and subsidy resources. |
In the late 1990s, a group of women in Washington, DC drawing on their rich and diverse backgrounds came together in an effort to highlight, elevate and support women of color in community development. Led by founders - Lisa Hall, Susan Jones, Lessie Powell Evans and Oramenta Newsome, this effort was intentionally developed to support dynamic women of color to successfully lead in the community development arena.
In 2008, Women of Color in Community Development (WCCD) grew from an informal network to a membership organization when founding board members Tabitha Atkins, Marie Bibbs, Kieva Dennis, Donna Gambrell, Alyia Gaskins, Heather Raspberry, and Maia Shanklin Roberts obtained the organization's 501(c)(3) status and created programming to support the personal and professional trajectories of women of color in the community development arena.
Our Founders
From left to right: Lessie Powell Evans, Lisa Hall, Ornamenta Newsome, and Susan Jones
2025 Leadership
WCCD is led by a Board of Directors who are elected every two years by members of the organization. The current Board of Directors are: