Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 9-18-20

Feature
6 New Members Added To East Tampa Advisory Committee
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
After election on Tues- day, Sept. 8, 2020, the East Tampa Community Revital- ization Partnership (ETCRP) has 6 new members to serve on its East Tampa Commu- nity Advisory Committee (CAC). There were 16 candi- dates vying for the vacancies.
The new members are:
Connie Burton, Do- minique Cobb, Norene Copeland Miller, Jeffrey Johnson, Yvette Lewis, and Clinton Paris.
City Councilman Or- lando Gudes, who chairs the CAC, said, “I would like to congratulate all of the in- dividuals for being elected to the East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership's CAC. Over the last couple of years, the ETCRP has made great strides in eliminating the slum and blight and working to bring effective de- velopment into the area. I'm excited to see new things this CAC will create. I thank all the candidates and past board members for their dedication and service to the East Tampa community.”
In her statement as a can-
didate, Ms. Burton, a long- time community activist said, “I am dedicated and passionate to the uplifting of our community. Ending gen- trification and combating hopelessness continues to fuel me daily. Economic de- velopment in East Tampa is the primary tool in building a better future for this gener- ation. I will commit myself to the mission of the CAC of East Tampa.”
Dominque Cobb is a new homeowner in East Tampa and involved in the community. She was born and raised in Tampa and has been a longtime advocate for community building.
“I am currently an Urban Planner in which I study the growth retention and fore- cast for the area. I have worked with the City of Tampa and previously worked at the City of Tampa Housing Authority for sev- eral years, where I received experience in Urban Devel- opment and Housing.”
She is also a graduate of the 2018 Mayor’s Neighbor- hood University, and certi- fied through USF Government Institute as an Urban Planner.
Mrs. Copeland Miller
said, “I want to serve on the East Tampa Advisory Board to bring my knowledge and experience to my community of 30 years. I am willing to put the work in to make this community great by develop- ing new partnerships, find- ing resources, community
projects the residents sup- port and engaging the resi- dents in the process.”
She is retired from Springfield College as Assis- tant Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Adjunct Professor, and over 15 years with the Board of County Commissioners Head Start Program. She has over 40 years of government experi- ence in human services and social services.
Jeffery Alex James Johnson is the Senior Man- ager of Neighborhood Inia- tives for United Way Suncoast, as well as the Sen- ior Minister of Connections Community Church of
Tampa, FL. Academically, he’s earned a Ph.D., M.Min, M.Th., and BA from St. Thomas Christian University and Warner University. He is also a graduate of Leadership Tampa.
“As a millennial and com- munity forward progression thinker, it has been my honor to devote my adult life to community development, educational enhancement, and spiritual self-explo- ration. I believe that our communities are only as great as the people that serve in them,” he said in his state- ment.
Yvette Lewis, President of the Hillsborought County Branch NAACP, said, “I am excited for this opportunity to serve on the East Tampa Community Advisory Com- mittee. Being born and raised in East Tampa, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I now can make discussions to improve East Tampa. I will focus on low-
income housing, helping res- idents maintain and improve their homes and bringing Black-owned businesses to my community. I look for- ward to working with all the neighborhood partners. It is time for East Tampa to grow and be all that it should be and all that it can be.”
Atty. Clinton Paris
grew up in Tampa, attended USF, Stetson College of Law and worked and raised his family in Hillsborough County.
“I am familiar with the local community and know its strengths, challenges and endless potential. Tampa has given a lot to the Paris fam- ily and I have enjoyed oppor- tunities to repay the community by serving in many capacities.”
In conclusion, Council- man Gudes said, “at the October 2020 meeting, the Chair and Vice Chairperson will be elected.”
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