Getting to know Highland Project Manager, Jamie Smith

If you're at all familiar with complex community redevelopment plans (or you're inclined to listen to podcasts about them) you know that an incredible plan without a strategy for implementation runs the risk of becoming little more than a document of empty promises, a recipe for disappointment and disengagement within a community. However, when a solid plan for sustainable community redevelopment becomes an actionable guide for empowered community leadership and motivated public and private sector partners working together, lasting positive change isn't just possible, it becomes the norm. The story of Spartanburg's Northside community provides an example for Spartanburg and for the entire nation about how that work is done, and community members in Highland are working with the City's new Highland Project Manager, Jamie Smith to put their own stamp on Spartanburg's community redevelopment model, guiding implementation of the Highland Transformation Plan. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Smith and longtime Highland neighborhood leader, Leroy Jeter about the work they've undertaken so far and what we can expect to see next. (And if you're looking for a way to help in Highland right now, Mr. Jeter recommends contacting Shahkem Senghor at (864) 266-5325 to volunteer for an excellent youth football program held at Stewart park.)