You Can’t Censor Experience: Leading Community Change from the Ground Up │Kathleen J. Guillaume-Delemar

In this powerful episode of the Leading Ladies of Economic Development Podcast, Kaycee sits down with Kathleen (Kat) J. Guillaume-Delemar, President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress. Kat shares her deeply personal journey—from growing up in under-resourced communities in Brooklyn during the crack epidemic to leading a national organization focused on equitable property revitalization. She challenges conventional ideas about “blight,” economic development, and community engagement, emphasizing that lasting change must be community-led, policy-driven, and rooted in lived experience. Through candid storytelling and practical examples, Kat explains how communities can reclaim vacant and abandoned properties without displacement—and why listening to community “whispers” is the key to sustainable revitalization. In this episode, we explore: Lived experience should shape leadership and solutions. Kat emphasizes that real, lasting change comes from leaders who understand the systems firsthand, not just in theory. Communities must be true partners, not afterthoughts. Effective revitalization starts with residents, not after decisions are made. Listening early leads to sustainable outcomes. Fixing systems matters more than fixing properties. The Center for Community Progress focuses on policy, education, and tools that address the root causes of vacancy and disinvestment. Revitalization can happen without displacement. When done right, community-led strategies can increase stability, homeownership, and quality of life—without fueling gentrification. Quotable: “You can censor words—but you can’t censor lived experience.” Link to register for the 2026 reclaiming vacant properties conference: 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference | Center for Community Progress Resources and Links Connect with Kat J. Guillaume-Delemar on on LinkedIn Center for Community Progress Resources for Community Development Leaders & Professionals | Center for Community Progress National Land Bank Network | Center for Community Progress Creating Homeownership Opportunities in Newark through Housing Choice Vouchers | Center for Community Progress From Harm to Home | Center for Community Progress Chatham Savannah Land Bank Authority | Savannah, GA Benzie County, MI Detriot Land Bank Authority Detroit Landy Bank Authority Rehabbed & Ready Program County of Saginaw, MI - Land Bank Publications | Center for Community Progress Special Guest: Kathleen (Kat) J. Guillaume-Delemar.