MIKAL
FORBUSH
Education & Engagement Director
Mikal is a native Louisvillian and resident of Old Louisville. He leads the Neighborhood Liaison outreach program and all Educational programs including the Neighborhood Institute and the Neighborhood Summit. Previously, he was a Senior Program Coordinator with the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of Louisville. He has a background in working with youth and community organizations around creating change. Mikal is a graduate of the University of Louisville with degrees in Pan African Studies and Sociology, and enjoys many activities within the city. Mikal serves neighborhoods in Metro Council Districts 6, 9, and 25.
JOHNIQUE
ISON
Neighborhood Liaison
Johni is a West Louisville Native and is a current member of the Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood. She has had ample experience working with various communities bringing about change to both individuals and organizations. Aside from consistent service throughout District 5, Johnique has worked with underrepresented groups through Girl Scouts and Jefferson County Public Schools. She also sits on the board of a local non-profit that focuses on the enriching of children from ALL Louisville areas. She is currently working towards a Masters in Social Work at University of Louisville. As a Neighborhood Liaison, she serves Metro Council Districts 1, 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, 22, 23, & 25.
mellone f. long, phd, aicp
Executive Director
Mellone F. Long brings to Center For Neighborhoods her rich experience in public sector neighborhood planning, economic development and higher education in Lorain, County, OH; Fort Myers, FL; Greenville, SC; and Cleveland, OH. Her background includes comprehensive neighborhood planning, transportation planning, historic preservation, economic development, affordable/workforce housing initiatives, and brownfield redevelopment. She holds a Ph.D from Clemson University’s School of Planning Design & the Built Environment, a M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University. She also currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Planning, Urban Studies, and Economic Development at Cleveland State University.
Prasanthi Persad
Finance & Development Director
Prasanthi is the development and finance director at CFN. Her professional background includes health policy and public policy analysis, as well as work in fundraising and development / organizational growth. Prasanthi previously worked as an independent policy consultant and began her policy work as an analyst with the local Louisville health department. Her expertise includes Health Impact Assessments (HIAs), which are tools for achieving health in all policies. The CDC defines HIA as “a tool that can help communities, decision makers, and practitioners make choices that improve public health through community design... [it is] a process that helps evaluate the potential health effects of a plan, project, or policy before it is built or implemented.” Prasanthi holds a Masters of Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health and also holds a law degree.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION
PLANNING AND DESIGN
JESSICA
BROWN
Planning Director
Jess leads all planning and community design projects such as Better Block Louisville, neighborhood planning, neighborhood assessments, P.A.I.N.T – Producing Art In Neighborhoods Together, and Community Design Assistance. She is a certified planner and graduate of the National Charrette Institute. Previously, she worked with Louisville Metro as a Policy Analyst at the Center for Health Equity, with a focus on racial equity and government policy, and the Office of Performance Improvement and Innovation in the Mayor's Office where she developed equity initiatives for the Mayor’s Strategic Plan. Jess has a Master of Public Administration and Master of Urban Planning from the University of Louisville. Jess is a volunteer urban gardener and a mother to Jack (5) and Jemma (9 months).
Christi
Stevens
GIS & Data Coordinator
Christi is passionate about grassroots community building and is on a mission to bring the power of data and mapping into the hands of community leaders. She is a certified GIS Professional with 25 years of experience providing geospatial services, including more than 10 years with LOJIC. Her experience includes development and maintenance of ArcGIS Server based web map services, geospatial analysis, geospatial database and applications development, data mining and data fusion services. Christi has a BS in Environmental Geography from the University of Louisville. Christi enjoys playing music and gardening in her spare time, and currently serves on the board of Crescent Hill Radio where she created, produced and hosted the original Home Grown Radio Hour.
Board of Directors
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