Una Anderson has served as the Executive Director of New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative since 2001.NONDC is a non-profit organization with the mission of increasing the production of affordable housing in New Orleans neighborhoods. Under her direction, NONDC coordinates and facilitates neighborhood planning and development, demonstrates and promotes innovative models and approaches to expanding affordable housing production in some of New Orleans’ most distressed neighborhoods. A Louisiana native and cum laude graduate of HarvardUniversity, Una has extensive experience in business and real estate development. She has a long history of commitment to public service in New Orleans, formerly legislative aide to a City Councilman and years of service on the Orleans Parish School Board where she was an advocate of reform and a proponent of the charter school system. She has been active in numerous community organizations including the Louisiana Council for Economic Education, Myrtle Banks Mentoring Program, Kingsley House, New Orleans Council for Young Children, and the Young Leadership Council, among others.She is involved in multiple neighborhoods and serves as a member of the advisory board of Central City Renaissance Alliance.
Shawn Escoffery, MCP - Deputy Director
Shawn Escoffery is Deputy Director of the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative. Mr. Escoffery is an experienced urban planner with over 12 years work experience in planning and community and economic development fields. Throughout his career, Mr. Escoffery has managed projects and people effectively to produce positive outcomes for communities. Mr. Escoffery has extensive experience in workforce and economic development from his previous senior management responsibilities with the City of Baltimore's Empowerment Zone and at New Community Corporation, one of the largest nonprofit community development corporations in the country. Prior to taking his fellowship position, Mr. Escoffery was the Project Executive for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Networks Initiative, where he was responsible for managing the technical assistance program team in the development of strategic plans and sustainable organizational structures for Neighborhood Networks centers and Neighborhood Networks consortia. Internationally, Mr. Escoffery has worked on a waterfront redevelopment project and land use survey for the City of GuayaquilEcuador and a tourist redevelopment plan for the WhitePagodaTemple in BeijingChina. Mr. Escoffery has worked with federal, state, and municipal governments, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and private corporations to ensure sound land-use planning and development. He has served as an executive Commissioner for the City of Baltimore's Human Services Commission and currently sits on the board of several nonprofit organizations, and as the Vice President of BCT Partners, a strategic management, technology and organizational development consulting services firm that works with government agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations and educational institutions.
Shawn Escoffery holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a concentration in Housing, Community, and Economic Development. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English Literature from RutgersUniversity and a certificate in Communications and International Relations from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at CarnegieMellonUniversity.Mr. Escoffery is currently a Rockefeller Fellow through the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence (CUREX) and recently received a certificate in Urban Redevelopment.
Mario Perkins – Project Manager
Mario Perkins has a professional background in Finance in the private and non-profit sector. He graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Finance from Texas State University. Mario came to New Orleans in 2007 as a volunteer to help with the recovery effort.
Todd Leavitt - Project Manager
Todd Leavitt, New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative Todd Leavitt has recently joined the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative, where he is working on a variety of projects in the Central City neighborhood. The majority of his focus is on issues related to the construction of high quality, affordable, for sale single family homes in Central City. In addition, he has worked on property acquisition, grant writing and working with community organizations on revitalization issues. He has also helped foster a relationship between Rebuilding Together and NONDC to focus efforts on owner occupied rehabilitation for elderly residents. In addition, Mr. Leavitt has been working on marketing to new homeowners and park and open space issues and on incorporating Green technologies into NONDC homeowner units.
Prior to being selected for a CURExPenn fellowship, Mr. Leavitt served as the Executive Director of Main Street South Orange in South Orange, NJ. In this capacity, Mr. Leavitt focused on strengthening the organization's role in downtown management. He worked to recruit new businesses to the downtown area and increased promotion of downtown South Orange through advertising and special events that included a farmer’s market. He also recruited new volunteers and organizations that increased community involvement in downtown issues.
Mr. Leavitt also worked as a Catalyst Coordinator and Project Manager for Partnerships for Parks in New York. By acting as a liaison between community groups, government agencies and local businesses, Mr. Leavitt raised awareness of park related issues. By the end of his tenure Mr. Leavitt had increased park funding and the number of volunteer groups, improved park maintenance and added new programming to historic FortGreenePark.
Mr. Leavitt earned his BA in Landscape Architecture from LouisianaStateUniversity and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a MS in Urban Affairs from HunterCollege in New York.
Charles Cutno – Construction Manager
Charles Cutno is a project manager of NONDC, LLC. His duties are but not limit to; construction management of all ongoing projects, and research and feasibility studies of potential initiatives. His intensive background in Construction management has been proven asset. A native of New Orleans and product of Central City, Charles understands the needs of the community and importance of quality affordable housing within this region. After earning his degree, Charles decided to pursue a career in the greater New Orleans metro area with the revitalization of our great city.
Ahmed Martin – Jr. Project Manager
Ahmed Martin’s construction management experience began before graduating college as public health volunteer in Nicaragua. There he was a site superviser as part of the organization C.A.R.E. as a part of their efforts to bring potable water to the countryside. After graduating from Wesleyan University in 2006 Mr. Martin attained his real estate salesperson license. Desiring a change of pace he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. There he started a contracting and property management company. Mr. Martin continued his property management and contracting career in historic single family home renovation on the Coast of North Carolina. As a musician and historian as well he wanted to be a part of the rebuilding of New Orleans, a city which has contributed so much to both areas. This led him to to N.ON.D.C where his focus is acquisition. Mr. Martin plays a crucial role in NONDC's neighborhood redevelopment strategies.
