Longtime group chief Irvin “PeDro” Cohen has been named govt director of LISC Jacksonville, the native arm of Native Initiatives Help Corp., the nation’s largest group improvement group.
Cohen will lead applications targeted on revitalizing and rebuilding city neighborhoods to behave as financial catalysts for residents. The Jacksonville native additionally will likely be concerned in key nationwide LISC initiatives, together with Venture 10X, a $1 billion plan to shut racial well being, wealth and alternative gaps.
“Dr. Cohen is the daring, dedicated chief we have to not solely drive capital into Jacksonville’s communities however to collaborate with neighborhood nonprofits, enterprise leaders, native establishments, philanthropy and metropolis officers on frequent efforts to construct a broadly shared prosperity — one that provides alternative to all residents, no matter race, class, gender or ZIP Code,” stated Maurice Jones, nationwide LISC president and CEO.
Cohen succeeds Janet Owens, who died in April after main the nonprofit company for 10 years.
He most just lately served as vice chairman of operations for YMCA of Florida First Coast and beforehand was govt director of New Town Success Zone, a public-private partnership designed to advertise well being and schooling within the struggling neighborhood west of downtown. New City has been considered one of LISC Jacksonville’s goal communities.
“Jacksonville is a vibrant, inventive, hopeful metropolis,” Cohen stated. “Now we have nice promise if we work collectively to put money into a future the place all our neighbors can see alternative —whether or not meaning the possibility to earn wage, or construct a small enterprise, or study in a top quality faculty, or play in a secure park, or discover contemporary, reasonably priced meals to maintain your loved ones wholesome.”
Since 2000, LISC Jacksonville has invested about $100 million in reasonably priced housing, financial improvement, well being and jobs all through the area and leveraged $365 million in further investments for Jacksonville communities. Such work is significant proper now, Jones stated, given the nationwide impacts of COVID-19, “racial reckoning” and local weather change.
Cohen earned his bachelor’s diploma in sociology from the College of North Florida, an MBA in advertising from Pfeiffer College in Charlotte, N.C., and a doctorate in organizational management and nonprofit administration from Nova Southeastern College in Fort Lauderdale. A lot of his analysis targeted “on the well-being of communities with vital socioeconomic challenges, with a selected give attention to the function the African American church performs in these communities,” based on LISC.
He serves on the advisory boards of the UNF School of Schooling, the College of Florida’s Scientific Translation Science Institute, Vanderbilt College’s Recruitment Innovation Heart and JASMYN Inc.
In different nonprofit management information:
• Operation New Hope has employed a president and reorganized its management workforce. Founder Kevin Homosexual will stay as CEO to give attention to fund improvement, coverage and advocacy work, whereas Scott Suozzi will fill the newly created place of president and oversee day-to-day operations.
Suozzi is a Naval Academy graduate with 20 years of lively responsibility, retiring as a commander. Whereas within the Navy, he obtained superior levels in enterprise and legislation and is a “seasoned senior govt degree coverage adviser, authorized counsel and chief,” based on Operation New Hope. The nonprofit additionally introduced two promotions: Reggie Fullwood from Ready4Work program director to the brand new place of chief engagement officer, and Gretchen Hamm from medical companies director to Ready4Work program director.
Operation New Hope supplies assist, life and job expertise coaching for individuals with a historical past of involvement with the felony justice system.
• Junior Achievement of North Florida has named Shannon Italia as its new president, succeeding Steve St. Amand, who retires Dec. 31. Italia has 25 years of enterprise improvement and group engagement expertise, most just lately at Harbor View Advisors in Ponte Vedra Seashore.
Earlier, Italia was a senior director on the College of North Florida’s Coggin School of Enterprise and founding director of the school’s Enterprise Profession Heart. At Junior Achievement, she’s going to handle work readiness, entrepreneurship and monetary literacy applications for kindergarten- to Twelfth-grade college students.
• Episcopal Children’s Services, which supplies high quality early studying alternatives for kids and their households in 14 North and Central Florida counties, welcomed Lauren Weedon Hopkins as its new chief improvement officer. Hopkins most just lately was regional director for Catholic Charities Jacksonville.
At Episcopal, she’s going to lead improvement, grants, group outreach and volunteer efforts and oversee non-federal match necessities. She additionally will head fundraising efforts for a brand new digital occasion, Wine Girls & Footwear, in Might 2021.
Beth Reese Cravey: bcravey@jacksonville.com
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