We are starting the year off by celebrating the new staff who are joining our team! You may recall that the Lupton Center had the big goal of launching 12 new City Shapers cohorts within 5 years. They have already launched 2 of these transformational cohorts, and these new team members will ramp up capacity to launch even more. 

We caught up with these dynamic new staff members to hear about their backgrounds and what they’re most looking forward to in these new roles. We hope you enjoy getting to know them and working alongside them as much as we do!

Stephen Causby | Lead Trainer and Consultant

“I have known about and followed the work of FCS and the Lupton Center for several years. I truly admire the mission behind their work and the practice of centering people in their model of community development! 

I am excited about working collaboratively with clients to uncover new approaches to addressing needs in their community and tackling systemic challenges. I am a connector and one who believes that change is always possible. I am eager to apply this to the work of the Lupton Center.”

Elsa Borrello | Community Development Advisor

“After moving to Atlanta, I wanted to get involved in community development work. I reached out to my network of university alumni and found a colleague working with Purpose Built Communities, who introduced me to FCS and the robust world of place-based development around the city. I began following the Lupton Center’s work on social media and jumped at the opportunity to join the team!

The Lupton Center provides a way of viewing neighborhood development that is unlike anything I had seen before. The focus on holistic and restorative development, and assessing true local needs instead of trying to patch up the symptoms of greater systemic issues, is a refreshing way to see this work being done. I strongly believe we can only apply the great work we do if we first earn the trust of those organizations and neighbors we partner with, and it will always be a priority.”

David Park | Lead Trainer and Consultant

“When Shawn sent me the job descriptions to help him network to find candidates to apply, I couldn’t help but ask him if I could seek the job myself! I first heard of the Lupton Center’s work through my friendship with Shawn Duncan. I’d been a longtime admirer of FCS, and the fact they had formed a division to help others live out the values of the organization inspired me. 

Equipping others for holistic neighborhood development is an expression of faith for me. One mantra I’ve been using recently is that “people are the solution, not the problem”. When we view people as part or parcel of the problem, we lose the opportunity to see them as part and parcel of the solution. The difficult work we have ahead of us, in our neighborhoods and beyond, is to begin to shift our thinking into one of holistic collaboration. It’s not an easy shift to make, but it’s crucial to our understanding of community building.

We feel so grateful to have people like these joining our team. Together we can unlock opportunity for equitable, holistic development across our nation – even the world. Your support has been key in making it possible!

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