update!!!!!
City of Manassas Neighborhood Services Manager Kisha Wilson-Sogunro received
an important phone call last week - from the White House.
Organizers of the President's Champions of Change program invited her to
their weekly panel and networking discussion. Ten Champions, ranging from
educators to entrepreneurs to community activists from around the U.S., were
being recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.
Sogunro thinks the invitation resulted from the city's recent Virginia
Municipal League President's Award, the latest of 11 state and national
awards the city, its community partners and volunteers have accumulated in
the past five years for their neighborhood revitalization projects.
She accepted the invitation in typical "Kisha" style - by asking for more.
Sogunro asked if she could bring with her the four AmeriCorps VISTA members
who are living in Georgetown South and working with residents to revitalize
that community.
And the White House assistant said yes.
"I was extremely appreciative," said Sogunro, took Kimberley Jenkins-Bailey,
Mignon Broughton, Kenisha Salvary and Jesus Tlatelpa with her to the White
House on Dec. 15.
The Manassas group joined up to 75 others in the Eisenhower Executive Office
Building for a four-hour panel, Q & A and networking session. One Champion
of Change panelist was Timothy Solano, a child abuse victim who overcame
substance abuse, homelessness and incarceration to become an executive board
member for Habitat for Humanity International. Solano admitted: "When
you're making speeches about cleaning up your neighborhoods, I was the guy
you were talking about."
Kenisha Salvary, 20, who graduated from Osbourn High School, was moved to
tears. "I related to his story of survival and the challenge of single
parenting. We need to bring these success stories to GTS where people my
age can hear them."
Mignon Broughton, who recently published her own story of struggle, Hidden
Voices: Revelations of a Young Soul [Godzchild Publications], took heart in
Solano's message as well. "Don't let your struggle stop you. Keep your
focus. Be confident. Model that for others, and they will learn to meet
their goals."
Another Champion of Change panel member was Rev. Dr. Judy Talbert, who works
closely with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships, and was recognized for dedicating 36 years to helping at-risk
and challenged populations, including the homeless, ex-offenders, members of
gangs and persons with HIV-AIDS.
"It was encouraging to hear that I don't have to leave my faith at the door
when I'm working," said Kimberley Jenkins-Bailey. "What we are doing in GTS
matters and is making change. We are planting seeds and watering for the
future. My role is to use my time wisely now and do the best I can."
"It was an energy boost," said Sogunro, who talked one-on-one with Jonathan
Greenblatt, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and
Civic Participation. "Manassas is on the right track with capacity building
and I'm eager to do so much more. We heard story after story of people who
turned their lives around and now they're working to make their communities
better. We need a strong hand, but also offer that hand to lift people up."
On Jan. 16, the City of Manassas, Manassas City Public Schools and the Boys
& Girls Club of Manassas will launch a pilot youth transportation project
that will connect youth in Georgetown South to the club for after school and
early evening tutoring, mentoring, computer lab, athletics and other
programming. If successful, the pilot will be expanded to other areas of
need throughout the city.
Sogunro is also recruiting community partners and volunteers for the Big Day
of Serving Manassas on May 5 in the Bristoe Station neighborhood - moving
the successful 1 By Youth model to the next area in need of revitalization.
"Engaging youth drives change," says Sogunro. "We also have a great
untapped influx of veterans returning to our neighborhoods. These vets have
the skills and abilities we need to build strong neighborhoods. We need
them in CERT-Fire Corps and Neighborhood Watch. We need them on the boards
of our community associations."
As soon as she returned to her office, Kimberley Jenkins-Bailey taped up her
quote of the day. It reads, 'After you go to the White House, life will
never be the same.in a good way!'"
To sponsor, partner or volunteer with City of Manassas Neighborhood Services
in their 2012 initiatives, call 703-257-8240 or e-mail
[email protected].
For more information about the Champions of Change program, visit
www.whitehouse.gov/champions.
Press Release from our in-cindy resource:
City of Manassas Neighborhood Services Manager Kisha Wilson-Sogunro is at The White House this morning, Dec. 15 at 9:30 a.m., to meet and be a part of a conversation with the President’s weekly Champions of Change program. Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.
When a member of The White House staff called Sogunro earlier this week, they did not say she was being recognized, simply that they wanted her there, to be a part of the conversation, based on the work she’s been doing in the City of Manassas in neighborhood revitalization.
Earlier this year, the City of Manassas was awarded the Virginia Municipal League’s President’s Award for the city’s “One Neighborhood at a Time” campaign, which includes Week of Hope, 1 By Youth and Neighborhood Improvement Circles. Sogunro presented a workshop detailing the city’s program at the Neighborhoods USA Conference in Spokane, Washington in 2009.
Sogunro, a former Community Relations Director for AmeriCorp in Provo, Utah, was hired in 2006 to carry out the City of Manassas’ new Neighborhood Services program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in Strategic Communications and Leadership from Seton Hall University. She and her husband, Isaac, are residents of Bristow, Va., along with their two sons.
The City and Kisha make our entire community proud! Watch out City, Corey will try to steal her away from you all. 
Manassas City, some of your council folk go out of their way to promote the City also. Is there an event that Steve Randolph misses? If there is, I haven’t heard of it. No one makes themselves more available than Andy Harrover, whether its his Friday coffee meet ups or opening up his home to discuss issues in a beer summit. Both of these council-folks go far above and beyond. I hope you City folks realize what gemstones you really have. Its great to see that some public elected officials really do get off their dais and work with those who elected them and even those who didn’t.
