November 23, 2015
Detroit – The Detroit Future City (DFC) Implementation Office announced, today, that Anika Goss-Foster will serve as its next executive director, leading the organization as it becomes an independent, non-profit entity. Goss-Foster will begin in this role on Jan. 4, 2016, after more than 15 years of leadership in national and local roles in community development and non-profit management.
Goss-Foster, a Detroit native and resident, was chosen after an extensive nationwide search, which began in June of this year. Dr. George Swan III, who has served as chair of the DFC Implementation Office’s transition management committee (TMC), which led the executive search, said, “Anika was the clear leader in an impressive pool of candidates from across the US.
“With deep roots in Detroit, expertise in community development, and proven non-profit leadership, she is extremely well-qualified for this role. We are thrilled to have Anika lead Detroit Future City into this important next phase for the organization,” said Swan.
Goss-Foster has worked at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) for 15 years. In her most recent post as vice president of the Midwest region, she provided strategic and technical support for seven LISC offices in cities across the Midwest that are engaged in resident-led, comprehensive community development. Prior to this role, Goss-Foster served as vice president of sustainable communities, where she supported 16 local offices’ efforts to implement comprehensive community development strategies as part of LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities program.
Her experience in Detroit began with LISC as well, where she served as the organization’s Detroit program director. She was noted for several major achievements while in this position, including managing a $40 million community development campaign, and designing and leading the campaign for the city’s first Land Bank Authority. Goss-Foster has also worked for the City of Detroit as its director of philanthropic affairs and executive director of the Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative which launched initiatives in six neighborhoods to improve city services and attract philanthropic investment.
“Leading the DFC Implementation Office provides an exciting opportunity to translate my experience and expertise into an effort that is providing long-term, sustainable, and transformational impact in the City of Detroit,” said Goss-Foster. “We are at an important moment where we can work to further our position as the connecting force that aligns stakeholders around the recommendations in the Strategic Framework.”
In addition to Swan, the TMC that led the executive search includes Jed Howbert, Mayor Duggan’s Office of Jobs and Economic Development; Rod Miller, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation; James Ribbron, a Detroit citizen; Alice Thompson, Black Family Development Inc.; and Laura Trudeau, The Kresge Foundation.
As the DFC Implementation Office transitions to an independent non-profit, the TMC is finalizing the governance of the organization, including the nomination of its new board, which will be in place in January 2016.
Dan Kinkead, who has served the DFC Implementation Office in a leadership capacity since its inception in May 2013, will continue to lead innovative programs and projects as director of initiatives. The DFC Implementation Office has a nine-person team working to advance the recommendations set forth in the DFC Strategic Framework.
Swan said, “Dan and the DFC Implementation Office staff have advanced some of our most impactful and innovative work to-date. They’ve established the organization as a pivotal partner on numerous initiatives, and a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader. With our leadership team in place and a strong board coming in to offer strategic direction, the DFC Implementation Office is well-positioned to enhance and expand the great work it has achieved towards the city’s transformation.”
Major initiatives completed this year include a DFC Field Guide to Working with Lots, a print and online tool that offers instructions for Detroiters to transform vacant land into beneficial landscapes; and Ideas for Innovation, a six-part speaker series that engaged local and nation thought leaders and Detroiters in conversations on several key focus areas of the DFC Strategic Framework. In addition to these signature programs, the DFC Implementation Office has been engaged in more than a dozen other impactful initiatives this year to revitalize Detroit.
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About Detroit Future City
The DFC Implementation Office was formed to advance the recommendations of the Detroit Future City Strategic Framework Plan. It coordinates strategies, actions and resources to catalyze long-term revitalization of Detroit and adds research and implementation capacity to the work of contributing partners and stakeholders. For more information visit www.DetroitFutureCity.com.