How To Help People Build Wealth

Transcription

1 7373 Trenton Avenue St. Louis, Missouri EDUCATION Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO Masters in Management Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL Bachelor of Science Management BACKGROUND SUMMARY Twenty-five years of proven, broad-based experience with training and development, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), asset based economic development and policy, technical assistance, and welfare issues. Excellent leadership ability with strong planning, problem-solving, analysis, coalitionbuilding, organizational-capacity building, program development, evaluative, computer and presentation skills. EXPERIENCE Washington University in St. Louis, MO October 2001 to present Project Director, Center for Social Development (CSD) Direct the State Assets Policy Project (SAPP), an individual, family and community economic development initiative. Accountable for the development and management of several research and asset building policy initiatives that analyze and document policy, practice, theory, and system reform endeavors. Provide technical assistance to state assets policymakers and advocates with designing asset-building and policy initiatives. Plan and host meetings and conferences, write, edit and publish issue papers. Facilitate the development of city, state and regional community networks and coalitions for purposes of promoting and instituting sustainable and inclusive asset-building policies, agendas, and initiatives. Grant writing and management. East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, St. Louis, MO March 1999 to September 2001 Project Coordinator, St. Louis Regional Jobs Initiative Responsible for the overall management of the Individual Development Account (IDA) program that included program development, marketing, recruitment, case management, and asset purchase. Tracked and managed information for the management information system and reported that data at conference and workshops. Other duties consisted of the development and implementation of supervisory training programs and systems. Also, assisted with the program development and management on special workforce development initiatives and assisted in the on-going efforts of workforce development policy, including support of training programs that aid underemployed and unemployed workers find and retain meaningful employment. Clayton Business School, St. Louis, MO March 1993 to March 1999 Director Responsible for the development and management of a $1.2 million local business and job readiness program for adult students and families designed to improve and strengthen competencies for work, supervised instruction staff and adult students, developed and designed curriculum for all programs, wrote

2 and prepared grants for funding and the management of those grants, provided fiscal management and supervision of staff, consultants and contractors. Developed the first major financial education initiative convening workforce development, and IDA partners. Provided fiscal management and supervised staff. Trainco Business School, Chicago, IL April 1984 to March 1993 Director of Business Programs Directed two business schools sites, developed core curriculum, and training programs for 500 students transitioning from welfare to work. Designed, implemented and structured three workforce development programs pertaining to the organization, and delivery for families in poverty. Provided fiscal management and personnel support to staff, and contractors. Developed public/private sector collaborative programs including: asset strategies to strengthen the financial prospects of low-income families. Southwest Medical School, Dallas, TX September 1981 to March 1984 Grants and Contracts Specialist Responsible for prioritizing, organizing and submitting grants to funding agencies in support of various projects in the medical school. Developed strategies to ensure compliance of grants upon award. PROFESSIONAL BOARD MEMBERSHIPS Advisory Board, Academy of Finance, Beaumont High School, St. Louis Public Schools Founding Member of Board of Directors - Connections for Success Advisory Board, United Way of Greater St. Louis, Individual Development Account Collaborative Board Member, Missouri Asset Development Coalition, Missouri Association for Social Welfare Board Member, Alabama Asset Building Coalition (AABC) PUBLICATIONS Primary Author "Tax Credits and IDA Programs Gena Gunn, Anapuma Jacob, and Lisa Mason, A Policy Report, Center for Social Development, Washington University, "The Missouri Kansas Asset Building Coalition and Policy Project: An Initiative in Cross-State Policy Making for Wealth Building" Gena Gunn and Njeri Kagotho, A Policy Report, Center for Social Development, Washington University, Federal Home Loan Bank s Affordable Housing Program and IDAs, Gena Gunn and Lisa Mason, Center for Social Development, Washington University, Author "State Policy Option for Building Assets, Leslie Parrish, Heather McCulloch, New America Foundation, Karen Edwards, and Gena Gunn, Center for Social Development,

3 PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS AND OTHER RELATED WORK Moving Toward A Universal and Progressive Asset-Building Policy for the United States Helped create a platform for the discussion and exploration of connecting a variety of assetbuilding policies, at state and federal levels too help make IDA programs more available to lowincome families. Ms. Gunn has played an active role in helping states create and implement strategies for IDA policymaking and funding. She has served as expert advisor to policy makers and IDA advocates on developing asset-building policy goals, with a particular focus on inclusiveness, i.e. including people who are on the margins of mainstream society and the larger economy. MOKANSave--The Missouri-Kansas Asset-Building Coalition and Policy Project: An Initiative in cross-state policy making for wealth building Ms. Gunn created, designed and directed the first bi-state asset building coalition. MOKANSave was launched in February 2002 as a collaborative project between the Center for Social Development (CSD) and the Missouri Association for Social Welfare (MASW), in partnership with Heart of America Family Services and El Centro, Inc. The main project goal was to develop and further asset-building policy and programs in Missouri and Kansas, which helps individuals and families, pursue opportunities such as higher education and entrepreneurship. These policies and programs represent opportunities to build tangible assets in poor households and communities, promoting long-term investment in families financial and human capital and wellbeing. Specifically, other goals of MOKANSave include increasing access to information and research on asset-building strategies for low-to-moderate income individuals and families, assisting coalition-building efforts of organizations and groups across Missouri and Kansas, and providing assistance with policy efforts in both states. Wealth Building in Rural America Ms. Gunn directed the overall management of this project and authored one of the short reports. This project is about wealth building as a central theme in the history and development of rural America. Since the Jeffersonian era, the ongoing promise to Americans has been property ownership. Property ownership as the central commodity and is the foundation by which this nation was founded. With forever altering times, the country has seen the agriculture age change to an industrial age leaving much of rural America hollowed out. The industrial age has revolutionized to an information age. Rural communities are having difficulty in sustaining economically, socially and have very little civic stability. In this context, what does wealth building mean for rural communities? What is potential? What innovations are possible? Wealth Building in Rural America project intended purpose is to assess, review and advance the state of knowledge, policy, and practice in rural America. The project updates and renormalizes Jefferson s vision in the early years of the republic. The products of this work are a series of small reports on varying topics, culminating into three large reports will contribute to grant making, project development, public policy, effective practice, and future research, drawing on 3

4 widespread expertise, boil down large quantities of data to key findings, use informative examples, and point to practical applications. Statewide Intervention with State IDA Programs and Coalition Building West Virginia Type of assistance: Provided the coalition information about national trends regarding assetbuilding policy and state IDA initiatives. Informed the group ways in which other states secured state and federal funding to support a statewide IDA program. Provided direct technical assistance for IDA legislation and program development. Florida Type of assistance: Served on the advisory committee for the development of the state coalition. Provided information to the collaborative that would assist them to better connect state and federal policies that help low to moderate-income people. Informed them of ways organize the infrastructure of the coalition. Shaped the agenda for a meeting by introducing the concept of asset-building and funded an authority from a state to present findings of a Governor state task force on financial independence that incorporates various components for a comprehensive asset building strategy. New Mexico Type of assistance: Served as a presenter of the first statewide task force and IDA coalition meeting. Facilitated and provided information to the first asset building task force that was chaired by the Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico. Georgia Type of assistance: Legislative information, coalition building by providing information on state policy trends, overview of state coalitions and program designs to date. Missouri and Kansas Type of assistance: Direct technical assistance, coalition building and policy development. Arkansas Type of assistance: Coalition building and presented at their second annual meeting. Illinois Type of assistance: Direct technical assistance for coalition building and policy development. 4

5 Mississippi Type of assistance: Direct technical assistance for IDA program development and coalition building. Louisiana Type of assistance: State IDA program development, evaluation, and coalition building Alabama Type of assistance: Serving board of directors for the development of the state coalition. Provided information to the collaborative that would assist them to better connect state and federal policies helping low to moderate-income people. Informed them of ways organize the infrastructure of the coalition. Shaped the agenda for a meeting by introducing the concept of asset-building and funded an authority from a state to present findings of a Governor state task force on financial independence that incorporates various components for a comprehensive asset building strategy. North Carolina, Oregon, and South Carolina Type of assistance: Provided information to the collaborative that would assist them to better connect state and federal policies that help low to moderate-income people. Informed them of ways organize the infrastructure of the coalition. Assisted in shaping the agenda for a meeting by introducing the concept of asset-building for policy makers and other participants. 5