A few updates

Dear friends and colleagues, 

Spring is here in my beloved Rhode Island, and with it lots of change. It feels like a good time to share some new and exciting things happening in my world. 

Personal

Bil and I just moved from Providence. We're settling in at his old (as in both former and built-in-1878) house in East Greenwich, with a short stay at my parents while doing some renovations. Our new address is 10 Bicknell Ave., East Greenwich, RI 02818. It will be our great pleasure to host you there very soon!

Beginning this fall, I'll be a full-time student at Harvard Divinity School. I'm super excited (and slightly terrified) to be enrolling in a three-year Master of Divinity program. It might seem like a surprising shift, but I've long been interested in more deeply incorporating spirituality and ritual in my community building and community resilience work, particularly around place and wealth. I'm incredibly grateful that this opportunity came together. 

Professional

I’ve consulted over the past year with the Downtown Providence Park Network, Knight Foundation, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, Newport County Community Healthcare Coalition, and ONE Neighborhood Builders. Who is more lucky than me? Plus, over the past several months, I've worked on strategic plans with Building Futures, the Nonviolence Institute, and the Rhode Island Public Health Institute — three local organizations doing extraordinary work on vital community issues.

I'm hoping to continue occasional consulting projects while enrolled at school; if you have any ideas, let's talk.

Community

At Local Return, our major priority is standing up Rhode Island's first community investment fund. We have support from the National Coalition for Community Capital and Cutting Edge Counsel to create a diversified community investment fund with a focus on place-based real estate investments. There are a million details to work out around governance, legal structure, due diligence, management capacity, fundraising, and more, but this opportunity is going to be a game changer.

We were also part of the national Move Your Money Month in April. (Bank local!) Last week, we hosted a webinar on predatory lending. (Why do payday lenders in Rhode Island enjoy a statutory carve-out allowing them to charge 260% APR, when 18 states and DC have rate caps of 36% or lower and Congress capped loans to active-duty military at 36%?)

If you've made it this far, you deserve a reward. Want a Local Return sticker? Just let me know!

There’s been plenty of opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and learn about new issues thanks to serving on the boards of Common Cause Rhode Island (because so many things start with good, ethical government) and Tides Family Services (providing *the* most important care to children and families at risk). 

Fun

BRUUUCE! Photo credit: Bil Herron

On March 20, Bruce Springsteen graced Boston (and me) with his talent. It was a holy moment. If there’s any way you can catch the E Street Band on tour, do it.

Meet Odysseus Moose David-Herron

Lastly, please meet Odysseus, who came home with us in December. He's a joy. He's working on his manners and hopes to meet you soon. 

What about you?

Thanks for sticking with me through this long update. Let’s stay in touch. What’re you up to?

Until soon,
Jessica