Featured Fellow and Nonprofit Grantee

Stephanie McKee serves as a Community Center Director at Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is developing and implementing resident-driven activities to improve the quality of life of the community in the 7th Ward neighborhood by managing a community center. She is working to identify and promote community-based leadership to improve economic and social conditions and building relationships and networks with a variety of stakeholders (e.g. local schools, businesses, universities).

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans revitalizes communities by increasing the number of homeowners and transforming vacant or substandard properties into sustainable homeownership as well as improving quality of life of residents through targeted community and leadership development, education, and collaboration.

Since joining NHS staff in May of 2007 Stephanie has hosted over 30 community meetings at the community center as well as activities including Housing Resource Fairs and Open Houses, Neighborhood Clean-up, 2nd Annual Run/Walk, Neighborhood Housing Survey with the University of Pennsylvania, monthly film series with the New Orleans Film Society, and the Porch (an ongoing after-school Youth Performance Project). The opening of the Neighborhood Center has drawn much media attention giving Stephanie a chance to interview with WDSU and WWLTV and attracting more than 1,500 visitors.

Stephanie is currently creating infrastructure and strategic plan for how the Neighborhood Center will operate over the next three years. She recently hired an Americorps Vista and created a long-term partnership with Tulane University Center for Public Service. Stephanie has also established 18 long-term community partners and neighborhood stakeholders including New Orleans City Councilman James Carter, Councilman at large Arnie Fielkow, A.P Tureaud Elementary School, Artspot Productions and Tulane University. The Neighborhood Center has received over $5,000 in in-kind donations and $10,000 in volunteer man hours. Finally, the Neighborhood Center was awarded a Community Impact grant from the City of New Orleans.

Stephanie attended two Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institutes, Florida State University, and Howard University.