New City Builders is a three-month, hands-on group learning course offered as part of the BLDG Memphis CDC Capacity Building Program. The goal of New City Builders is to strengthen the abilities of new leaders in the local community development industry by equipping them with the knowledge and connections necessary to stabilize and revitalize Memphis neighborhoods through:
Field Work with CDC industry partners
Course Work with industry instructors
Making Connections with key partners
Program Topics
Introduction to CDC Work/Introduction to BLDG Memphis
Who is Community Development?
Neighborhood Planning
Affordable Housing
Real Estate Development
Small Business Development
Asset Based Community Development
Advocacy
New City Builders began in 2015 as part of the capacity building program offerings of BLDG Memphis. The 2025 New City Builders Cohort is our 8th cohort to engage in the program.
Past Graduates of New City Builders
Carrena Montgomery Executive Assistant of SCORE CDC
Amy Schaftlein Executive Director of United Housing, Inc.
Charia Jackson Director of Neighborhood Planning & Essential Housing at the Community Redevelopment Agency
D'Andrea Franklin Executive Director at Binghampton CDC
Rebecca Matlock Hutchinson Executive Director at SCORE CDC
Ashley Cash Housing & Community Development Director at the City of Memphis
Emmabeth Weaver Program Officer at LISC Memphis
Lakeisha Edwards Executive Director of Urban Arts Commission
Guadalupe Reyes Business Services Coordinator at the City of Memphis Office of Business Diversity and Compliance
Veronica Sally-Garner Neighborhood Watch Coordinator at the Memphis Police Department.
Cetera Jones Educator
LaSahra Quinn Real Estate Analyst
Seth Harkins Executive Director at Alcy Ball CDC
Justice Prewitt Center for Transforming Communities
Rasheedah Jones Real Estate Professional
Rhonda Logan City Council District 1
LaWanda Haley Housing Resource Provider
Phillip Trenthem Fair Housing Council of Metropolitan Memphis
Raphel Small Realtor & Entrepreneur
