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PHILADELPHIA—With its mission in mind of using solutions journalism to advance equity in cities, Next City’s board of directors voted unanimously this month to welcome four new members — Diana Lind, Andre Perry, David Porter and Lynn M. Ross.
“I’m excited for the energy and perspectives that our new board members will bring to the work of Next City,” said board chair Eric Shaw. “Their leadership within the fields of academia, philanthropy and publishing and their commitment to advancing narratives from grassroot leaders on the topic of racial equity are necessary as Next City provides reporting and programming during this pivotal moment within the country.”
Next City, a nonprofit news organization, is in its 17th year of publishing journalism that amplifies solutions and helps spread them from one city to the next. With its stories and events, Next City supplies changemakers with information that fuels the fight for economic, social and environmental justice.
Lind is Next City’s former executive director and editor-in-chief, having served in those roles from 2008 to 2014. She now ascends to the board of directors.
“I am thrilled to continue my involvement with Next City, this time as a board member, and to work with staff and board to ensure the organization’s continued success,” said Lind. “With Next City’s focus on topics such as equitable development and housing, it is more relevant than ever to the field of practitioners and advocates it serves. I look forward to helping support the organization in this next period of strategic growth.”
Lind is the author of the book, Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing. She has worked at Architectural Record magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently the executive director of the Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia and the housing fellow at the global nonprofit NewCities.
Perry is a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, a scholar-in-residence at American University and a columnist for the Hechinger Report. He is the author of the new book, Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. He’s also a regular contributor to MSNBC as a nationally known commentator on race, structural inequality and education.
“My professional passions for urban studies and journalism are being satisfied by my joining the board of Next City,” said Perry. “I’m excited about contributing to the growth of this important outlet.”
Porter is the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He’s also the former CEO of The Walter Kaitz Foundation, which is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the media and entertainment industries.
Ross is the founder and principal of Spirit for Change Consulting, LLC where she works with mission-driven organizations on creating and sustaining equitable policies, practices and places. Ross has worked in multiple sectors, including senior leadership roles at the Knight Foundation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing. She serves on the board of KaBOOM! and the national advisory committee for National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities.
“I’ve trusted and relied upon Next City’s reporting since its inception, so I am delighted to expand my support of this organization as a member of the board,” said Ross. “At a time when newsrooms across the country are contracting, Next City’s work to advance a critical dialogue on the equitable future our cities need becomes that much more essential.”
These four add to the board’s existing eight members: Shaw of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development; Casius Pealer of Tulane University; Efrem Bycer from LinkedIn; Tamar Shapiro of the New Urban Mobility Alliance; Kate Didech from Symbium: The Computational Law Company; Adam Giuliano of Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell; Jason Shupbach of Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University; and Jess Zimbabwe of Plot Strategies.
Next City publishes hundreds of stories each year on the ways urbanism can make cities more equitable. Next City also compiles its best reporting into ebooks, hosts webinars with practitioners who share lessons from their work and convenes live events such as the annual Vanguard Conference for rising urban leaders. More than 500 Vanguard alumni are working today around the globe. Originally named The Next American City, the organization began publishing a quarterly magazine in 2003. What started as a black-and-white printed publication staffed by volunteers ultimately grew into a popular and influential magazine that reached 1 million people over the course of its 31 issues. Today, Next City is a trusted voice on urban policy, reaching more than 2 million influential doers and changemakers via Next City’s website annually. Another 150,000 follow coverage on social media, and 50,000 subscribe to newsletters. All are in search of ways that cities can be reimagined as truly equitable and inclusive.
As a nonprofit, Next City depends on financial support from thousands of donations each year, plus the backing of partners such as the Surdna Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Citi Community Development and more. For a complete list, please visit nextcity.org/supporters. To make a donation, please visit nextcity.org/membership.
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