Community Connectors Initiative Dashboard

Greensboro, NC  •  NC A&T CVIPI Research Team  •  Updated June 2026

Organizational Model
Research Team
Community Action Areas
Action Planning Timeline
Summer 2026 Activities
Community Connectors Organizational Model
Four focus categories led by volunteer community members — Greensboro Violence Prevention Initiative (2021–2026)
Community Connectors (CC)
Led by Part-Time Paid Volunteer Coordinator
Karen T. Jackson  •  Regina Glaspie  •  Jamilla Pender
Dori Goble  •  Cheryl Kersky  •  Brittany (TBD)
Tifanie Rudd (in absence)
Service
Providers
Mobile vaccine clinics
Monthly mobile healthy food truck
Fresh Produce Markets
Neighborhood association meetings & programming
Research,
Advocacy & Funding
Needs assessment surveys
Quantitative crime data collection
Q-methodology instrument design
Federal DOJ grant preparation
Community asset mapping
Storytelling &
Communication
Community meeting documentation
Data use for advocacy narratives
Funder communications
Ripple Effect Mapping
Youth
Employment
500 Jobs for Teens Initiative (525+ youth)
Wiley Elementary School partnership
East Greensboro Teen Summit
Civic engagement programming
NC A&T CVIPI Research Team & Partners
As of June 2026 — Source: Dr. Karen T. Jackson Memorandum, June 23, 2026

NC A&T CVIPI Research Team

Dr. Karen T. Jackson
Associate Professor, Leadership Studies and Adult Education
North Carolina A&T State University • Principal Investigator
Tatiana "Taj" Torruella
Leadership Studies Doctoral Student
North Carolina A&T State University
Stephanie Mayer
Leadership Studies Doctoral Student
North Carolina A&T State University
Anitra Cook
Leadership Studies Doctoral Student
North Carolina A&T State University

Consultant & Community Engagement Partners

Dr. Angelicque Tucker Blackmon
Independent Leadership Consultant
Innovative Learning Center
Dr. Erica Wrencher
Assistant Director, Institute for Community and Economic Engagement
UNC-Greensboro
Dr. Kristy Howell
Associate Director for Community Engagement
UNC-Greensboro
Dr. Emily Janke
Professor and Director, Institute for Community and Economic Engagement
UNC-Greensboro
Dr. Shona Munro
Facilitator and Coach, MindbodyLeaders
Aotearoa, New Zealand • 2023 Fulbright Research Scholar

Community Connectors

Karen T. Jackson
Regina Glaspie
Jamilla Pender
Dori Goble
Cheryl Kersky
Brittany (TBD)
Tifanie Rudd (in absence)
Community Action Areas
Six interconnected priorities identified by community members through design-thinking sessions (2024–2026)
Prevention and Safety
Reducing violence through proactive community strategies, relationship-building with law enforcement, and neighborhood safety initiatives.
Family and Youth Support
Strengthening families and expanding opportunities for young people through mentorship, employment, and school partnerships.
Healing and Mental Health
Supporting trauma-informed care, mental health access, and healing opportunities for residents impacted by violence.
Economic Stability
Expanding economic mobility, workforce development, and financial resources for residents and families.
Housing
Addressing affordable housing needs and supporting stable, safe living conditions for community members.
Community Connection and Belonging
Building social cohesion, intergenerational relationships, and a shared sense of identity and belonging across neighborhoods.
Systems Coordination & Accountability  —  Noted by participants as a cross-cutting support across all six action areas
Community Action Planning Timeline
Design-thinking sessions facilitated by the NC A&T CVIPI Research Team (2020–2026)
Phase 1 — Exploration (2020–2022)
Late 2020
Community Connectors Formed
Volunteer group begins meeting to address rising violent crime in Greensboro.
March 2021
Call to Action Meeting
Police Chief James convenes 25 community leaders; four focus categories established.
Summer 2021
500 Jobs for Teens Initiative
525+ youth connected with employment opportunities.
October 2022
DOJ CVIPI Award
Greensboro receives federal Department of Justice CVIPI grant.
Phase 2 — Community Action Planning (2024–2026)
August 2024
Economic Mobility Session
October 2024
Civic Engagement Session
November 2024
Affordable Housing Session
September 2025
Asset Mapping Session
December 2025
Problem Statement Building
January 2026
Root Cause Analysis
February 2026
Brainstorming Solutions
March 2026
Solution Prioritization
April 2026
East Greensboro Teen Summit
~25 youth + families; part of 33,000 residents engaged across 200+ events.
Summer 2026 Planned Activities & Deliverables
NC A&T CVIPI Research Team — Activities through September 2026
This dashboard is a working document. It will be expanded as additional data from the broader corpus is incorporated into the Community Connector model.

Primary Contract Deliverables

Community Connector Theory of Action (finalization)
Resident-informed Community Action Plan
Commissioned publication (Sage Research Methods — completed)
Forthcoming book chapter (Emerald Publishing)

Summer & Fall 2026 Activities

Validation and Implementation Survey
Community Action Plan development
Ripple Effect Mapping
Dashboard development discussions (ILC)
Sustainability planning
Community Connectors Playbook exploration
Manuscripts and dissemination activities
Preparation for City Council presentation (Fall 2026 / Spring 2027)

Data Sources Informing the Model

Resident stories and priorities from design-thinking sessions
City of Greensboro and GPD data
2026 DOJ monitoring visit findings
Ripple Effect Mapping activities
Interactive dashboard (ILC — in development)

Emerging Scholarly Topics

Leadership readiness and succession
Health equity
Digital literacy
Artificial intelligence in community contexts
Ethical leadership in communities impacted by violence and structural inequities