Community Development Institute Texas (CDI Texas)

Great opportunity to work with a great group of people!

Congratulations to Jaime on becoming a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED)! #PCED #CommunityDevelopmentInstitute #CDITexas #economicdevelopment Community Development Council (CDC)

Year 2 of Community Development Institute Texas (CDI Texas) is in the books! I appreciate Donna Osborne and all the instructors who took their time to help us learn during our four days in The Woodlands. Their knowledge and insight will help me continue working in the communities we serve in the Hill Country. The biggest highlight from the week, though, is our class! Y'all are the best! I'm excited to see all the work you do in your communities this next year and to hear about it when we're together for Year 3!

This past week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend Year 1 training for the Community Development Institute Texas (CDI Texas) at Lone Star College-Montgomery. It was an inspiring experience to learn alongside passionate leaders from all over Texas, each dedicated to investing back into their communities. Growth isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary for our communities to thrive and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. I’m honored to have been in a room filled with visionaries, learning from them, sharing ideas, and building meaningful connections. A special thank you to Kay Fitzsimons, Shelly Ashcroft, and Sasha Smith, PCED for facilitating such a valuable program. Your leadership and dedication made this an unforgettable experience! And to my dear friend Jan Cornelius-LeClair, who was by my side throughout the week- having a familiar face made the experience even more special! I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned to help my clients identify the best areas to invest in and find the right towns to bring their companies. Looking forward to completing Year 2 and Year 3 with this amazing group and continuing this journey of growth and impact! #CDI #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicDevelopment #Leadership #Growth #Legacy #Texas

Community Development Institute Texas (CDI Texas) Year 3 Completed! Thank you Kay Fitzsimons, Sasha Smith, PCED, Maggie Odom for creating another great year of programming, expert speakers, and sessions helping sharpen the tools for myself and my fellow Texan classmates to make bigger impacts in our communities.

I'm thrilled to celebrate a successful completion of Community Development Institute Texas (CDI Texas) (Community Development Institute) Year 1! Our Yellow South Team, made up of four exceptional women (Kristin Weiss, CCE, IOM, @Maria Ruiz, Susan Dixon, SPHR, and myself), achieved a remarkable victory in the Newtonia Community Development Experience, demonstrating strategic acumen and collaborative excellence. We accomplished a significant 356% increase in Personal Wealth, navigating 14 intensive sessions within a condensed four-day timeframe! I was honored to be elected town Mayor, and learned valuable lessons about the importance of active listening, strategic planning and COMPROMISE :) This week provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with esteemed colleagues in the Chamber and Economic Development sectors, while also establishing meaningful connections with professionals from across Texas. The exchange of knowledge and best practices was truly enriching! It was super fun taking the course along with Woodlands business community friend, Melissa Zamora-Marentez! The insights gained from CDI Texas have reinforced the critical importance of community development. I am committed to integrating these principles not only into the daily practices of my small business, The Brew Group TX - Coffee Equipment Specialists, but also into my involvement with the The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce and Montgomery County Hispanic Chambers. I believe that fostering sustainable growth, promoting economic opportunity, and building strong community ties are essential for the prosperity of our region. I intend to leverage my learnings to drive initiatives that empower local businesses, enhance community engagement, and contribute to the overall well-being of our residents. I extend my sincere gratitude to Kay Fitzsimons and Shelly Ashcroft for their outstanding leadership and guidance throughout the program. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in our team's success! And a heartfelt thank you to Miguel A. Lopez with the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber for extending me the opportunity to attend in the first place! #cditexas #communitybuilding #economicdevelopment #smallbusinesssupport #woodlandstx #houstontx Lone Star College-Montgomery Scott Andrews, Ronnie Barnes, Brenda Rios Brombacher, Karina S Contreras, Christina Danielle Cornelius, Omar Fortune @Shawn Granger, Martin Griggs, AICP, CNU-a, ??Brandy Guidry, Susan Hargis, @Deja HIll, Louisa Jimenez, Rani Ramrakhiani, Sheryl L Reed, Tracy Rosalies, Chris Saddler, CPRP, CTA, @Reynell Smith, @Stephanie Smith, Imelda Speck, Imani Spivey, Charlie Stutts, Louisa Taylor, Angela Thomason, Lorenzo T., Michelle Toungate, @Nicole Travis, Sonal Tuljapurkar, Ph.D., Jackie Wehring, Jennifer St.Julian Wooden,

Thank you to everyone who participated in CDI Texas Year 1-3 and CDI Advanced! We hope this has been a valuable learning experience and a great opportunity to connect with community leaders from Texas and beyond. We look forward to seeing you next year for CDI Texas and CDI Advanced, scheduled for March 2-5, 2026! #CDITexas #CommunityDevelopmentInstituteTexas #economicdevelopment #CDIAdvanced

The Community Development Institute (CDI) Texas 2025 is in full swing this week! We are excited to see leaders from across Texas and beyond come together to enhance their skills and brainstorm ways to improve their local communities. A special thank you goes to Entergy Texas for their unwavering support of our program since the very beginning. We appreciate Brian Garcia for welcoming our participants! We also want to thank the Visit The Woodlands team and Nick Wolda for their hospitality, including providing a community overview and welcome bags for the CDI Texas participants. Here’s to a week of growth and new connections! #CDITexas #CommunityDevelopment #CommunityDevelopmentInstitute #EconomicDevelopment

? This is the last call for CDI Texas 2025 registration, which closes this Friday, February 28! Don’t miss the chance to connect with fellow community development professionals and participate in nationally recognized training. Empower yourself with the skills and knowledge needed to drive positive change in your community! https://lnkd.in/edXenAyK #CDITexas #CommunityDevelopment #CommunityDevelopmentInstitute #EconomicDevelopment

?? CDI Texas is less than a month away! Do not miss this valuable training opportunity. Whether you are a dedicated community volunteer or a local government employee, CDI Texas equips you with the skills and knowledge to drive positive economic and community development. Click below to secure your spot! ? Please note that Sunday, February 9, is the last day to book your stay with our host hotel at a CDI group rate. https://lnkd.in/edXenAyK