Regina C. Gray
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The American Planning Association (APA) was established in the late 1970s with the central mission to create great communities for all through effective planning, education, and advocacy. Since its inception, the organization has fostered partnerships with national, state, and local entities committed to a similar vision. For more than two decades, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the APA have co-sponsored the HUD Secretary’s Opportunity and Empowerment Award, which recognizes communities that adopt creative and effective strategies for improving the quality of life for area residents. In their submissions, nominees discuss the role of planners throughout the process and how the submission actively engaged with residents, the public, and partnering organizations. Nominees are required to address how their project, plan, or proposal incorporates innovative approaches to problemsolving; how it achieves measurable results; and how those results might be replicated in communities similarly situated. This year, a jury of industry professionals selected the Ebeid Neighborhood Promise Initiative and its partner organization, ProMedica, as the award recipient.