OCDCA 41st Annual Conference

Start getting excited for this year’s annual conference in Dayton! The OCDCA 2025 Annual Conference will be held at the downtown Dayton Arcade from September 17-19! Stay tuned for more annual conference updates in the coming months. 

Sponsorship Information:
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Interested in becoming a sponsor? View our sponsorship information and benefits here and fill out a sponsorship interest form here. More updates to come. ​

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40th Annual Conference Recap

Thank you to all who joined us in Cleveland, OH, from September 25-27! View photos, award winners, and sponsors below. We can’t wait to see you in Dayton next year! If you have any pictures from the conference you would like to share, use this link.

2024 OCDCA Awards

These awards recognize CDCs, their staff and volunteers, projects, partners, and advocates who have made exemplary contributions to the community development field. 
This year’s winners:

• Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development, CDC of the Year 
  The Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development (NEOHCED) has launched the largest initiative in Cleveland's Hispanic community: CentroVilla25 (CV25). Located in one of Ohio's poorest Hispanic neighborhoods, this transformative project repurposes a vacant 32,500-square-foot warehouse in La Villa Hispana. CV25 aims to create vital infrastructure, featuring twenty micro-retail spaces, a commercial kitchen, a specialty grocer, a business innovation center, co-working spaces, and community areas for arts and culture. This $12 million project will drive economic growth through job creation and business development, celebrating Latino culture in the process. Despite challenges, including rising construction costs and a global pandemic, the dedicated team persevered, increasing client support by over 250%. 
  
  
• Ian Andrews, LakewoodAlive, CDC Staff Member of the Year 
  Ian Andrews, Executive Director of LakewoodAlive, consistently excels in supporting the small business community and fosters collaboration with partners like the City of Lakewood and the Chamber of Commerce. His leadership has empowered his team, which has doubled in size over the past year and a half. He has also implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts while being the voice of institutional knowledge in the nonprofit sector. Ian advocated for health plan options for his staff and puts in long hours for LakewoodAlive events. Despite facing personal health challenges this past year, he persevered, continuing to support the community and conducting virtual meetings during treatment. The community rallied around him in return, offering care and support. As one colleague noted, “No one does more with less.”
  
  
• County Corp and The Dayton Foundation’s Pathways to Homeownership Program, CDC Project of the Year 
  On Memorial Day 2019, nineteen tornadoes struck the Dayton region, severely impacting low-income neighborhoods and affordable rental housing. In response, the Pathway to Homeownership Program was launched, leveraging various funding sources and partnerships to create affordable, owner-occupied housing and stabilize disaster-impacted areas. County Corp has played a key role, planning a third phase to build 30 more homes for low-to-moderate income first-time buyers. The Dayton Foundation has been essential to the program's success, providing seed funding and bridge loans while awaiting disaster relief funds. With their support, County Corp has constructed 19 new homes, fostering homeownership and breaking cycles of generational poverty.  
  
  
• The Dayton Foundation, CDC Partner of the Year 
  The Dayton Foundation has partnered alongside County Corp to support the Pathway to Homeownership Program, launched in response to the 2019 Memorial Day tornado disaster in Dayton. The Dayton Foundation has been pivotal to the success of the Program. The Dayton Foundation established a donor fund for the Program, provided seed-funding, and served to scaffold the Program with bridge funding while County Corp awaited release of DR funds. With The Dayton Foundation’s support, County Corp has been able to construct 19 new homes, creating opportunities for families to become first-time homeowners, and disrupting generational poverty cycles through the wealth-building that homeownership provides. The Dayton Foundation was recognized in July as a recipient of the 2024 HUD Secretary’s Award for Public-Private Partnerships. 
  
  
• Nick De Leon, Metro West Community Development Organization, Stephanie J. Bevens Award Winner. 
  Nick De Leon, Chief Neighborhood Transformation Officer of the Metro West Community Development Organization, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and advocacy of Stephanie Bevens. His innovative approach to equitable community and economic development has significantly impacted low- to moderate-income communities. During challenging executive director transitions, Nick's steady leadership ensured organizational continuity and growth. His commitment to equitable development is reflected in the high-quality programs he and his team deliver. Nick's entrepreneurial mindset drives him to create innovative solutions tailored to community needs, fostering partnerships that enhance impact. Beyond his professional role, he actively engages with community members, advocating for resources and policies that support their well-being.  
  

Awards List

These awards are given to individuals who are staff of OCDCA Members:

Stephanie J. Bevens Award
The award honors Stephanie Bevens, a long-time OCDCA Board Member, an innovative director of microenterprise programs at Pike County Community Action, and a tireless advocate on behalf of low-income entrepreneurs. Nominate a CDC staff member with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong advocate on behalf of low- to-moderate income people. 
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CDC Staff Member of the Year
Nominate an outstanding staff member, full or part-time who has made the work of the CDC a success. 

These awards can go to individuals who do not work for OCDCA members, so long as they are affiliated with one:

Ned D. Neuhausel Award
In honor of Ned Neuhausel, long-time leader in Ottawa County's disability support system and Executive Director of Ottawa Residential Services, Inc. Nominate one person who has played a key role in providing affordable housing for vulnerable people and been a strong advocate on their behalf.

These awards are given to OCDCA Members:

CDC Project of the Year
This award gives recognition to an outstanding CDC project related to affordable housing, community economic development, community engagement, financial empowerment or food access.

CDC of the Year
Nominate a CDC (nonprofit OCDCA member) that has done outstanding work this year.

This award is given to a partner organization of an OCDCA Member:

Community Development Partner of the Year
The nomination may be a special non-profit or faith-based organization, business, financial institution, foundation, intermediary, government agency or other entity that has provided support to a CDC.

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Ian Andrews receiving the 2024 CDC Staff Member of the Year Award.