For this highlight, we are featuring Melida Heien!
Melida was a Class of 2017 graduate of the Community Development Institute (CDI).
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m originally from the Midwest. I moved to Texas from Pekin, Illinois, but my immediate family lives in Evansville, Indiana. I enjoy traveling, true crime podcasts, and I also enjoy teaching group fitness classes at my local gym. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO, a law degree from North Carolina Central University, and I recently graduated with my Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. I did my first two years of CDI with CDI Texas and completed my 3rd year of CDI in Arkansas at CDI Central. I took my Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) test at the conclusion of CDI Year 3 and was so happy to have passed!
What organization do you work for and what is your role within the organization?
I’m the Main Street Coordinator for the City of Longview, Texas, which is on Interstate 20 about 1 hour from Shreveport, LA, 2 hours from Dallas, and not too tremendously far from Arkansas either. My primary work focus is on downtown development, which includes working with our small business community to help develop an economically viable downtown district, assisting with event planning, and helping with a variety of things related to our downtown. Every day is a different challenge.
Why did you decide to attend CDI?
I attended CDI because I really didn’t want to pigeon hole myself into being just a “Main Street” Coordinator. A downtown is really a city within a city, and I really felt that I needed to broaden my skills and knowledge and know more than just downtown related things. I have aspirations to get into city management and having a PCED is a very valuable credential to have.
What was your favorite session at CDI?
It’s hard to remember a particular session that I liked more than others, but I can say that I really loved my experience with my Year 3 class. I was coming in from elsewhere while they all knew each other and talked to each other regularly, but they embraced me and brought me into the fold. It was a lot of fun, and I know I really did learn a lot in that session. I also really enjoyed my 1st year mostly because I made some really good friends that are still friends to this day!
What was your biggest takeaway from CDI, and how has it allowed you to develop a better community?
My biggest takeaway was that the role of the community developer is not to fix problems but to cultivate community relationships that allow community members to work together and fix their problems. Being a relationship builder is a very powerful role to have and absolutely critical to the success of our communities.
Why do you think community leaders should attend CDI?
The people you meet are absolutely amazing! I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet any of them had it not been for CDI. I think it covers a lot of topic areas that pertain to any job within a municipal organization.