Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation

This year, Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC) will celebrate its 45^th anniversary! ASANDC is a neighborhood development organization that drives economic and social progress in Saint Paul’s Rondo, Frogtown, and Summit-University neighborhoods. Rooted in the legacy and resilience of the Rondo neighborhood, the organization strives to support transformational change that centers the vibrancy of the community, fosters educational excellence, and incubates economic opportunity across all of St. Paul.

After the departure of their Executive Director in 2024, the board of directors engaged Propels Strategic Consulting team to support the development of a scenario plan to help them understand their positioning and key assets within the community they serve. The scenario planning report helped them identify the organizational impact needs that would drive the expectations for their new leader. This proved to be a pivotal moment to invest in leadership development and to look to the community to help guide the organization into the future.

Investing in New Leadership

In the summer of 2024, ASANDC’s board of directors hired and welcomed Tatiana Freeman as the organization’s President and CEO, who immediately saw the importance of seeking and listening to the needs and ideas of residents in the community, building a board with and from the community, and investing time in building her skills as an organizational leader.

“I see my role as a stabilizing force that is centering our work around the tenets of collaboration, trust, bold thinking, advocacy and collective power,” Freeman said.

ASANDC has historically provided a variety of services including community development in affordable housing, small business, economic development, and training programs that foster youth leadership, increasing homeownership, and entrepreneurship.

“We strive to be responsive to community needs, not waiting for someone else to make things better, but to leverage the voices of community to make the changes that are needed, economically and socially,” she said.

Freeman has worked with an interim board, the community, strategic consultants, and Propels consulting team to help support succession planning, her transition, and the establishment of a governing board—all activities that will set the organization’s direction for years to come. Sindiswa Georgiades, a Senior Strategic Services Consultant at Propel, has been working with the ASANDC throughout this period.

“Leading a leadership transition to new leadership and going from an interim board to a governing board was a huge accomplishment,” Georgiades said.

Georgiades also noted the importance of having funding to do the internal capacity building work with Freeman and ASANDC.

“Through a funding partnership with the Target Foundation, we were able to support Tatiana in a review of ASANDC’s existing bylaws and worked with her to create a board development guide to help with onboarding new board members,” Georgiades said.

This funding made it possible for ASANDC to build strong materials to support strong leadership.

Building and Strengthening Partnerships

ASANDC has a long history of building important community partnerships to drive change.

Freeman said:

“I’m most excited about the role ASANDC has played in the community through organizing businesses, partners, and other resources. We are working in partnership with organizations like Neighborhood Development Center and Model Cities to magnify the social and economic impact in the Rondo community. We’ve been able to tap into the community with a unique and culturally sensitive lens, which helps us ensure that the Rondo neighborhood and its constituents are a part of the economic growth of the community.”

By focusing on leveraging community voices, the organization is driving economic and social changes that directly address the complexities of the University-Dale area that need what Freeman describes as “bold solutions.”

In the last year, they have participated in events with many established organizations to begin re-engaging with constituents following their transition.  Fellow leaders, like Kizzy Downie from Model Cities and Renay Dossman from Neighborhood Development Center have not only been great community partners but have helped Freeman in the cultivation of her own leadership.

 In addition, Freeman has built a strong partnership with the team at Propel, which has been important in strengthening her skills and the capacity of ASANDC. More recently, she has joined a Leaders Circle, contracted with Propels accounting & finance team, and joined a Financial Leadership Cohort.

“During the transition, it has been helpful to have a resource for finance and governance,” Freeman said.

“I can’t tell you how much it has helped me to have a partner that I can be honest with about the challenges we are facing; it’s been rewarding to engage other leaders, and I look forward to building on that experience through the financial leadership cohort,” she said.

“Through Propel, I’ve been able to access resources at every stage of me and my organization’s leadership development,” she added.

Looking to the Future

Freeman, the board of ASANDC, and the community are taking a simultaneously careful and bold approach to what is next for the organization. By investing in leadership, listening, and purposeful partnership, the organization is engaging with community in new and exciting ways.

“ANSANDC is ready to act and make change; they have put in the work to follow up on their commitments,” Georgiades said.  “Honestly, what I look forward to the most is their future impact,” she said. “The need for community support is greater than it’s ever been and having an organization like ASANDC continue its advocacy of economic and social inclusion is a destination we can all look forward to.”

ASANDC will commemorate its 45^th anniversary this fall. You can find out more information about the organization at their website and sign up for their quarterly newsletter to follow their work and join them in the celebration later this year.