What is NAN?
"In short, we strive to make neighborhoods better places to live and work."
The National Association of Neighborhoods (NAN) is one of America's largest and oldest grassroots multi-issue membership organizations. NAN's mission is to improve the quality of life in the nation's most important communities - its neighborhoods. To further its mission, the Association's more than 2,500 members join together to share and expand their resources, their knowledge, and their work.
Individually and collectively, through NAN, these grassroots organizations strive to improve economic, social, environmental, health, and safety conditions in their neighborhoods. NAN assists by identifying and addressing emerging issues, as well as, continuing to seek mutual solutions to persistent and difficult neighborhood problems.
The Association, in response to the concerns from its local leadership and its assessment of key public and private sector trends, works to inform and support neighborhood activists through conferences, technical assistance, media campaigns, and national advocacy.
In all its efforts, NAN remains an organization of neighborhood coalitions, block clubs, community councils, and individuals, united by a love of neighborhoods and a strong determination to make them better.
Our Team
Ricardo C. Byrd
Ricardo C. Byrd serves as the Executive Director of the National Association of Neighborhoods. He has over thirty years of management experience in directing grassroots programs. On America's social and economic development challenges, he has served as a public policy catalyst, a community outreach strategist, and resource person to the White House, Congressional, state and local government officials, corporations, and neighborhood leaders.
Ricardo C. Byrd is a native Washingtonian, educated in the District of Columbia Public Schools. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Howard University. He has been married for thirty-six years and has one son. Ricardo is an avid world traveler and relaxes by playing video games.
Contact at ricardo@nanworld.org
Leon Townsend
Leon Townsend serves as the Director of Special Projects for the National Association of Neighborhoods with over twenty years of financial and management experience. Apart from planning meetings and field trips with grass-tops leaders, his responsibilities include: fundraising, preparation of financial statements, corporate taxes, annual budgets, reports, and audits, government contracts, contract budget negotiations, and cash flow analysis. He has converted the Association's manual accounting system to an automated one. He has also coordinated collaborations and partnerships with the Nuclear Energy Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, Barr Laboratories, Ameriquest Capital, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the American Chemistry Council.
Leon Townsend is originally from Annapolis, Maryland. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration/Accounting from American University. He has two daughters and enjoys deep-sea fishing and other water sports.
Contact at leon@nanworld.org
Board of Directors
Ms. Cleta Winslow
NAN Board Chair Atlanta, Georgia
Ms. Sharon Chandler
NAN Board Member
Yes2Kollege Education Resources, Inc.
Executive Director
Sacramento, California
Ms. Essie Wiggins
NAN Board Member
The Black Women's Roundtable
Member
Toledo, Ohio
Partners
Coalition Partners NAN Works with to Help Neighborhoods Thrive:
Americans for Financial Reform
Internet Innovation Alliance
Mortgage Bankers Association Consumer Affairs Advisory Council
National Association of Broadcasters
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Ocwen Community Advisory Council
Project for Public Spaces
Rocket Consumer Advisory Council
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights