Title: Senior Program Officer
Organization: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Location: Kansas City, MO

Ina Anderson brings over ten years of experience in community development and planning to her role as Senior Program Officer at Greater Kansas City LISC. She specializes in the facilitation of community based planning projects including visioning, goal setting and strategizing to create meaningful and lasting neighborhood change. Ina holds a BA in History from the University of Rhode Island and MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. Her areas of expertise are sustainable communities, creative placemaking, and equitable development.

Ina has proven success with revitalizing Eastern and Midwestern neighborhoods in the United States. She spent 4 years with the West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WNBA) in Providence, RI where she collaborated with neighbors and businesses to preserve and promote the area’s diverse, historic and urban community as a safe, vibrant and sustainable place. After leaving WBNA, Ina worked in Boston, serving as Partnerships Director with the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance (MSGA) for 4 years. In that capacity, Ina led initiatives that resulted in partnerships with community-based organizations, community development corporations, municipalities and coalitions; production of housing units, commercial and open space; job creation; constituent engagement in advocacy and planning efforts; and $1.5M in financial and in-kind funding for partnering communities.

In conjunction with her dedication to neighborhood revitalization, Ina has been a well-known and personal community servant to organizations whose missions correlate with those of her employers: CommunityWorks Rhode Island, Providence City Plan Commission, Charlotte Street Foundation and Missouri Humanities Council.

Why are you motivated to participate in the Health Leaders Network? How will your participation enhance your current and future work?

I am motivated by the opportunity to learn about tools and best practices that I can bring to Kansas City to help ensure that our community development investments positively impact the health outcomes of the residents and neighborhoods we serve. We are currently undertaking a research study to examine the Impact of Community Development Investments on Health and I am sure that participation in this program will enhance my work in this area.