Biography

Cynthia Y. Newell is Founder and President of the Neighborhood Leadership Initiative, Inc., (NLI) based in Bradenton, Florida. As such, she is working to facilitate community-based training to mobilize citizens to engage in dialogue and action to enhance the economic viability of distressed neighborhoods. Cynthia graduated from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Public Administration, Cambridge, MA and Morris Brown College, Atlanta, Georgia. She is a Group XII Kellogg National Fellow of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Cynthia has a proven track record in managing processes of change, as well as the ability to identify problems, resolve complex issues and mobilize resources toward solutions. Her professional relationships include local citizens, community based organizations, corporations, universities and human service organizations in the United States and abroad. Prior to the establishment of NLI, Ms. Newell served as Director of Education for the New Salem Baptist Church, and Project Director of the Urban Middle Level Initiatives Project at the National Middle School Association, both in Columbus, Ohio. She has traveled extensively throughout Africa, Central America and Europe, and has been an active participant or speaker in conferences and workshops regarding the development of human capital.