Our Neighborhood Council

Governing Board Members:

EMPOWERMENT CONGRESS WEST

AREA NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Executive Board
Danielle J. Lafayette, Chair
Yvonne Ellett, Co-Chair
Diane Robertson, Rec. Secretary
Edmond Warren, Treasurer
Erma Mickens, Corr. Secretary
Board Members
W. Wilson, Area 1 Rep.
Mary Jones-Darks, Area 1 Rep.
Carl Morgan, Area 2 Rep.
Jackie Ryan, Area 2 Rep.
Robin Gilliam, Area 3 Rep.
Ashley K. Thomas, Area 3 Rep.
Misty Wilks, At-Large Rep.
Johnnie Raines III, At-Large Rep.
Nick Hill, At-Large Rep.
Jason Lombard, At-Large Rep

A Certified City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Council

Serving the communities of: Arlington Park, Baldwin Hills,
Baldwin Village, Baldwin Vista, Cameo Woods,
Crenshaw Manor, Leimert Park & Village Green
All Meetings are Open to the Public
www.empowerla.org

Empowerment Congress West

Contact Information
3701 Stocker Street 106
Los Angeles, California 90008
Telephone/Fax: (323) 295-5766
Email: office@ecwandc.org
Website: www.ecwandc.org
facebook.com/empowerment
congresswest
Stakeholders Town Hall
Meetings
st
1 Saturday of the Month
Crenshaw United Methodist
3740 Don Felipe Drive
9:30 11:30 am
Board Meetings
rd
3 Monday of the Month
DWP Crenshaw Community
Room
4030 Crenshaw Blvd
6:30 8:30 pm

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COMMITTEE NOTES

Tuesday December 30, 2014
EEC Chair Dr. Lewis Logan called the meeting to order at 12:12pm
Romerol Malveaux served as the facilitator during the meeting.
Public Comment: there was a brief conversation about area Stakeholders opinions regarding
the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza renovation.
How the EEC and PLUB differ in relationship to a project like the Mall renovation:
PLUB: structural particulars, the physical aspects of a project
EEC: the mix of businesses and jobs
Impact on the Community: socio-economics would fall into the purview of the EEC, but there
would be a co-ordination with PLUB, such as environmental impacts.
Displacement of the Community / Gentrification:
- West Adams
- Researching other cities that are experiencing the same issues like Oakland and Harlem
where the businesses are owned by other people and the community may/may not be hired.
More Black-owned businesses and community-owned businesses.
- Baltimore / DC areas, where whole communities are displaced.
- Auburn area in Atlanta.
Yvonne read her ideas on the role of the Committee. (see separate)
Organization of the EEC:
Chair Dr Lewis Logan
Co-Chair Jamal Jones
Secretary Yvonne Ellett (ECWANDC Co-Chair)
NOTE: ECWANDC Committees should have structure. Also, notes should be taken.

Romerol noted that one sphere of a NCs position is to comment to the City via Community
Impact Statements.
EQUITY:
Jobs/Employment
- Availability and access to
- Training for
- Information about
- Transportation to
- Childcare
Housing
- Affordability

Alternative Methods of Income

- Uber
- Share Economy
Alternative / Not traditional 9-5
Special Needs
- Youth
- Aged
- Incarcerated

BUSINESS (Metro may be a resource for funding):

Retention
Expansion
Development
- Entrepreneurial incubators
- Fill-in goods & services

Removal of Barriers
- Security
- Insurance
- Financing
Jamal suggested Financial literacy that
includes credit/debt training
Community-based
- Business corridors: Crenshaw, La Cienega,
La Brea, MLK, Vernon, Leimert Park Village

The difference to not being the Economic Development Committee is that Economic
Empowerment contains an Education component, or socialization.
- It has to play out to ECWAs Stakeholders
- The NCs Stakeholders must be empowered
- It allows more freedom to attack the paradigm shift
The EECs relationship to the NC
- Report each month
- Request / receive permissions
- Advise Community Input / the Stakeholders demands
- Initiators of economic subjects
- Follow the lead and work more like the City Councils Committees
The role of the EEC is to bring the things we want to do to the Board. We can be the think
tank in order to get to the vision of the future. We will educate the Stakeholders on the City
Council and City Departments, teach them he language of the City, and make comments in
their behalf.
Danielle made her requests:
- the Committee does the research
- the Committee brings the final product to the Board for approval
- the Committee reports to the Stakeholders during the Board Meetings
WORKSHOPS:
Working with other NC Committees on
ideas and workshops
- Get Your Hustle On alternative methods

Use other Agencys / Organizations

money
- California Endowment

of generating income
- Budgeting through the Finance Committee
- Job Fair

ADDITIONAL:
Pinpointing focus
- shifting critical but not core items into idea
parking lots
- Civic engagement was discussed and put in
the parking lot.
Strategies for dealing with stumbling
blocks
- the NC can lend its muscle to other local
organizations for clout
- the NC can steer the City Council through
existing channels

Goodwill
Urban League
Homeboy
Chamber of Commerce
GLAACC (Greater Los Angeles African
American Chamber of Commerce)

Identifying existing barriers in the Areas

- making the list from community input
- sometimes our dysfunctional entities are our
barriers
Knowing our worth not with our hands
out, but to work as equal partners
- using the Urban League
- making a list of whats holding us back
- round-table discussions making use of
Loyola and USC
Summer Jobs / Summer Internships:
Summer jobs help stop bullets. -- Dr. Logan
- Youth should always be in our
conversations

SMART GOALS ARE TIME-SENSITIVE, BUT ACHIEVABLE

FIRST
-

QUARTER (January thru March)

Relationships with our Community and Business owners
Laying the foundation
Attending chamber / potential partners meetings
Immediate Income Workshops: Get Your Hustle On and West Angeles IDA
February Meeting: Focusing on Barriers

The ECC is the conduit to the conversation, to gather information from Community groups
while laying a foundation of trust and transparency in order to bring the Communitys voice to
the table.
- the Community stays put and prospers
- the ECCs goals match the ECWA Strategic Plan
- the Committee develops a Vision and a role
- the Committee is the Voice of the Community.
Standing meetings will be the 1st Thursday of the Month, 7:00 8:30 pm
Location preference is Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
Co-sponsor the IDA Workshop tentatively in January
Get Your Hustle On tentatively in February
February 5, 2015 meeting will be to invite all potential partners and Jan Perry.
Meeting adjourned 2:14pm.

Submitted by Yvonne Ellett