Aletha Dunston, Aicp Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

- Serve as the front door to economic development for the City of Indianapolis & Marion County, IN- Lead an average of $1.1B in capital investment and 8,500+ new and retained jobs - Work with domestic and global industry leaders to establish proactive business attraction, retention and expansion strategies and identify future redevelopment opportunities

I've had the opportunity over the years to provide freelance consultation to help a variety of civic and community-minded groups think strategically when planning for the future. Nonprofits have included a range of city and county tourism organizations, historic preservation groups, a public library and museum, and a young professional group.- Strategic planning and group facilitation- Branding strategies - Community benchmarking and social media audits- Research and analysis - Fundraising/development plans and grantwriting training- Event organization, management and marketing- Regional and heritage tourism projects

Indianapolis, Indiana

The Fort Benjamin Harrison Army Base was established in 1906, just 10 miles northeast of downtown Indianapolis. The Fort Harrison Reuse Authority is a special purpose unit of government created to revitalize the economy and improve the quality of life for the citizens of Lawrence and Indianapolis by facilitating the economic redevelopment of the Fort following its closure in 1995 by attracting companies, organizations, and residents to the 800-acre TIF district. Today, the "Fort Ben" campus features a vibrant residential, retail, and business community that is widely recognized as a model for reuse and redevelopment of a former military installation. I am honored to join the many that have served as part of the history and future of the area through the following goals and responsibilities:- Managed land sales, transfers, public land dedications, and architectural oversight of new vertical development.- Fostered growth through business attraction, retention, and expansion programs that resulted in the creation of jobs, capital investment, tax base, and a new city center.- Attracted $120M in investment, including the addition of 350 residential units, a Hilton Tru Hotel, an Indianapolis Public Library Branch, and another $135M projects in progress- Maintained an attractive, walkable campus through preservation and placemaking efforts and attention to common areas and infrastructure, including moving the Fort Ben Cultural Campus and Civic Plaza from design to implementation.- Implemented marketing and media strategies to attract investment and unite campus-wide stakeholders as @FortBenIN- Worked with the #FortBenTech community to win the 2020 Rising Tech City MIRA Award

Indianapolis, Indiana

- Managed $28+ million dollar annual allocation of federal CDBG funding and Disaster Recovery funds issued to State of Indiana- Responsible for programmatic, application and policy material for 9 competitive programs ranging from planning, infrastructure and construction- Coordinated $4M annual federal funding allocation to Stellar Communities Designation Program- Managed State Grant Administrator Certification program and statewide training programs for elected officials and professional organizations- Responsible for federal HUD reporting and monitoring

- Represented OCRA as a liaison to an 11-30 county region in north and central Indiana- Helped town, city and county leadership build capacity, plan for the future and access state resources- Promoted and helped communities navigate 17+ OCRA programs

Marion, Indiana

- Accountable to Mayor, City Council and community leaders for citywide strategic planning - Completed City’s extensive Comprehensive Plan in-house, resulting in savings of $150k+- Coordination of 150+ permits per year, averaging an annual investment of $30-million dollars- Planning and management of multiple community and neighborhood development and placemaking projects - Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals proposals, recommendations and implementation- Responsible for full time and contractual department budget and staffing

Marion, Indiana

- Chosen to lead community-wide team competing for coveted state designation, potential result of an estimated $32 million dollar investment in our community- Wrote proposal selected as a statewide finalist to compete for the designation- Coordinated local application, community engagement, fundraising of $3+ million private dollars and all planning efforts - Managed design, budgeting and funding of multiple community development projects - Coordinated multiple community leaders within and outside of my organization

Personal Contributions:- Twice served as interim volunteer Director during staff transitions- 2012 Board Member of the Year winner selected from statewide Main Street boards- Developed award-winning, regional ‘Hog Daze’ downtown motorcycle festival - Led effort to restructure organization and board to implement National 4-Point Approach and establish functional committees- Resident designer, fundraiser and grantwriter- Launched ‘Downtown Toolbox’ of resources as Economic Restructuring Committee Chair- Spearheaded streetscape improvements, cleanups, Downtown Alliance, etc.

Muncie, Indiana Area

Building Better Communities, Indiana Economic Development Course

Business Essentials Certificate, Business Administration And Management, General

Center For Philanthropy Fundraising School, Foundations In Fundraising

Bachelors, Urban Planning And Development

Activities and Societies: Student Planning Association PresidentSpecial Honors in Writing (1/19 campus-wide) Minor: Travel and Tourism