Dr. Kenya Messer
PRESIDENT AND CEO, LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (LAICU)
A committed student advocate and firm believer that in order to lead, one must serve, Dr. LeNoir Messer has served as an educator and university administrator in positions ranging from The Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University, NY; to the Vice President of Student Development and Enrollment Management at Wilberforce University, OH. Prior to becoming the President & CEO of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU), she served as the Associate Vice Provost for Diversity in the Division of Academic Affairs at Louisiana State University. In addition to her extensive administrative history within higher education, she is a published author, researcher, lecturer, and national presenter on issues impacting student success, access, and retention in college; organizational strategy and change management; African American male student athletes in college, and issues of access and levels of participation by American students of color in international education. She received a bachelor's of science in psychology from Union College, NY; a master's in counseling and student personnel administration from Columbia University, NY; a doctorate of education from Columbia University, NY; and completed research and study in London, England; Athens, Greece; and Rome, Italy. A member of several national and international boards and professional organizations, Dr. LeNoir Messer has been recognized by The Consortium of Doctors, The Urban League, The Educational Policy Institute, The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, The National Diversity Council and the US Office of Minority Health. She is a fellow of the American Academic Leadership Institute in Washington, DC, and a member of United Christian Faith Ministries. Dr. LeNoir Messer is married to Quentin Messer Jr. and blessed to be the mother of two beautiful children.
WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CPEX BOARD?
I joined the CPEX board because I was excited about the opportunity to lend my voice and support the planning efforts aimed at strengthening communities across the state.
WHY IS THE WORK THAT CPEX DOES SO IMPORTANT?
The work of CPEX is important because it strengthens Louisiana's efforts across all levels of planning and sustainability. Their expertise is an invaluable resource and their thought leadership is at the forefront of important conversations in every area from climate to urban planning.
WHAT CPEX PROJECT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
CPEX’s Smart Growth Summit has made a significant impact especially in broadening the conversations to be viewed through a lense of equity and inclusion.
WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR COMMUNITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
I would like for us to continue to strengthen opportunities for citizens to earn a living wage, for children to receive a valuable education, and for our residents to be provided the opportunity to become more deeply engaged in their communities. Ultimately, my desire is to see a greater level of commitment and investment in neglected, mis-understood, and underserved areas so that the pervasiveness of crime that we see now will begin to dissipate. Increased investment in physical and environmental infrastructure and the people who live in those communities is essential.
Lyneisha Jackson, AICP
Community Planner
Lyneisha is a community planner who brings nine years of private sector experience, ranging between transportation, housing, and community planning and development to CPEX. Lyneisha’s expertise includes data analysis, community planning and outreach, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Lyneisha holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Environmental Design from Morgan State University, a Master of Community Planning from University of Maryland, College Park, and a GIS certificate from University of New Orleans. Lyneisha is an AICP certified planner and is a board member of the American Planning Association Metro Chapter and the Scotlandville Community Development Corporation.
In her spare time, Lyneisha is an avid salsa dancer, and she enjoys reading, gardening, and spending afternoons in the park with her pup Bailey.
How long have you worked for CPEX?
I have worked for CPEX for 1 year and 7 months
How does your job fit into the CPEX mission?
I work everyday to make great communities happen!
What does your job entail?
My job requires a lot of project coordination, public engagement, presentations, technical writing, graphic design, data analysis, map making, and so much more!
What do you like most about your job?
Can I say two things? I like working with the other CPEXers and engaging with the community, oh and giving presentations. Sorry, that's three things.
What is the best career lesson you’ve learned so far?
The best career lesson that I have learned so far is that as much as you want to help and believe you can do it well, sometimes you have to leave it to others.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
When I’m not working, I like watching deep drama tv shows and reading a good book.
What is your vision for what planning can accomplish in Louisiana?
Sustainable, resilient, vibrant communities, where residents are healthy, thriving economically, and happy
Three words to best describe you:
Thoughtful (read over-thinker), down to earth (read as one word), Risible.
Planning for Health
PROJECT Description:
CPEX’s Healthy Community Design Initiative is providing data-driven planning tools and strategies to help create places in Louisiana where the built environment is designed to support and encourage residents’ health. In partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana Foundation, the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation, and the Louisiana Department of Health, CPEX is working in both rural and urban communities to integrate health concerns and objectives into planning and implementation processes.
For example, in Bunkie, Louisiana, CPEX is working with Move Bunkie Forward and the City of Bunkie to develop and implement a Complete Streets Action Plan focused on increasing opportunities for Bunkie residents to safely walk, bike, and enjoy outdoor activities and social interaction throughout their town. In North Baton Rouge’s Scotlandville community, CPEX partnered with the Jewel J. Newman Community Center and the East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Transportation and Drainage to develop an accessibility plan that provides for increased access to the Center’s wide range of services that address health and wellness via active transportation modes such as walking and biking.
PROJECT goal:
The goal is to provide communities with data about population health outcomes related to built environment conditions in their specific location along with best practices in healthy community planning and design – and to engage residents in developing their own ideas and priorities that will shape the built environment in ways that support their health. This includes things like sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes as well as pocket parks, tree canopy and other enhancements that can improve air and water quality and encourage physical activity and social interaction – all of which are critical to good health. At the network scale, it means ensuring that people have access to the things they need to be healthy, such as nutritious food, appropriate medical care, social services, quality affordable housing, culture and recreation, and economic opportunity.
WHY IS THIS PROJECT SO IMPORTANT?
Louisiana’s people suffer from some of the poorest health and deepest health disparities in the nation. The places we live have a tremendous impact on our health – far greater than what happens within healthcare settings such as hospitals or doctors’ offices. We have a huge opportunity to improve health in Louisiana by creating neighborhoods and communities that provide safe water, air, and infrastructure and are designed to make healthy behaviors such as getting regular exercise and eating nutritious foods easier.
WHAT IS CPEX’s FAVORITE PART OF PROJECT SO FAR?
Working with the Mayor and residents of Bunkie and the staff and visitors at the Jewel J. Newman Community Center has been wonderful. There is so much community spirit in these places where people are very connected to one another and the places they live, and their desire to work together to create places where all residents can be as healthy as possible is inspiring.
WHAT HAs CPEX LEARNED WHILE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?
The focus on social cohesion has been especially interesting – we’ve learned more about how important social interaction and social networks are to human health, and it has been fun to think about how we can design public spaces that encourage those connections.