Ashley Shelton
President & CEO, POWER COALITION
Ashley K. Shelton is the Executive Director of the Power Coalition, a spin off organization of One Voice. As the Louisiana Director of One Voice, She led a series of coordinated campaigns and anchored and supported the development of the 501c3 table that is now the Power Coalition. The Power Coalition serves as a catalyst for real collaborative work between policy and community organizing groups. The Power Coalition uses a broad-based strategy that combines base building, popular education, and organizing all while increasing the capacity of community based organizations throughout the state to sustain and hold the work.
She also was the former Vice President of Programs at the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), now the Foundation for Louisiana. In the fight for an equitable and inclusive recovery for the Gulf Coast it remains clear that much work needs to be done at the state level to achieve equity and inclusion for Louisiana's most vulnerable and marginalized populations.
In her role at the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, Ms. Shelton managed a system of integrated, value-added programs with the goal of creating a better Louisiana for all of its citizens in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In her role at LDRF, she designed, initiated and coordinated a comprehensive policy strategy, which led to a systemic, multi-pronged approach to equitable policy development on a local, state and national level. Utilized a participatory model that engaged local, state, and national partnerships to develop and nurture civic engagement throughout the state. Ms. Shelton provided leadership, and key philanthropic knowledge of Louisiana based nonprofits to put more than 8,000 families back into homes and restore more than 4,000 small businesses after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Prior to this, Ms. Shelton served as Director of Grantmaking for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Ms. Shelton has received many honors, including selection as a 2005-2006 Fellow in the Emerging Leaders Program at Duke University and the University of Cape Town, and was appointed in 2003 to the Foundation for the Mid South's Commission to Build Philanthropy. Ms. Shelton attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications.
Why did you join the CPEX board?
I have been involved with CPEX since its inception twenty years ago, and I have remained engaged because CPEX's mission to provide thought leadership, drive smart growth, and build civic engagement continues to be critical to Louisiana's future. I take great pride in my current role on the board of directors, collaborating closely with Camille and her exceptional team. Beyond my board membership, I am also proud of the partnerships my organization, Power Coalition, has formed with CPEX in service of driving meaningful change to better serve the people of our state.
Why is the work that CPEX does so important?
CPEX's work is important due to its deliberate commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that the diverse voices of all Louisianans are not only heard but also actively integrated into the planning and decision-making processes that affect their lives.
What CPEX project are you most proud of?
I am proud of CPEX’s work with the Weatherization Assistance Program. Through this work, CPEX is providing critical resources to vulnerable residents across the state, improving their health and safety and increasing their economic security.
Kim Marousek
Director of Planning
Kim has 28 years of community planning experience at the regional, parish, municipal and neighborhood scales. She has specialized in working with local governments, leading community planning efforts, and finding creative solutions to address local issues. She also has experience in post disaster recovery and long-term community resilience building. Understanding local values and goals while also considering big ideas underpin the approach that she takes when working with local communities.
Kim has worked in the Capital Region for the past eight years and in Louisiana for 15 years. Prior to moving to Louisiana, Kim was a community planner in Washington state for 13 years.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR CPEX?
I have been with CPEX for just over 1 year, and I have been a planner in Louisiana since 2007. After being involved in South Louisiana’s recovery planning after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I relocated to Louisiana from Washington state. I was a planner in the Seattle area for 13 years before moving to Louisiana.
HOW DOES YOUR JOB FIT INTO THE CPEX MISSION?
My job furthers the CPEX mission through my interactions with community leaders, elected officials, and staff to collectively consider opportunities to build on local assets, develop creative placemaking, spur economic growth, improve housing and mobility, preserve special structures and sensitive areas, and improve access to parks and green spaces. My team and I work with communities to develop community plans, hold workshops and stakeholder meetings, draft codes and ordinances, and engage with the public.
WHAT DOES YOUR JOB ENTAIL?
The core of my job entails learning about local community challenges and helping to find solutions through a combination of analysis and engagement. Often, I look to other places (both within and outside of Louisiana) that have had similar issues for best practices and ideas – although I understand that each place is unique, and solutions must be developed to meet the specific challenges, culture, and preferences of each community. The flip-side of challenges are opportunities, and much of my job is providing insight into opportunities to help communities chart their future course.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I am energized by talking to local elected officials and residents about their communities. I love hearing the stories about their community history and about desires for the future. I am constantly inspired by the “passion of place” that I witness when I talk with people about where they live and where they are from.
WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED SO FAR?
Actively listen and ask a lot of questions. Residents of a community are the experts of their place, and often they have the answers they need to create the future they want. As planners we bring data and ideas into the conversation, but often the best solutions come straight from the community.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU AREN’T WORKING?
I love football – my favorite weekends involve family, friends, food, and football! I also enjoy reading, cooking, and playing with my granddogs.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR WHAT PLANNING CAN ACCOMPLISH IN LOUISIANA?
Planning provides a pathway for communities to arrive at the destination of their shared future. Developing a plan provides the ability to step back and collectively imagine what the community wants to achieve, decide how they want to grow, where they want to grow, and to be explicit about their ways to get there. Unfortunately, in the absence of doing that work, communities make decisions day by day and may end up in a place that has more challenges, greater disparities, and is less resilient. I want every community in Louisiana to have the opportunity to chart their course and create great places that are thriving, resilient and inclusive.
IF THERE WAS A NEWS STORY ABOUT YOU, WHAT WOULD BE THE HEADLINE?
Local Community Adopts 20 Year Vision Plan (I don’t like to be the center of the story)
THREE WORDS TO BEST DESCRIBE YOU:
Tenacious, thoughtful, and collaborative
Home Weatherization Application Assistance Program
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
In 2022 and 2023, the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) assisted eligible residents in the Scotlandville community in East Baton Rouge Parish and the city of St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish with submitting applications for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), administered by the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC). Home weatherization is a crucial program that improves heating and cooling efficiency, reduces energy costs, enhances comfort, improves air quality, and improves health and safety for household members. Typical weatherization measures include insulation installation, reducing air infiltration, sealing ductwork, and maintaining heating and cooling units.
PROJECT GOAL:
The goal of this project is to eliminate many of the barriers to submitting applications through outreach, education, and technical assistance. Through this program, CPEX was able to provide one-on-one assistance to applicants, helping them navigate the often complex paperwork and requirements, ultimately increasing the number of successful applications submitted to the WAP.
WHY IS THIS PROJECT SO IMPORTANT?
This project addresses a critical need for robust outreach and technical assistance that meets residents where they are to connect them with state and federal assistance programs. The Home Weatherization Application Assistance Program helped bridge that gap and can be used as a model for encouraging equitable participation in programs and reaching vulnerable populations that are most in need. Through our efforts, CPEX facilitated the submission of 308 applications via the application assistance events and many more from the heightened awareness of the program. With support of the Power Coalition, we will be hosting additional weatherization assistance events in Alexandria beginning next month.
WHAT WAS CPEX’S FAVORITE PART OF THIS PROJECT?
The best part of this project was interacting with community members at the weatherization events. It was fulfilling being able to help individuals access this vital resource that improves their health and safety and helps them achieve economic stability.
WHAT HAS CPEX LEARNED WHILE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?
We learned that even when needed resources are available, vulnerable populations are often unable to take advantage of these resources due to barriers to accessing information, transportation, and technical expertise required to navigate the application process.