Cass Green of New Kensington CDC and Somaly Osteen of SEAMAAC are joining Leon and De'Wayne for a very frank conversation on race and community organizing. This conversation took place as part of PACDC's Forward Equitable Development Conference.
Cass Green is currently Project Manager for New Kensington CDC, HACE and Impact Services' DOJ-Community-Based Crime Reduction Grant (CBCR) in the Kensington and Fairhill neighborhoods. She previously served as People’s Emergency Center CDC’s Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships. Cass’s career includes 27 years at the University of Pennsylvania, including serving as the Senior Business and Building Administrator for the Institute of Contemporary Art-ICA for 17 years. She is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and producer of the “Mill Creek Past, Present and Future” documentary. Cass co-founded the Mill Creek Community Partnership (MCCP) in 2004 and serves as its president along with having established the Fine Arts Through Our Eyes Community Arts Initiative in 2005.
Somaly Osteen graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Tourism Management. She has more than ten years of experience working for multiple local and international non-profit organizations. Somaly’s career started in the country of Cambodia while taking part as a community advocate, community engagement, and development. Somaly currently serves as a Community Development Specialist/Corridor Manager with SEAMAAC, Inc. She works with a diverse community filled with immigrants and refugees located in South Philadelphia to build a strong local economy while helping community to be a better place for everyone. The focus with the community has been to partner with different resources to strategically cater to the community’s needs and issues. Somaly believes that sustainable development starts with each individual while sustainable change comes through unity.
Episode Transcript Available Here: https://pacdc.org/2017/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Cass-Green-and-Somaly-Osteen.pdf
Producer: Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, Sound Editor: Andrew Heppard, Cover Art: Jennifer Selpa, Music: Needed You by Will Ellsworth