Abdul Sm Rasheed
Chief Executive Officer

In light of the 25th Anniversary of Southern New Hampshire University’s School of Community Economic Development (SCED), I would like to personally commend faculty, staff and supporters for the incredible contribution that this institution has made to our industry.

I would like to give special thanks to Michael Swack, SCED’s Dean and my advisor, for his encouragement and guidance. I owe much of my success to him and to this program. In fact, the Initiative was born out of my Master’s Thesis at SCED and has become a strong testimony to the School’s    innovative approach to education.

Community economic development has come a long way in 25 years, and this anniversary was certainly a high point. As Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented, we reflected on the evolution of the CED movement and the progress that has been made. Yet perhaps more importantly, the weekend served as a time to refocus and prepare for the long road ahead.

With this in mind, I would like to congratulate SCED’s Class of 2007 and particularly my son, Anwar Amin  Abdul Rasheed, who graduated in May. I am excited to think about the next generation of leaders who will carry this important work forward, transforming the world one person, one neighborhood and one community at a time.

International Guests at the Initiative
Visitors from 7 Countries Get a Taste of NC

On April 5th, the Initiative hosted a group of international guests, all of whom were visiting North Carolina for the first time. Seven banking professionals, hailing from Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Oman, Namibia, Iran and Romania, spent the day at the Initiative office as part of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, locally hosted by the International Affairs Council in Raleigh.

A primary goal of the visit was to “study transferable US experiences in banking, private and public sector financing,   regulatory institution development and academic analysis of market economy conditions.” Impressed with the Initiative model, the visitors came to the office armed with questions for Abdul and the staff. Following an initial information session,

lunch was served as the guests watched the Initiative’s Ten Year Anniversary Video.

Representing a number of developing countries, the group was particularly interested in the Initiative’s work with rural communities, where basic human needs such as access to clean water and proper sanitation too often go unmet. Recognizing our common ground, the conversation focused on creative and practical ways to finance community economic development work across cultural divides.

While the Initiative has been hosting international visitors since 1994, this was one of our most diverse groups yet. We hope to continue sharing our model with the world and most importantly, learning from it as well.

Following lunch, there was still plenty to chew on. The Initiative newsletter is expanding its readership base.

After a healthy dose of southern cooking, our guests had reason to smile.