Both. And.

I had an invigorating conversation recently with a brilliant, seasoned community development activist. We had amazing conversation around issues of poverty, housing, economic development and infrastructure improvements. We discussed silos and the either-or thinking. The either-or myth goes something like this: Either I care about the challenges of those living in poverty OR I care about economics. Either I support affordable housing OR I support new business ventures. Either I love the affluent OR I love the poor. Either-or is limiting and divisive. it's an incomplete picture no matter what side you are on and it's ineffective in the field of community development.

My new friend and I care about many issues. It's not either-or. It's both-and. We can grow the community's economy AND not leave people clamoring for food. We can support new commercial developments AND we can help those who struggle to stabilize their housing. We can support the arts AND we can support basic needs. REAL community development is a both-and proposition. Communities where everyone can thrive is our vision, it's my passion and it's my calling. You can thrive AND I can thrive. We can help those who need help AND we can cheer on those who are prosperous. Both-and.

Thanks for the conversation, friend. I look forward to exploring how we can continue to embrace both-and and work toward communities where everyone can thrive.

-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP