Marin City Community Development Corporation Mission Connected – August 2013 Newsletter

Partnership Is Built Up At Marin Builders Association Mixer

MBA, MCCDC and others from the community connect

and share ideas to benefit Marin County

On July 17, 2013, the Marin Builders Association (MBA) and the Marin City Community Development Corporation (MCCDC) partnered to host an event that spotlighted Hire Smart, MCCDC's Alternative Staffing Agency that acts as a workforce intermediary to create win-win solutions for business and the community. As articulated by keynote speaker Lewis Jordan, Executive Director of the Marin Housing Authority, "It is tremendous to see people partner to bring sustainable and far-reaching prosperity to the region." After allotting time for guests to network, Klif Knowles, Executive Director of MBA, welcomed everyone and introduced his organization that, since 1958, has served the construction industry by promoting high ethical and professional standards, providing quality services to its members, and working responsibly with the community for the enhancement of the building industry. MBA members respond to the needs of the community by participating in projects with both financial and in-kind support of non-profits and public agencies.

Marin City Community Development Corporation Mission Connected – August 2013 Newsletter

Makini Hassan, Executive Director of MCCDC, presented the many ways that the non-profit acts as a workforce intermediary to advance economic development in Marin City and throughout the county. Thanks to the Hire Smart Alternative Staffing Agency, MCCDC is able to quickly provide businesses a workforce with a myriad of skills, human resources support and no conversion fees for hiring clients. The goal, as Hassan said, is "To support businesses in a way that promotes the creation of jobs. We understand the importance of linking the community and lifting up the assets that it holds." The accomplished guest speaker for the occasion was Lewis Jordan, Executive Director of the Marin Housing Authority and former Director of the Chicago Housing Authority, who in the past year has brought his expertise in the management of affordable housing units to Marin County. He described the work of the MCCDC and the MBA in a way that can be "Best quantified as changing lives." In his understanding, "Those who do well are those who are able to partner, value differences and embrace inclusion." In order to improve our communities he emphasized the need to create an across-the-board sense of inclusion because "The wider you spread your net the more likely you are to bring in treasures." When MCCDC purchased the property on Drake Avenue it envisioned that the space would be used to host events like the MBA mixer because it allows community and business leaders the opportunity to share ideas on how to create reciprocal benefits. To accomplish these goals MCCDC is committed to expanding partnerships with other organizations to develop and implement business solutions that improve the social, ecological, and economic prosperity of our region.