Tonnie Smith Named to Neighborhoods USA Whose Who in America’s Neighborhoods Honor Roll

 

ST LOUIS, Mo. -- Tonnie Gilspie Smith, a volunteer with West End South Community Improvement District in St. Louis, was named to the Who’s Who in America’s Neighborhood Honor Roll during the 48th annual Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) national conference held in El Paso, Texas, May 24 - 28, 2023.

Each Who’s Who in America’s Neighborhoods nominee is evaluated by the NUSA Board of Directors. There were six nominees this year, but only Smith earned Who’s Who status.

NUSA is a non-profit organization created in 1975 to share information and experiences among neighbors and neighborhoods to build stronger communities. This year’s conference had over 625 people from 34 different states in attendance and featured various educational workshops, speakers, tours and networking opportunities, along with an awards program.

The Who’s Who in America’s Neighborhoods award was created to recognize those individuals whose work mirrors the mission of Neighborhoods, USA: to build and strengthen neighborhoods associations, encourage neighborhood involvement in local decision-making, and to promote productive communications and collaborations between neighborhood associations, local governments, and the public/private sector.

“Tonnie Smith is selfless and quietly dedicated but also tremendously effective. Tonnie volunteers for her neighborhood more than most of us work at our full-time jobs. She has prioritized planning and inclusivity. She has devoted countless hours to convening meetings, gaining resident consensus, managing competing priorities, and ensuring community comes first,” wrote her nominator, Claire Wolff, Education Director of the Community Development Program for University of Missouri Extension.

Smith founded the West End South Community Improvement District. She serves on several additional West End boards, including Cornerstone Housing, STL ArtWorks, and a local group trying to bring a trolley to the area. Tonnie received the 2020 St. Louis Regional Community Builders Network Resident Leadership Award for her exceptional contributions to her neighborhood. She is also a graduate of MU Extension’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy and the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows program offered by MU Extension.

“Tonnie is a dreamer, a doer, and a collaborator. She jumpstarted a neighborhood planning collaboration, has completed numerous actionable projects for her community, and has collaborated with partners to draw support for her community,” wrote Wolff.  

University of Missouri Extension is at the forefront of a national movement recognizing the importance of neighboring in community development. To learn more about the Engaged Neighbor Program or the Neighborhood Leadership Academy, go online to  https://extension.missouri.edu.