Berkeley

Dr. Denise Fairchild, Sustainable & Community Development Specialist

Published

5 years ago

March 26, 2020

Dr. Denise Fairchild is the inaugural President and CEO of Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC), a national non-profit organization with offices and coalitions in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland, California and other major urban centers across the United States. Denise received her B.A from Fisk in 1972, a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in urban planning from U.C.L.A. She holds a number of academic distinctions, including serving as a senior fellow at M.I.T., U.C.L.A. and The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship. Her recent publication, Energy Democracy, by Island Press is one of a number of publications dedicated to grassroots perspectives on climate change and climate justice.

She is charged with advancing ECC’s “high road” mission to green our cities, to build resilient local economies and to ensure democratic and inclusive economies in both the process and the outcomes of a new green and healthy economy. Denise works with a predominately women of color leadership team that focuses on building community-led partnerships with labor, environmental and business organizations to increase energy efficiency, clean energy, sustainable foods and clean water with a focus on the needs and opportunities for low-income and communities of color.

Denise’s San Francisco team, led by Avni Jamdar, is creating green and healthy homes and job opportunities for low-income residents and businesses in the Bay Area’s green economy. ECSF’s RENEW Multi-family Affordable housing program works with local nonprofit housing developers – China CDC, Asian Neighborhood Development, and Mission Housing Development Corporation, among others. The purpose of these collaborations are to reduce energy and water usage in affordable housing projects by replacing inefficient heating/cooling, water and lighting systems. This reduces tenants’ energy bills, improves the comfort of their housing, and through workforce agreements put job opportunities in the green economy within reach of families and local contractors.

In East Bay and San Francisco, Dr. Fairchild, in partnership with Health Care Without Harm, designed an innovative place-based program called Anchors in Resilient Communities (ARC). ARC, co-facilitated by EC-Oakland Director Tara Marchant, leverages the assets and capacities of large, local institutions such as hospitals, universities and local governments to improve community health, local economies and climate resilience of low-income, communities of color.

Dr. Fairchild is nationally recognized and respected for her 40-year successful track record and innovative programs in sustainable and community economic development, domestically and internationally. Her professional work includes six years as director of the Los Angeles Local Initiative Support Corporation, a community development financial intermediary that invests in community-owned affordable housing and inner city development projects.

She also served 15 years as founder and director of a non-profit organization, CDTech, and then founded the Community Planning Department at Los Angeles Trade Technical College that focused on revitalizing inner city communities through education, training and direct action. Dr. Fairchild is a board member of the California Water Solutions Network, the National Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus, Climate Resolve, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Council (ACEEE) and the NAACP Environmental/Climate Justice Committee.

Tanya Dennis

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2020 League of Women Voters Bay Area League Day in Fremont

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Bay Area

Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., who has served as Progressive Missionary’s pastor since September 1977, said the church also delights in the fact that it has hosted only five pastors in its 90-year history, including Pastors James E. Moore, H. A. Green, F. Douglas Farrell, and Edward Stovall, who served for 37 years.

Published

1 week ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

Progressive Missionary Baptist Poster. Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., Pastor of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley with his wife, Kay Frances Stuckey.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley is celebrating its 90th church anniversary on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at 3301 King Street in Berkeley.

The celebration will feature Pastor Darnell Manuel of the Union Baptist Church in Vallejo as guest speaker, along with many other special presentations.

Those who wish to share in Progressive’s history can purchase a 100-page full-colored souvenir book for $25.

The church boasts a number of notable people who either regularly attended or became members of the church since its inception, including former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, and one of the organizers of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Helen J. H. Stephens.

Pastor Stuckey often remarks how longevity flourishes at the church — it boasts 13 centenarians (people who have reached 100 years or more). Currently, it has one centenarian who is still surviving, Mrs. Dorothy Chambers, and 14 members who have reached 90 years or more.

Recently, on Feb.17, the pastor and his wife Kay Frances, celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

Published

2 months ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.