Mountain Housing Opportunities is pleased to announce that Whitley D. English has been named one of five national recipients of NeighborWorks® America’s Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership. MHO nominated Whitley for her exceptional work in creating a community engagement program at Maple Crest Apartments that provides safe, healing, and nurturing spaces for children and families, while driving positive social change and encouraging community investment. Whitley’s first two events—a series of community cleanups—were designed to instill a sense of pride and empowerment among the youth. She incentivized participation with stipends and school supplies, but more importantly, she gave them a chance to care for their community. “If you’ve never been taught to care for something, you don’t know how,” Whitley explains. “Encouraging them to keep their community clean gives them a sense of pride and self-empowerment.” In total, she engaged over 80 youth and families across six events, giving each participant a certificate to honor their contribution.
NeighborWorks America will recognize Whitley and the other resident leaders at a ceremony on Oct. 31 in Minnesota. NeighborWorks America honors exemplary individuals who help create vibrant places where everyone wants to live with the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership.
“Resident Leadership is at the heart of our work and the strength of our communities,” added Diosselyn Tot-Velasquez, senior manager of Community Building and Engagement at NeighborWorks America. “These leaders bring not only lived experience, but also deep-rooted expertise. They understand their communities from the inside out, recognizing the challenges, envisioning the solutions, and building relationships that move everyone forward. They don’t just make their neighborhoods better; they inspire others to do the same!”
Each year, NeighborWorks America is proud to present the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership to honorees who have made an incredible impact on their communities, who exemplify what it means to lead with purpose and heart. “This year’s honorees are remarkable,” Tot-Velasquez said. “They’ve created meaningful change, launching programs, starting businesses, building initiatives from the ground up, and now they’re guiding others to do the same. They remind us that true community leaders don’t wait for permission or perfect conditions. They lead, they build, and they transform lives, including their own.”
As Marietta Rodriguez, president & CEO of NeighborWorks America, said: “The Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership honors community leaders who represent the very best of our communities—the very best of all of us.”
An Asheville native, Whitley D. English is recognized as a dynamic Community Health Worker and Violence Prevention Professional with a holistic, trauma-informed approach, and serves as the Director of Creative Healing Arts at WNC Gems LLC. She champions basic human rights, including housing, emotional support, and holistic healing. A resilient survivor of intimate partner violence, she continues to navigate the judicial system, overcoming barriers that often fail to support her current challenges. Through the network of community opportunities, including Mountain Housing Opportunities and NeighborWorks America, she proves that change is possible with intention, consistency, and authentic leadership.
Whitley deeply understands the transformative power of a strong, connected community and the vital role of a reliable support system. At the same time, she knows that lasting change begins within, through self-advocacy, self-empowerment, and perseverance. These guiding values shape her path as a mother, healer, and advocate trained in trauma awareness and resilience skills. She believes that compassion and determination are the threads that weave strength into individuals and entire communities. In her words, “Community means working together for one cause—peace, healing, and unity.” Learn more about Whitley’s journey.
The award was named for Dorothy Richardson, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, resident and community-development pioneer who was the inspiration for the creation of the agency that eventually became NeighborWorks America. NeighborWorks America supports a network of nearly 250 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and on Native Lands. Learn more about the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership.