Michelle-Spence Jones decided to come back home to help revitalize urban neighborhoods in Miami
Michelle Spence-Jones has had a mission — to take an active role in helping disadvantaged people in the US and as far afield as West Africa to have a better life. Today, that mission focuses on using her role as Miami city commissioner to tackle the major concerns of her District 5 constituents — leading ones as she sees it being a need for affordable housing, economic development and improvement in the quality of life in the largely impoverished neighborhoods in which they live.
Ms. Spence-Jones, 38, was elected in November 2005 to succeed Jeffrey Allen, who had been appointed to the District 5 seat following the suicide of Arthur Teele. She previously worked on social-service projects in Mayor Manny Diaz' office. On taking office, she immediately set about devising a four-year plan for her racially, ethnically and culturally diverse district, made up of Liberty City, Overtown, Model City, Little Haiti, Lemon City, Buena Vista, Spring Gardens and Wynwood.
She explained her goals as a commissioner and as chairwoman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency in an interview with Miami Today international editor Michael Hayes.
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