By Sarah Taylor
Darlene Urban Garrett has been doing community development since before graduating with her undergraduate degree in Social Work. Through undertaking a range of need assessments, she became passionate about assessing communities and working with community members to plan and solve identified issues. After receiving her Master’s in Public Administration, she was able to help communities at another level, by breaking through government red tape to get issues solved.
Her work has taken her to Germany in working with the communities of the United States Army in Europe, to Kansas City where she worked as a Neighborhood Development Specialist, and to other cities including Cheyenne Wyoming, Little Rock and Hot Springs Arkansas and Kalush, Ukraine. She worked with indigenous people in Northern California. Most recently in Appalachia, she worked as a County Community Development Manager and as a Borough Manager focused on Community Development.
Before coming to Neighbors West Northwest, Linnton’s neighborhood coalition, she volunteered for 6 years serving the unsheltered of Portland. Darlene has two children, Tierney, also a Portland resident and Ian of St. Petersburg Florida. Her strongest belief and favorite quote is from Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”