Powering up

TUESDAY, OCT. 7 – Whether she’s monitoring water quality on the Grand River, parking bicycles at music festivals or helping the elderly or disabled find affordable and accessible housing, it’s all the same to Julie Powers.

She’s helping connect and create a sustainable, healthy community.

That’s the perspective she hopes to bring to her new position as the executive director of the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition.

Powers, 42, is leaving the post she’s held since December 2009 as the director of the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council to head up an organization, with 10 times the budget and staff.

“I’m super happy,” she said. “It’s the perfect transition.”

Powers is succeeding Katherine Draper, who is retiring, said GLHC President Tim Kaltenbach. Draper was recently married and has plans to leave the area with her new husband. She will remain on board as a consultant after Powers officially starts Nov. 3, he said.

“Three things that put Julie ahead of others: her energy, her enthusiasm which is unbridled and her knowledge of the community, the relationships that she has in the Greater Lansing area with a number of our partners,” he said. “She had a great vision in terms of where we need to head now.”

GLHC was created in 1989 to provide quality, affordable housing to people of modest means and help revitalize neighborhoods.

Brandon Kawalec will serve as interim executive director at Mid-MEAC. Kawalec joined the organization in 2012. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Agriscience from Michigan State University.

“While we will miss Julie tremendously, the entire board of Mid-MEAC is excited for her,” said Board President John Lindenmayer.

“Julie took an organization that was struggling and turned it into a major contributor to improving the quality of life in mid-Michigan.”

Walt Sorg, treasurer on the Mid-MEAC board said, the board has begun the search process for a new director.

Raising funds will be key but the new director will need “a passion for the mission of practical environmentalism."

“We feel very strongly on many issues but our focus is on tangible results,” he said.

He used this upcoming weekend’s event opening the non-motorized path in south Lansing as an example. The path uses a Consumers Energy utility corridor and will connect with the Lansing River Trail, Delhi Township’s Sycamore Trail which will terminate at the intersection of Aurelius and Jolly Roads, and the paved shoulders and pathway along Waverly Road. It is intended to be utilitarian, providing a non-motorized transportation corridor for east-west travel along the south side of Lansing for school, work and other activities, while still accommodating recreational uses. Mid-MEAC helped with other organizations and the city to make the project possible.

Environmental issues are livability issues he said. And Powers is an expert at connecting the two.

“It’s very difficult to find someone of the knowledge, passion and ability,” he said.

The diversity of skills and networking ability and how she connects them is what excites GLHC about their new director.

“She brings a wealth of energy, community knowledge and commitment,” Kaltenbach said.

Powers is ready to hit the ground running. She said she’s got a long list of priorities.

Senior housing needs to be functional and near transportation. Veterans with PTSD need supportive housing that has visible security measures so they feel safe. There are needs for multigenerational housing because of the growing refugee population. Powers also wants to increase exposure for programs like Tuesday Toolman, where retirees with home improvement skills make repairs on homes for seniors and others in need.

“One of the best parts of jumping in now is we just finished a three-year fair and affordable housing survey and there’s a plan just about ready to go to print,” she said. “This was a part of our regional planning grant. We haven’t had a housing analysis of our entire region. We’ve done differently municipalities or Zip codes. But it’s all interrelated people who work in Lansing live in Bath. People who work in Charlotte live in Dimondale. This is all interconnected. Now we have data. We know what different municipalities need and want.”

She said the GLHC board wants her “to build relationships in the community, build awareness of what we do and expand our footprint.”

Often organizations and government agencies work in silos, she said.

“I speak transportation and connectivity,” she said.

“If you’re going to build an affordable housing unit, sometimes the most inexpensive and affordable place to do it is out in a corn field, but that’s not going to work,” she said. “Because it’s not near schools, it’s not near jobs, it’s not near transportation or health care. Or any of these other key factors that make for a good quality of life. “

She added, “We’re always going to have people who live in all ends of the economic spectrum. Just because you live in Sect. 8 housing unit doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have access to transportation, housing, healthcare services and education.”

She’s also excited to move into her office which was built with her environmental ethics in mind.

“I get to work in a LEED certified building,” she said.

Nothing is really changing at her core, Powers said. She’ll still be connected to community and passionate about the environment.

“There will be composting happening,” she said. “I’ll be bringing my worm bin.”

The activist known for alerting officials when she notices an oil sheen on the river said since her new office is near the Brenke Fish Ladder on the Grand River in Old Town, “I’ll be watching.”