A Community Engagement Panel
Community engagement is often a strategic process to share information or gather ideas and feedback from individuals that you serve or wish to be connected to. It is not a perfect science, but it does require us to be open and considerate of the diversity that exists in our cities and neighborhoods. Join us for an exciting panel to discuss community engagement from multiple perspectives, including ability, age, citizenship, orientation, race, socioeconomic status, and more!
We are pleased to present the following panel members:
Christina Arrom, Immigrant Welcome Center
Christina Arrom is a first generation Cuban-American lawyer that uses her expertise to serve her community. She has experience working with nonprofits to build capacity, advocate for equality, and drive impact. Christina has directly served diverse populations around supporting them around their basic needs as well as provided indirect support by developing internal processes and structures to enhance organizational efficiencies and effectiveness. In her current role as the Director of Programs and Operations for the Immigrant Welcome Center, she leads program design, implementation, evaluation. Christina is a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law, and in her free time she enjoys volunteering, spending time with her husband, and spoiling their dog.
Ariana Beedie, Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center
Born in Indianapolis, Ariana Beedie holds a deep passion for sharing stories, community arts and preserving neighborhoods. She graduated from North Central High School. After receiving a B.A. in Journalism from University of Southern Indiana, she moved back to the city and co-founded a publication, Face A Face, to highlight stories from local marginalized artists and musicians. She has worked on countless projects like co-founding Hoy Polloy Art Gallery and Woo Grl Fest - the first all-women’s music festival. She’s a board member of Musical Family Tree and has contributed to projects for AFROPUNK, WFYI, Sidepiece Magazine and others.
Belinda Drake, Indiana Youth Group
Belinda Drake is a Gary native and resides on the far eastside of Indianapolis. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2009 in Political Science. Belinda previously served as 7th District Chair for Indiana Young Democrats from 2018-2020 and is a former candidate for Indiana State Senate. Belinda serves on the Board of Business and Neighborhood Services for the City of Indianapolis and the Victory Fund Campaign Board. She mentors and coaches local youth and volunteers for the Indianapolis NAACP Young Adults Committee. She seeks to represent and serve the people with a bold, pragmatic vision that will deliver real results for families and communities. She currently works as the Director of Youth Services with Indiana Youth Group (IYG) and enjoys spending time with her fiancée and family.
Courtney Clark, Self-Advocates of Indiana
Courtney Clark has been on the Board of Directors for Self-Advocates of Indiana for 14 years. She is the former Vice President and currently serves as Secretary. She is also a Career Counselor and Referral Trainer for The Arc of Indiana.