2025 Governance Committee Nominees

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Thomas Obioha

Board Member, Brightmoor Artisans Collective

Founder, Detroit BLOCK Works

District 1 legacy resident

I am interested in joining the governance committee for the Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project because developing a community land trust could allow BAC to: protect affordability, retain community control (during (re)development), increase ownership opportunities and provide support for those who are interested in buying land but lack expertise to navigate the DLBA's sometimes complex and cumbersome processes.

What excites me most about this opportunity is the chance to model and implement Racial Equity principles which is top of mind for a number of residents that have taken part in the Planning & Development Department's Brightmoor Framework Plan. As a community development professional with over 8 years of working all across Detroit I have assisted residents and community groups during and after neighborhood planning processes to gain insights into community needs, map neighborhood assets and organize for the future. I've participated in the multi-year Brightmoor Framework process as a long time resident, representative of city council and as an advocate/activist and I am constantly inspired by the sheer level of optimism and self determination within Brightmoor.

As part of the governance board I would leverage my experiences with open space and development land-use (in the private, public and social sectors), neighborhood & organizational planning expertise, and existing relationships with city of Detroit, non profit & philanthropic stakeholders to aid in advancing, promoting and ensuring the Incubator Project is sustainable.

Mia White

Brightmoor Resident

Greenhouse Manager, Neighbors Building Brightmoor

BIPOC Farmer

I am expressing my interest in becoming a member of the Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Governance Committee. As a Black woman who lives in the Brightmoor area, I am passionate about seeing my community thrive. However, I also recognize areas where we need to improve and become more self-sufficient. Through my volunteer work at the B’Moor Nourished Free Pantry, I see firsthand the food insecurity and the demand for healthy, fresh options. A program that champions local, healthy food while addressing housing insecurity is exactly the kind of movement I want to be part of.

Through my education, I have studied the environment and the impacts of food insecurity. Both issues have been deeply influenced by systemic racism and capitalistic greed. A program like this offers healing for people, the Earth, and our community. With my knowledge, I can help inform the committee and the Brightmoor neighbors on how we can manage and move forward as a food- and housing-secure community.

Personally, I am inspired by seeing BIPOC people reclaim a narrative from which we have been excluded. We can be land stewards. We can support our communities. We can work together and win together. And we can do so equitably and sustainably. I see the promise and legacy this program seeks to create, and I would love to be a part of it.