Melanie Littlejohn, CNY Community Foundation

*Note: The following text is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

Bill Berthel
Welcome back to another episode of Driving Leadership. In this episode, we’re going to meet Melanie Littlejohn. She’s the Executive Director of the Community Foundation here in Syracuse. And we are at the Philanthropy Center of Central New York, which is home base for her and her Team. They do amazing things all around Central New York. We’re going to get to meet her, take a little tour of Syracuse, see some of the great work they do. Well, come on, let’s just go meet her. Melanie, hello.

Melanie Littlejohn
Hi Bill.

Bill Berthel
Good morning.

Melanie Littlejohn
How are you?

Bill Berthel
I’m doing awesome. I’m so excited for today. Thank you for doing this with me.

Melanie Littlejohn
Thank you. Thanks for inviting me.

Bill Berthel
Are you kidding? Yeah. So I know you’re gonna show me some great things your organization does here in the city.

Melanie Littlejohn
Yeah.

Bill Berthel
You ready for a little ride? And I think we’re gonna take a walking tour. Right? All Right.

Melanie Littlejohn
I’READY I’m ready.

Bill Berthel
So I heard you sing, karaoke, right?

Melanie Littlejohn
Don’t believe it.

Bill Berthel
We’re not doing that?

Melanie Littlejohn
Not one of my skills.

Bill Berthel
Okay good. Me neither. So we won’t do that today. Let’s go. So you’re newer in your current role.

Melanie Littlejohn
Yep.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. So tell me about what the first, How now? now

Melanie Littlejohn
It’s about 100. What’s 120 days?

Bill Berthel
Yeah. Ah, yeah. So tell me about the first 120 days and tell me about how you found this role, like how you landed.

Melanie Littlejohn
So the first 120 is all a blur, Right?

Bill Berthel
Still a blur.

Melanie Littlejohn
Still a blur. But the best blur that I’ve had in my career. it has been amazing to reconnect with so many folks that I’ve had opportunities through my career even when I was at National Grid for 30 years. To reconnect with them in an up close and personal way. The other piece is also meeting donors, many of whom I knew but there’s a bunch that have just been these quiet, unbelievable philanthropists that I’m now having an opportunity to connect with. That’s been amazing. And then just the full immersion into our community and the whole of Central New York. And then working on core issues to really maximize this moment of transformation.

Bill Berthel
It is transformational. Right. This is a transformational time for Syracuse and Central New York.

Melanie Littlejohn
It is, it is.

Bill Berthel
How far do you get to reach? Like where’s your impact? Like what’s your. What’s your scope?

Melanie Littlejohn
Sure. Our scope as a community foundation we cover Cortland, Cayuga, Oswego, Onondaga. And it is.

Bill Berthel
It’s a big footprint.

Melanie Littlejohn
It’s a big footprint.

Bill Berthel
That’s a lot of space. A lot of people.

Melanie Littlejohn
There’s a lot of. A lot of people. And it’s just. It’s amazing. And I touched all of these same communities when I worked at National Grid, but now I’m touching them in a different way.

Bill Berthel
Right, right.

Melanie Littlejohn
And I love it. You know, I work really long hours because I want to, and I love it. I love meeting and talking and connecting with people. You know, that’s what fuels me to hear both the dreams and the aspirations of our community.

Bill Berthel
Yes.

Melanie Littlejohn
And then to figure out how we may play a role in helping bring these dreams and aspirations to life.

Bill Berthel
So what was her [Linda Littlejohn] mission or purpose for getting this built?

Melanie Littlejohn
She was actually responsible for community engagement and wanted in a part of the engagement and conversations that she and her team had, with residents in the area. This was a food desert.
So at first it was about, fresh food and access to food. And then it was a nice community space that focused, and it still does, on wellness and community and gathering. So this has a special place in my heart. I was here when they were building it. I was here the day that they opened it.

Bill Berthel
Wow.

Melanie Littlejohn
And then the next street over that abuts this, because there was also a communications center that she was also responsible for setting up. It was a computer lab center and t was also where they had the 15th Ward Museum.
And there’s this street called Linda Littlejohn Way. So, deeply personal.

Bill Berthel
Yes.

Melanie Littlejohn
In how life comes full Circle. And our work just ties into all of the work that she did.
You know, I talk about my career journey. Every stop there was a lesson. And there were building blocks to becoming a leader. I learned when I was a receptionist working on Wall Street. Or then moving into banking.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. Took all those lessons along the way.

Melanie Littlejohn
You have to. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Bill Berthel
I mean, I like that optimism. You have to. But I don’t know that everybody does.

Melanie Littlejohn
No, no.

Bill Berthel
I think you did do it. Right. So don’t downplay that. You did do that.

Melanie Littlejohn
And, you know, there were. There were hard and good lessons along the way. You know, war scars, if you will. But it helps you stay centered and grounded. And also knowing that you will never be perfect.

Bill Berthel
That’s right. Yeah. That’s right.

Melanie Littlejohn
But you always have. As long as you have air. And get an opportunity to put your feet on solid ground every day you get an opportunity for a fresh start.

Bill Berthel
I love it.

Melanie Littlejohn
That’s how I think about it.

Bill Berthel
It’s. Take a little stroll. Yeah. Thanks. The mural is awesome.

Melanie Littlejohn
I love everything about it. Right.

Melanie Littlejohn
I love everything about it. To the butterflies.

Bill Berthel
The hands are beautiful.

Melanie Littlejohn
…you know, because the hands are representative of this community.

Bill Berthel
Yes, yes.

Melanie Littlejohn
And what happens. you know, absolutely. It really, really is. and that’s why I love this community. I love the history of the 15th Ward. And the 15th Ward was the impetus for our work especially in lead.

Bill Berthel
How so?

Melanie Littlejohn
Because when we were doing an initiative around green healthy homes, we start seeing data that highlighted high concentrations of lead. And the highest concentrations of lead were in the 15th Ward.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. So what, like pre 70s paint on older homes?

Melanie Littlejohn
On older homes. Right. I remember there were no new homes built for a long period after 1980.

Bill Berthel
Yes.

Melanie Littlejohn
Here in this community had old large housing stock. And lead paint was outlawed in 1978.
So consequently, we saw some of the highest lead levels in the 15th Ward. And this was also where we saw the highest degree of red lining back in the 60s. Right. So we delved in, and really started to get our arms around what’s happening. And so consequently, when the chickens came home to roost, the unbelievable impact that we saw that was such a significant detriment to the children of the 15th Ward.

Bill Berthel
Right. That’s really who were affected by this most. I mean, everyone’s affected, but the children.

Melanie Littlejohn
And families and parents did not know their homes were filled.

Bill Berthel
Sure. So there was information, awareness, education.

Melanie Littlejohn
Just think about the decades, the decades that went by without knowing.
And then after we started getting to this data and pulling it apart and finding where the trend lines were going, 26% of the children in this community in the 15th Ward, had elevated levels of lead.

Bill Berthel
Oh, wow. Okay.

Melanie Littlejohn
Right. When we started this work, almost 15 years ago. Today, we’re about 11%. The numbers are still too high.

Bill Berthel
I ‘m sure the goal is zero….

Melanie Littlejohn
The goal should always be zero, but awareness, engagement, is so critically important. So in 2018, we started this full grants initiative to work with those organizations who wanted to focus on how do we tackle this? How do we tackle this issue as a community? And that’s when we really began to see the shift. To today, we have a coalition of partners, the Lead Safe Coalition that is just so intentional, and so focused on how we get to zero.

Melanie Littlejohn
Good morning. How are you? Good seeing you. Arlaina.

Arlaina Harris
I’m Arlaina.

Bill Berthel
Hi Arlaina. I’m Bill.

Arlaina Harris
Nice to meet you.

Bill Berthel
Really good to meet you. Thanks for having us here.

Arlaina Harris
Oh, absolutely. Welcome to Cafe Sankofa.

Bill Berthel
Thanks.

Arlaina Harris
Yes.

Melanie Littlejohn
Arlaina is the brains and the beauty and the passion and the leader behind this beautiful space.

Arlaina Harris
One of many.

Bill Berthel
Can’t wait to learn more about it. Thank you.

Arlaina Harris
Absolutely. We’re kind of in like a transition as you kind of see a refrigeration that used to be a grocery store okay. And so that model kind of failed.

Bill Berthel
So that’s part of the used to be.

Arlaina Harris
This is all part of the to.

Bill Berthel
I apologize for an aesthetic. No, it’s authentic. It’s where we are. It’s what it is right now. It’s all good. No, it’s all good.

Arlaina Harris
So yeah, the board at the time wanted to re envision the states to be stopping that. They kind of look like a cultural community hub where there’s resources where people can come and gather, gather the black community where people can get access to health and wellness information classes, talk to instructors. We had a great partnership with Liberty Resources, but we had a Wellness and Resource Center through COVID where people had access to hygiene items. They had a clothing closet, we had peer counseling, case management things that.
And so now we’re at a kind of turning point of really trying to learn to shed the layer or the shell of the former grocery store to really being a premier health and wellness venue. And there’s a couple of spaces that people have been using they’ve been having classes upstairs.
We have a bulk food buying program called Food Cents in connection with the Food Bank because unfortunately there’s not a lot of access to fresh fruit and vegetables and things of that sort. So it’s a discounted monthly food buying program. For $20, you get a box of staple products and fresh produce and things and that sort and that happens once a month.
So slowly but surely, I’m hoping to get to a point where we get the cafe open. We have some black women owned businesses that are kind of looking to utilize that space and have some juices, smoothies, some catering, all that. Keep in mind certain dietary restrictions and preferences. And so we’re just kind of looking forward to getting to a point where we’re fully open and kind of curate what they want it to be, and for it to be part a partnership.

Melanie Littlejohn
And the Foundation, as well as supported this project.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. So, this is with Evelyn.

Melanie Littlejohn
This is with Evelyn.

Bill Berthel
So Evelyn was a previous guest, and she shared about the castle on the episode. And so, she had a New Year’s bash last year.

Melanie Littlejohn
Yes.

Bill Berthel
Right. Kind of a soft opening-ish.

Melanie Littlejohn
To begin to show people what will happen when this is fully developed. She actually just had another event this past weekend just to build excitement around the possibilities.

Bill Berthel
I love her. She is, if I can say this respectfully, she is the right kind of crazy.

Melanie Littlejohn
She really is. That’s why I like the right kind of crazy people.

Bill Berthel
Oh my gosh. For her and her husband to take that on.

Melanie Littlejohn
And every part of their being. They are committed to this. And she also knows how important this structure is for this community because this will be the gateway into the beautiful future.

Bill Berthel
So we’re in a library. I think I told you I’ve been kicked out of a library a few times. So gonna be quieter, be quiet because I can be loud. I can be loud sometimes because I’m excited and passionate about things.

Melanie Littlejohn
Me too.

Bill Berthel
So tell me about the connection of literacy in the community and your organization. Because there’s, more than an effort there. There’s some significant programs. There’s a passion in literacy. What’s your connection? Like, why is this connected to your leadership? I know you have a, ah, passion.

Melanie Littlejohn
I do. This is very similar to the library in the neighborhood that I grew up in in Jamaica/Queens. So I walk in with a certain amount of nostalgia, seeing it probably has the same tables and desk that they’ve had for 15 years.

Melanie Littlejohn
But then I walk and I see the little people and, anyone who knows me understands that little people have such a space in my heart.
You know, you did say something to me that just that we were just talking about how leadership sometimes it’s really about…

Bill Berthel
It’s improv.

Melanie Littlejohn
You don’t know.

Bill Berthel
You don’t know. Right.

Melanie Littlejohn
You don’t know.

Bill Berthel
You know the only role to improv? Yes, and.

Melanie Littlejohn
Yes, and.

Bill Berthel
Yes, and. Right?
And so the reason that exists in improv, right. Is that you give the next person the on ramp, you invite their voice. And you just let it keep rolling.

Melanie Littlejohn
You just let it keep rolling.

Bill Berthel
Right. So it’s yes, and. And we sometimes say the answer to how is yes? Right. How are going to do that?

Melanie Littlejohn
Yes, yes, yes.

Bill Berthel
Not to be flippant it but like if I think if you have that energy and that attitude, we will figure it out. You show up with your best. Most people want to be helpful.

Melanie Littlejohn
Exactly. And sometimes I think for me it’s yes, and. You know the answers. Show me and just tell me how I can be of service to you to remove, a barrier that makes.

Bill Berthel
You’re a strong coach. That’s your coaching in leadership. Right?

Bill Berthel
You don’t have to have the answers. You can have some answers. But if we project too many of our own answers, we actually build dependency on our leadership instead of growing and scaling. So, Melanie, thank you for this time. Thank you for your energy. Thank you for everything you’re doing in the community.

Bill Berthel
So, where are we? Explain please.

Melanie Littlejohn
So we’re standing in front of the home of Ms. Darlene. Ms. Darlene’s home, her first home had lead and it. And one of her children got lead poisoning.

Bill Berthel
Yeah.

Melanie Littlejohn
And so this house now is lead free and this is where she and her family live now. So this is about what this work is focused on. It’s making sure Ms. Darlene and her children have a safe space.

Bill Berthel
Getting people safe.

Melanie Littlejohn
That’s it.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. getting them safe in their own homes.

Melanie Littlejohn
In their own homes so that they don’t have to worry about, is this home, healthy and safe?

Bill Berthel
Absolutely. Absolutely. What would you share with our listeners? Maybe someone who’s aspiring to think about leadership. Maybe you’d inspire somebody to think about leadership. What would you share?

Melanie Littlejohn
Know your why. Know your what? Know what gets you out of bed in the morning.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. Really know it.

Melanie Littlejohn
Really know it. Believe it.

Bill Berthel
Yeah.

Melanie Littlejohn
Believe it.

Bill Berthel
Yeah. Yeah. Only. Thank you, thank you, thank you.