Founded in 2015 in the weeks following the catastrophic “Valley Fire” in Northern California, the SSCRA team continues to fill key roles in the evolution of our community, helping to build local prosperity, solidarity and resilience.
We partner with local and regional organizations to create resilient communities from the inside out.
We work with communities that have experienced or are vulnerable to disaster to foster self-reliance and resilience.
We work to remove obstacles and foster self-reliance and cooperation.
Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association (SSCRA), a local nonprofit was established following the Valley Fire to help disaster-vulnerable communities self-organize and plan for the future. The strategy uses an innovative framework of seven “Community Capitals”: natural, built, social, financial, cultural, political and human, to paint a comprehensive picture of the community’s assets.
“Using the Community Capitals Framework has allowed us to paint a very detailed picture of the community that looks at how economic development is closely tied to all aspects of local life, especially in a place recovering from, and still vulnerable to, wildfire.” – Eliot Hurwitz, executive director of SSCRA
Eliot Hurwitz is Executive Director of SSCRA. He has a 25 year career in Community Development policy at the federal, state and local level and was the first Chair of the Cobb Area Council following the 2015 Valley Fire.
Magdalena Valderrama is Program Director for SSCRA. She has worked with a range of nonprofit organizations. She has experience in disaster planning and response at the federal and local level and also sits on the Board of the South Lake Fire Safe Council.
John Carlisi is CEO of the Neighborhood Development Collaborative, which develops working-class and mixed-income rental housing nationwide. He brings extensive experience in banking, consulting, community development, and government.
Steve Reed has 30 years of experience starting and managing several companies in the natural food industry. Since his retirement, he has served as a director on two non-profits and as an adviser to for-profit businesses with a special emphasis on start-ups.
Emma Ogley-Oliver received her PhD in Community Psychology from Georgia State University. Her work involves the process of civic engagement and empowerment to support community development initiatives.
Christopher D. Nettles received his Ph.D in Clinical & Community Psychology from George Washington University, where he taught for several years. He consults on community health & well-being (especially marginalized communities) and hyperlocal community development. He was elected to the Cobb Area Council in 2020.
Melanie Fae Garrett is a “boots on the ground” force with thirty years’ experience in rural business development for entrepreneurial startups and small business owners. She partners with organizations whose missions contribute to the empowerment of rural communities in which all stakeholders – individuals, groups, and the natural environment – benefit.
