The Stand
Our cover story tells how Freedom Commons became the first upstate adaptation of the Fortune Society’s innovative housing model, serving those who have trouble securing permanent, affordable housing and individuals returning from prison.
Additionally, our Skilled Trades Series continues with a feature on Christopher Montgomery, who is leading Syracuse Build, a program to prepare a local workforce for infrastructure jobs. His goal is to see local, minority workers hired to construction projects, including the estimated $2 billion I-81 reconstruction set to begin this year.
Our Winter issue also spotlights father Lamont Mitchell, who makes it a priority to spend time with his three daughters.
A new partnership The Stand has helped launch with the Syracuse Press Club is the Syracuse Journalism Lab, which encourages local media professionals to mentor high school students interested in storytelling. A long-term goal for the program is to help expand diversity of those who work in the industry.
A top priority of The Stand’s board has also been to see more youth become involved. The board supports this effort by having the project serve as the fiscal sponsor for the Syracuse Journalism Lab. Additionally, the board continues to work to develop ways for the community to become increasingly active in the project. Recent additions to The Stand’s board include Calvin Corriders, manager of Neighborhood Economic Development at CenterState CEO; Douglass Bullock, an assistant district attorney with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office; Tyrone Dixon, a certified professional life coach, and Tiffany Lloyd, director of Women’s Health and Empowerment at the Allyn Foundation.
We must also welcome the recently named Newhouse Executive Editor Edecio Martinez who will work to expand the reach of Stand stories to a wider audience. He is an award-winning digital media professional with extensive reporting, writing and editing experience. He served as head of video at Ziff Davis for two years and was an executive producer with Condé Nast Entertainment before that.
