Joel Arnold serves as the Planning and Advocacy Manager for Communities First Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation focusing on affordable housing, economic development, and innovative programming. Headquartered in Flint, Michigan, his work includes urban planning, community organizing, policy advocacy, and urban design work across Michigan and Northwest Indiana. Prior to this position he worked for SEAMAAC in Philadelphia as Community Building and Planning Coordinator. Here he oversaw a large-scale park redevelopment project in South Philadelphia, a community garden program, neighborhood planning initiatives, and other community development initiatives. As a Mitchell Scholar, he obtained an MA in Public Policy with a focus on Urban Policy from UCD. A native of the Flint area, Joel worked as a Blight Management Analyst for the City of Flint after his undergraduate education. In college he was a member of the Spartan Marching Band and founded what became the largest and most active chapter of LiveWorkDetroit!, a program that worked to encourage graduates of Michigan’s universities to remain in the state and specifically in the state’s urban centers. Joel obtained his undergraduate degree at Michigan State University.

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