Jonathan Nazeer joins SC Association for Community Economic Development as Capacity Building Program Director
October 3, 2024
South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development (SCACED) announced the appointment of Jonathan Nazeer as Capacity Building Program Director. In his role, Nazeer will administer several programs designed to build capacity of the organization’s nonprofit members and build wealth in low-wealth communities.
An experienced advocate for underserved communities, Nazeer brings over twenty years of experience in community development, nonprofit management, marketing, and economic empowerment. He joins SCACED from serving as Co-founder and CEO of Victory Gardens International, a community garden and grocer located in Rock Hill, SC dedicated to spearheading community redevelopment through urban agriculture, food access, food production, and job creation in low-wealth communities. Under his leadership, Victory Gardens has been recognized for launching strategic programs that directly address food insecurity and youth workforce development, while cultivating sustainable, community-driven food systems. His experience with Victory Gardens led him to create a controlled environment agriculture facility, Innovation Gardens LLC, aimed at growing high-nutrient greens and empowering students at HBCUs across the East Coast with hands-on experience in modern agriculture. Prior to that, he worked in marketing and sales roles with ESPN radio affiliates where he spearheaded emerging media platforms and advertising to grow the digital footprint of each station.
In his new role at SCACED, Nazeer will leverage his extensive experience in community economic development to lead the expansion of the Community Development Institute (CDI) into a three-tier education and engagement model. This model will focus on certifying nonprofits, building economic capacity for small and minority businesses, and empowering grassroots organizations through community power-building initiatives. His expertise in nonprofit management, coupled with his hands-on experience in developing communities, positions him as a leader poised to make significant contributions to South Carolina’s community-driven economic development landscape.
“Jonathan will lead in a pivotal role by growing our capacity-building initiatives to support our statewide membership of nonprofits,” said Bernie Mazyck, President & CEO of SCACED. “We are excited to have him join our team and bring his on-the-ground experience in revitalizing communities to SCACED. We look forward to leveraging his wealth of experience with community development industry.”
“I am thrilled to join the excellent team at SCACED,” said Nazeer. “It is an honor to be in a position to use my experience to purse my passion of driving sustainable change through innovative community-driven solutions.”
Jonathan’s leadership and success in community development was recognized by the City of Rock Hill, who selected him to join the City’s Planning Commission. He also serves on Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation’s Placemaking Committee.
About SCACED
SCACED is a coalition of over 200 individuals and organizations who support the development of healthy and economically sustainable communities throughout South Carolina. For 30 years, SCACED and its members have worked collaboratively to build wealth and create economic opportunity for all SC residents including a focus on minority communities and other groups who have been left out of the economic mainstream.
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