PeopleWorks Group is led by L.D. Perry, a professional dedicated to helping create better communities through knowledge and acceptance of a multicultural world. With both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Education from Temple University and advanced graduate studies from Purdue University and Florida State University, he has been associated with higher education as well as youth, adult, and community development focusing on multicultural, diversity, and leadership issues. He has also spent some time teaching in the public school system, teaching at both the primary and high school levels. These experiences have served Perry well and have contributed to his successes on various levels. A myriad of institutions of higher learning, communities, associations, agencies, and community groups have benefited from his transformative leadership abilities and his collaborative spirit.
PeopleWorks Group is available to assist organizations and agencies in creating better communities. Please view the remainder of the site to get a feel for areas of experience and expertise. We would love to work with your group, so contact us.
Philosophy
PeopleWorks Group believes that “Diversity Plus Leadership Produces Authentic Community.” In a diverse world’s struggle for ethnic and racial equality, civil and political rights, economic and educational advancements, and other challenges to oppression…people of the world typically respond to the proposals and rhetoric of the leaders drawn from their own cultural ranks. And while a people’s culture consists of its ideas and beliefs—its way of conducting its affairs—recent history shows a resulting paradox in which some cultures have had limited opportunities to develop the management of diversity within its community of leaders. This is why we believe we all are charged to facilitate and foster a communal enterprise of leadership learning in all of our diverse and pluralistically created communities.
Our community charge should be based on the understanding that identity, personal growth, and development are enhanced in an environment that comprehensively and strategically teaches and supports an appreciation for the differences in others; has a cultural perspective and understanding in its curriculum (formal and informal); and that learning best occurs in a community that provides a balance of stimulation and support.
We must have a shared “vision of community” as well as a passionate and active strategic mission to guide the learning of our community members towards the knowledge of their multicultural world. We have the obligation to facilitate discovery of new multicultural leadership knowledge and approaches towards the promotion of healthy psychological, physical, social, and moral development for all community members.
This is where PeopleWorks Group comes in with a Spirit-driven purpose to serve in partnership with all that share a similar vision, purpose, and cause.
Accomplishments
Following are some notable accomplishments L.D. Perry has achieved while serving our world of diverse communities:
▪ Provided essential leadership towards infrastructure development, strategic planning, and culturally relevant program development of a new and innovative non-profit community development/social service organization.
▪ Developed and implemented a needs-based and best practices leadership education curriculum and program designed to empower and improve the daily lives of local low-income adults living in public housing.
▪ Developed and facilitated an industry standard design and team-oriented implementation of a scholarship initiative to eliminate the financial barrier for low-income families to an exemplary youth character-building athletic program .
▪ Facilitated and implemented an industry standards assessment of the campus life experiences of students of color at a selective southern university. The results led to recommendations for institutional program change as well as the creation of academic credit undergraduate internships.
▪ Provided and shared in initial leadership to the implementation of the Gates Millennium Scholarship Initiative, one of the premier academic-service scholarship programs in the U.S. funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
▪ Transformed a minimalist “minority affairs” office into a high impact, standard of the higher education industry, multicultural affairs department structure and operations at a large Midwestern university.
▪ Provided leadership to the creation of one of the first campus and community leadership development conferences, with the interests of the African American community at the core of the conference framework and curriculum, at a large selective southern university.
▪ Created one of the first leadership courses in the United States, which focused on the study, development, implementation, and evaluation of culture-centered leadership and community development.
▪ Created, implemented, and co-produced a bi-monthly and culturally-focused community/university partnership television program at a Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) affiliate television station in north central Florida.
▪ Created, implemented, and produced the first culturally-focused weekly radio program at a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate radio station in central Indiana.
▪ Created and administered one of the first “open” mentoring programs, for students of color, with elders from the community, at a highly selective institution of higher education in New England.
▪ Introduced the initial and strategic use of instructional design and practices into the development and implementation of programs with the various departments of the student affairs division at a large multi-campus urban university.