Catalyst Interview Series: Alyce Lee Stansbury
Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI): How did you get involved with KCCI?
Alyce Lee Stansbury (ALS): “I had heard about the various projects that previous Catalyst Classes had done and was impressed with them. I saw KCCI as a vehicle to accomplish my goal of strengthening nonprofits as a strategy for attracting and retaining talent.”
KCCI: How long have you lived in Tallahassee?
ALS: “Forever. I came to Tallahassee in the early 1980’s to go to Florida State and stayed.”
KCCI: Can you tell us a little bit about the project you worked on?
ALS: “I served on the Amp Up Tallahassee project team. Our main mission was to grow and promote live music in town. We partnered with the City of Tallahassee on their initiative to create a pocket park in midtown. We worked with the Midtown Merchants Association to help put together the first live music event in the 5th Avenue Plaza. This was a good first step for what would eventually become Tallahassee Music Week.”
KCCI: What was your biggest challenge working on the Amp Up project?
ALS: “Narrowing our focus. Identifying a project that would be manageable and produce a tangible outcome within the timeframe. Secondly, fundraising, which is always a challenge.”
KCCI: What was the biggest win of the Amp Up project?
ALS: “Connecting all of the dots. We were the glue between the music community, the Midtown merchants and the City of Tallahassee for pulling off the live music event. We also helped get the ball rolling for what has become a community-wide effort to promote live music in Tallahassee.”
KCCI: How have you been involved in the community since your KCCI project?
ALS: “I was a founding board member and am now serving as Board chair for the Institute of Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence (INIE), which was launched in June of 2014, three years after serving as a Catalyst.”
KCCI: Where are some of your favorite places in Tallahassee?
ALS: “Cascades Park, St. Mark’s Wildlife Refuge, the historic Capitol and the INIE office in the TCC Innovation Center downtown.”
KCCI: Who should apply to be a KCCI Community Catalyst?
ALS: “Anyone with a passion for Tallahassee and a desire to see the community continue to grow and prosper. Someone that is a creative thinker and is willing to get their hands dirty, to take on a project and invest time into making it happen.”