Prelims

Half Title Page

The Know-How of Public Leaders in Collective Politics

Title Page

The Know-How of Public Leaders in Collective Politics

By

Lucas Díaz

Tulane University, USA

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL

First edition 2024

Copyright © 2024 Lucas Díaz.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83797-355-2 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83797-354-5 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83797-356-9 (Epub)

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

ALAAP

Alliance for Language Access for All People

AWI

All Are Welcome Institute

BYHH

Bring You Home Housing Organization

CRT

Citizen Rights Collective

FANO

Finance Authority of New Orleans

HANO

Housing Authority of New Orleans

HJC

Housing Justice Coalition

HTAG

Help Them Achieve Greatness Organization

HUD

Housing and Urban Development

HUNO

Homes for Us New Orleans

IAF

Industrial Areas Foundation

LDPSC

Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections

LHC

Louisiana Housing Corporation

LHFA

Louisiana Housing Finance Agency

NBHI

Neighborhood-Based Housing Institute

NNG

Nearby Neighborhood Group

OCD

Office of Community Development

QAP

Qualified Allocation Plan

RSD

Recovery School District

SAF

Strategic Action Fields Theory

SIP

Strategic Interaction Perspective

About the Author

Lucas Díaz is a Dominican-born immigrant to the United States who has lived in the New Orleans area since the 1970s. He completed his PhD in Sociology from Tulane University's City, Culture, and Community program in 2022 after working 20 years in the local nonprofit and government sector.

Since 2000, Lucas has worked on nonprofit management, community engagement and organizing, government-based public participation programs and policies, leadership development, and nonprofit fundraising. He co-founded and led a New Orleans–based community nonprofit organization serving the Latinx community in 2007, then served as the first director of the Mayor's Neighborhood Engagement Office for the City of New Orleans from 2011 to 2013. During his time in City Hall, Lucas wrote public participation policies and designed community engagement programs that are still in use today.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank everyone who supported my efforts to develop my scholarly agenda by first offering my gratitude to the City, Culture, and Community PhD program at Tulane University for accepting me into the program in 2013 despite having no prior relationship with sociology and entering as a seasoned professional. I would also like to thank those who contributed to my developing ideas, such as Carol Reese, PhD, who helped guide my early student days; my committee chair and mentor David Smilde, PhD, whose theoretical insights helped strengthen mine; dissertation committee member Eduardo Silva, PhD, whose political science perspective helped keep me focused; Michael Cowan, PhD, whose decade-long community organizing mentorship helped me grow into scholarship; and James Huck, PhD, whose unwavering encouragement provided confidence in times when mine was low. Without these individuals' input over the years, I would not have been able to advance my work. Additionally, the study was aided significantly by the Tulane Center for Public Service, whose support and interest played a large role in helping to bring this study to fruition. A note of gratitude as well goes out to all my colleagues in New Orleans who agreed to participate in my research, with particular thanks to those who gave more of their time than they could have imagined. Finally, I would like to thank close friends, family, and my wife, Lauren Boudreaux, especially, who encouraged me when the writing wasn't coming.