Angie Gaabo
Executive Director
CEDAM

Angie Gaabo has been the Executive Director of CEDAM since Spring of 2007. Angie's key goals include organizing the many resources of the state CDC network towards the goal of funding the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund, and to lead the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force towards finding ways to help Michigan families to stay in their homes. For the last fifteen years, Angie has greatly involved with Detroit community development. She served as Executive Director of Community Legal Resources in Detroit for seven years, was a member of the CEDAM Board of Directors from 2004 - 2007, and has a Masters in Urban Planning from Wayne State University.

Q&A with Angie, our fearless leader:

What drives your passion for neighborhood / community and economic development?

What drives my passion for CED are the small wins we see happen almost daily that effect people's lives in meaningful ways-- new housing and parks, mentoring, a new grocery store, the ability of a family to save a few dollars every month. That and the wonderful people I get to work with across the state who take their work seriously and for whom it is more an a vocation than simply a vocation.

Why do you love Michigan?

How do I love Michigan, let me count the ways! I love the access to nature and water that we take for granted. I love the history of our places, the architecture. I love the welcoming and nonjudgmental nature of our citizens. I even love the challenges that we face and how people are coming together creatively to reinvent the state. I am deeply, deeply invested here.

How do your family and/or community inspire your work?

My husband inspires me every day by pointing out the opportunity and beauty in our Detroit neighborhood while he gardens on a vacant lot and chats up a new neighbor.

What do you do in your free time? (if it exists!)

While CEDAM keeps me pretty busy, I am principal cellist in a community orchestra and love to travel to other states and countries to check out their neighborhoods and community development projects. Yes I'm a nerd!