THE CNU MIDWEST INTERVIEWMisty Adams, Development Manager, Congress for the New Urbanism

CNU’s newest staff person is Misty Adams who will be CNU’s Development Manager. Even more importantly, Misty hails from the Midwest! Her role for CNU will be to manage fundraising and cultivate relationships with donors. CNU Midwest wanted to get to know CNU’s newest staffer so we posed a few leading questions to her. 

CNU Midwest:

So give us the stats on yourself – you know, the stuff on the top of your resume: name age, education, number of pets, etc.

Misty Adams:

I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Art History and that’s where my love of art and architecture first developed. I live on the west side of Cincinnati with two spoiled miniature pinschers, Tucker and Dutch. I’ve spent the last few years on and off working in nonprofit development before finally deciding that nonprofit development is where I want to remain for the rest of my career and I’m so excited to be a part of the CNU team!

CNUM:

What sorts of organizations have you worked for recently and what did you do for them?

MA:

Most recently I was the Development Manager for IGNITE Worldwide, an organization that helps to bridge the gender equity gap in STEM by providing girls and gender-diverse students with STEM education at their schools. Prior to that I worked in Development for Beagle Freedom Project and Brevard Zoo in Viera, Florida. I love helping nonprofits not only achieve but exceed their goals and allow them to expand and develop new programming and projects.

CNUM:

Were you born and raised in the Midwest or did you come to your senses later in life and decide to move here as an adult?

MA:

Ha ha! Originally, I’m from Kentucky and lived in Lexington, so I used to travel to Cincinnati regularly for concerts and other events. I took a 13 year detour to Florida, but as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I decided to make the leap and move to Cincinnati and I am so thankful every day I did.

CNUM:

What are your top 3 favorite urban places and why?

MA:

My top 3 would be Cincinnati (of course), Savannah, GA, and Nashville, TN. All three have walkable neighborhoods and/or numerous public transit options that are easy to navigate, and there’s always something fun and interesting to do and so many independently owned businesses and restaurants to support. 

CNUM:

You live in Cincinnati – location of CNU-32 and a great example of Restorative Urbanism. What do you think cities – from small Midwestern towns to larger metropolitan areas – should focus on over the next few years to make more pedestrian friendly places?

MA:

I hope that cities focus on creating more bike friendly infrastructure, that’s something I wish I had in my neighborhood for sure. Aside from that, I hope more cities work to rehabilitate their existing infrastructure and develop neighborhoods that create opportunities for people to open small businesses, have access to fresh and affordable food, and create affordable housing, so people will be able to live, work, and support their neighborhoods and have everything they need within those spaces. 

CNUM:

So what’s the tea on CNU National? What will the crack staff there be focused on for 2025?

MA:

One of the major focuses and what I’m going to be working hard on is, of course, development! CNU has several exciting projects that we would like to be able to launch this year, but we will need support from existing and new supporters to make those happen! I look forward to engaging with our chapters, partners, and supporters to grow CNU National and see our programming goals come to fruition!

CNUM:

Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with CNU members from throughout the Midwest?

MA:

I am excited to connect with CNU Midwest members, especially in the greater Cincinnati area, and learn more about the projects and goals in this amazing area of the country!