Reimagining Spencer Homes
Spencer Homes is going through a transformation. We are engaging the community to shape its new names, logos, and brand identity of new housing developments.
MEETING SCHEDULE
- Dec 16th, 2023 – The Connect
- Jan 20th, 2024 – Learning Commons at Kennedy (Online Only Due To Weather)
- Feb 17th, 2024 – Learning Commons at Kennedy
- Week of March 25th, 2024 – Final (Digital) Share Out
About North O Narratives: Reimagining Spencer Homes
Our dynamic team—Heartland Next, Jewel Rodgers, and Gloria Bautista—is deeply engaged in the North Omaha community. After the City of Omaha, the Omaha Housing Authority, Seventy-Five North Revitalization Corporation, and Brinshore Development—the Choice North Team— won a $25 million, 5-year Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grant, to replace 111 Spencer Homes units with over 350 high-quality, mixed-income housing units – the naming was next.
A New Chapter
As the former Spencer Homes sites began emerging, the initial names chosen by the Choice North team, “Kennedy Square East” and “Kennedy Square West,” missed the mark. In response, They brought on our team and North O Narratives: Reimagining Spencer Homes was born—a community-centered approach to renaming that resonates with your interests and aspirations.
Community Engagement in Action
From Spencer Homes Residents to local leaders and North 30th Street corridor residents, we’re listening, learning, and uplifting your voice. Beyond names and logos, we’re diving into the creative culture of our city to design a visual identity that tells your story. With graphic designer Gloria Bautista’s expertise, we’re bringing colors, imagery, and logos to life that reflect the vibrant spirit of North Omaha.
Our Team
Jewel Rodgers
Jewel Rodgers has nearly a decade of public speaking and active listening experience moderating discussions with groups from ten in size to over one hundred. Jewel is consistently trusted to lead difficult conversations. She has led community discussions at events like the Charlottesville Vigil (Lincoln, NE), Husker Dialogues Diversity Training (Lincoln, NE), even spearheading her own traveling discussion series THINK., which brought together nearly 500 people between Lincoln and Omaha over a 5-part series. Most importantly, she is a North Omaha resident who has lived on both sides of I-75 – having grown up four blocks from the N. 24th Street corridor and now living within one block of the N. 30th Street corridor.
Gloria Bautista
Gloria Bautista is a graphic designer, artist, and muralist with over 6 years of experience in the advertising and marketing industry. While working in the advertising & marketing industry, Gloria developed designs and branding for many different clients from different fields including utility services, social impact, financial, and nonprofits. In 2021, she was one of the 22 artists chosen by the Omaha Summer Arts Festival to create an outdoor 8 ft. x 8 ft pop-up mural cube that was placed in different areas of Omaha to celebrate art, culture, and diversity during the pandemic. Gloria was born and raised in the heart of North Omaha around the Fontenelle Blvd area, and has always felt a close connection with North Omaha ever since.
Sarah Brune
Sarah Brune is the Director of Communications and Policy at Heartland Next, a public affairs and marketing firm working toward a better future where we live. Sarah has extensive experience in public engagement around affordable housing issues and community development projects. She has served as a liaison between residents and elected officials to gather community feedback for such projects to help them reflect local needs and values. She has also overseen multiple organization re-brands and understands all that is represented in a name. From narrowing down suggestions for an initial list to finding the perfect visual representation for the final name selection, she has managed the process from beginning to end.
Daniel Thomas
Daniel Thomas is the Director of Digital Marketing for Heartland Next. Daniel has a strong background in community organizing, branding, and digital communications. From Presidential candidates to local advocacy initiatives, Daniel has organized communities to enact positive change. Daniel has also led successful organizing and community branding efforts to improve neighborhood amenities such as food co-ops, community health clinics, and mental health facilities. As an expert in digital outreach and marketing to diverse communities, Daniel helps small businesses and organizations improve their brand, expand digital communications, and impact the communities they serve.
Join Us
Join our coalition of residents, advocates, and community leaders committed to preserving North Omaha’s history and culture as the community grows into the future.