About Us

What we’re about…

EMPOWERED RESIDENTS = THRIVING COMMUNITY

Our Vision

We seek the holistic well-being of the Jackson neighborhood where residents are known, valued, and empowered to collaborate for the thriving of its people and place.

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Our Mission

We pursue resident-led community engagement, leadership generation, and asset-based community development in the following areas:

Neighborhood Network
Community Resources
Economic Development
Safety & Beautification
Educational Attainment
Youth Development
Accessible Housing
Health & Well-being

Our Staff

Rhonda Dueck, Executive Director

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Rhonda has lived as a resident in the Jackson neighborhood for 30+ years and is honored to be the first Executive Director of the Jackson CDC. A graduate of Fresno Pacific University, where she also earned a teaching credential and master’s degree, has opened up many leadership opportunities. She has been a local pastor, leadership mentor, and involved in community development for over a decade in a variety of spaces. Being able to focus her energy on the neighborhood she loves is a dream come true. She is committed to the flourishing of the Jackson neighborhood and believes strongly that empowering residents is vital to a vibrant and thriving community. Rhonda is married to Kevin, who is a teacher at Kings Canyon Middle School, and they have four adult children. Rhonda loves to camp and hang out at the beach, travel with family, read great books, and cheer on the SF Giants.

Sarah Valentine, Program Manager

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Sarah and her husband, Michael, moved from the Bay Area to Fresno 6 years ago, becoming first-time homeowners. Their youngest child was born in Fresno shortly after the move. While Michael continued working in San Jose, Sarah sought to connect with her new community. She met Jeff Grunau through a neighbor’s Christmas decoration giveaway, who introduced her to the Jackson Neighborhood Association.
Sarah began volunteering in neighborhood activities, including a community clean-up event she found on Nextdoor.com. In April 2022, she helped promote the Play Streets event to address traffic issues. By August 2022, she became the Literacy and Recreation Coordinator for JCDC, overseeing programs at Jackson Elementary. In February 2023, she was promoted to Program Manager. Sarah continues to volunteer at Jackson Elementary, serving as the School Site Council President and ELAC Secretary.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys doing arts and crafts with her kids at home. During football season, you can catch her rooting for her team, the San Francisco 49ers.
Sarah has a stepson (23) in San Jose, a senior at Roosevelt High School, a daughter in 2nd grade, and a son in Kindergarten, both attending Jackson Elementary.

Literacy Support Specialist

Our Resident-Led Board

Joe White - President

Heidi White - Secretary

Jeff Grunau - Treasurer

Launa Grunau - member at large

Vicky Flores - member at large

back: Joe and Jeff

front: Vicky, Heidi, Rhonda, Launa

Our History

Our founding residents, Joe and Heidi White, discovered that their neighbors had so many good ideas for how to solve some of Jackson’s greatest challenges. They also realized that institutions typically served their neighbor’s perceived needs without listening to their actual needs. In response, they utilized the best practices of asset-based community development and created Jackson Community Development Corporation (Jackson CDC). In collaboration with residents our goal is to provide spaces to listen to our neighbors as well as utilize each neighbor’s gifts and passions for creative solutions that address real neighborhood problems. We also prioritized collaboration with Neighborhood Church - a local church in Jackson - as well as other churches, non-profits, and the City of Fresno with the fundamental belief that partnership is the only way to catalyze sustainable change in Jackson.