Willard Brown

Willard Brown served as the Director of Housing and Environmental Programs at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA), where he worked for 6 years after retiring from Seattle Housing Authority (SHA), where he worked for just over 34 years. Willard was a key employee and for the last ten years at SHA, served as Property Management Administrator for Redevelopment. He has served on the Advisory Council for African American Elders and currently serves on the Board of the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) as he continues to fight for investments in Delridge’s infrastructure. Though Willard is retired from the DNDA, he continues to support environmental projects within the Delridge community and Longfellow Creek watershed and has been championing the restoration and protection of the Delridge wetland and Roxhill Bog. He is working closely with community members, local governments, and organizations to gain their support for these projects, increase community awareness of the environmental importance of the wetlands within the watershed, and significantly reduce area flooding and stormwater pollution entering Longfellow Creek. Willard is also actively involved in updating the 2035 Delridge Neighborhood Plan, is a Emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition, and has worked closely with City Council members to gain support for community-based organizations being able to own surplus properties and re-purpose them for community benefit.