About Us

What we’re about…

Jackson CDC
Empowered Residents = Thriving Community

North Star Statement

Empowered residents, pursuing wholistic well-being, create a thriving Jackson Community

Our Vision

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

In this vision:

Neighbor networks embody Christian values that inspire attitudes and actions aligned with community flourishing.
All residents have equitable access to vital community resources.
Economic development fosters abundant job opportunities and skill-building initiatives.
Neighbors experience a sense of safety and beauty in a welcoming environment.
Educational attainment includes high school and post-secondary graduation as expected milestones.
Youth actively envision and lead neighborhood renewal efforts.
Accessible housing is available, with homeownership becoming the norm.
Neighbors experience improvements in health and well-being through community health support and resourcing.

Our Mission

Our mission is to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ by fostering the wholistic renewal of the Jackson neighborhood. We are committed to empowering residents through Christian values and resident-led initiatives, focusing on leadership development and asset-based community development in the following areas:

Neighbor Networks
Community Resources
Economic Development
Safety and Beautification
Educational Attainment
Youth Development
Accessible Housing
Health & Well-Being

Core Philosophy

Our vision is grounded in the Christian Community Development philosophy, built upon the principles of:

Relocation: Living within the community to deeply understand its challenges and opportunities.
Reconciliation: Restoring relationships with God and one another to form the foundation for transformation.
Redistribution: Sharing resources fairly and justly to uplift marginalized communities.
Leadership Development: Identifying and nurturing local residents to ensure sustainable community growth and empowerment.
Empowerment: Equipping individuals with the skills and authority to take initiative, fostering self-sufficiency and dignity.
Church-based: Engaging in the process of transformation, the church is uniquely equipped to affirm the dignity, gifts, and skills of individuals and communities.
Listening to the Community: Prioritizing the desires and assets of residents to inform community development efforts from a shared vision for our community.
Wholistic Approach: Addressing every aspect of individuals’ lives—spiritual, physical, social, and emotional—to promote comprehensive wellness.

Approach

Prayer is central to all we do because we believe that prayer is powerful beyond human effort alone; prayer is the first work and informs and guides all other work done in and amongst the community. We live out our mission by creating collaborative ecosystems for neighborhood transformation by partnering across seven neighborhood sectors: Residents, Businesses, Schools, Government, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Artists, and Churches. Together, we develop long-term, grassroots solutions that honor the dignity, gifts, and talents of every Jackson resident. At the core of this work is our partnership with the Church. As long-standing neighborhood anchors, churches are uniquely equipped to foster community, dismantle barriers, and sustain meaningful change. Together, we strive to embody the transformative love of Jesus Christ by empowering residents to pursue wholistic well-being and create a thriving Jackson community.

Get Involved

Our Staff

Rhonda Dueck

Executive Director

Contact Rhonda

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

Contact Sarah

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.

Tasha Guess

Administrative Assistant

Contact Tasha

Tasha loves the Fresno community. She graduated from CSUB with a teaching credential and taught 4th grade for five years. She homeschooled her daughters for six years. Tasha has been involved in volunteer community work for over a decade. Tasha started with the Jackson CDC as the literacy support specialist at the beginning of 2024 and is now the administrative assistant.
Tasha is married to Kyle. They have four school age daughters. Tasha enjoys creating art, listening to the sound of the rain, hiking among tall trees in the mountains, walking, and reading the Bible.

Giselle Salcedo Camacho

Social Media Coordinator

Giselle was born and raised in Fresno where she lives with her family. During her high school summers, she worked for Fresno Unified School District as a teacher’s assistant at three elementary schools. She graduated from Fresno High School as a Valedictorian in 2022 and is now a second-year student at Fresno Pacific University, double majoring in Spanish and Communication. As a Paragon Scholar at FPU, she enjoys the leadership experiences she has gained. She also enjoys being part of the Honors Scholars Program and is a member of the First Generation Club.
Giselle is excited to be a volunteer at Jackson Elementary School as a Literacy Mentor, helping students grow in their literacy skills. Finding ways to use her Spanish and communication skills to make a difference in the city she loves is a value for Giselle and so she is excited to be joining the Jackson CDC team as the Social Media Coordinator.

Our Resident-Led Board

Joe White - President

Heidi White - Secretary

Jeff Grunau - Treasurer

Launa Grunau - member at large

Vicky Flores - member at large

back: Jeff and Joe

front: Launa, Heidi, and Vicky

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.