Archives for August 2013


2013 Keynote Speaker: Kisha Wilson-Sogunro

Posted August 9, 2013 at 1:40 PM
Kisha Wilson-Sogunro

Kisha Wilson-Sogunro is the Neighborhood Services Manager for the City of Manassas, Virginia, serving a population of 40,605.

In response to the City Council’s Resolution 2011-48, Identifying Neighborhood Revitalization and Safety as a City Priority, Sogunro, has administered a three-year federal grant, bringing AmeriCorps VISTA members into the community to initiate community engagement with leadership in City neighborhoods, develop a process for facilitating youth engagement, and create a model strategy for neighborhood revitalization.

Since being hired as the first Neighborhood Services Coordinator for the City of Manassas in 2006, Sogunro has garnered 11 national, state and local awards for her projects, which include an annual Neighborhood Conference, an annual 1 By Youth and Big Day of Serving Manassas project that brings in more than 700 adult and youth volunteers for one day of service in the neighborhoods, and the annual Week of Hope program, which brings in 100 volunteers per week for seven weeks of service each summer.

In 2009, Sogunro presented “Doing More with Less through Creative Partnerships” at the National Conference on Neighborhood Concerns (NUSA) in Spokane, Washington. In 2011, Sogunro was invited to the White House to attend a weekly panel and networking session as part of the President’s Champions of Change program. Ten Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists from around the U.S., were being recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities. Sogunro is an AmeriCorps alumnae and a 2013 graduate of Leadership Prince William. She serves on the board of the Manassas Boys & Girls Club and is President of the Junior Woman’s Club of Manassas.

Sogunro earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in Strategic Communications and Leadership from Seton Hall University. She and her husband, Isaac, are residents of Bristow, Va., along with their two sons.