Cinnaire, a full-service Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Lansing, MI, with offices in five states, recently announced Dionna Sargent has been appointed Community Development Market Leader in the company’s Wilmington, DE, office.
As the Community Development Market Leader, Dionna will lead Cinnaire’s Priority City Initiative in Wilmington, focusing on identifying resources and opportunities to further comprehensive community development objectives in the city. In this new position, Dionna will be responsible for developing, establishing and maintaining relationships with local stakeholders that share Cinnaire’s vision to create healthy, vibrant communities while providing all people with opportunities for empowerment. Dionna will work closely with non-profit leaders, public officials, developers, network associations, and investors to identify areas where Cinnaire can help develop and advance local community development initiatives. She will be responsible for coordinating Cinnaire’s targeted Wilmington investment strategy.
Dionna earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate and Finance from Temple University and holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Delaware. She has focused her career development goals and objectives on issues surrounding affordable housing, community development, and homelessness. Dionna joined Cinnaire in 2014 as Manager, Business Development. Since that time, she has helped to advance affordable housing and community investment opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region, led the CDFI Advisory Committee to identify community development needs and priorities, coordinated conferences and roundtable discussions on sustainable neighborhood revitalization practices, and raised grant funding to support grassroots development projects in Wilmington.
Dionna is passionate about improving communities and serves on the board of the Central Baptist Community Development Corporation, Conscious Connections, Inc., and Theatrical Delights. She currently serves as Vice President of Community Programs with the Junior League of Wilmington (JWL) where she oversees visioning and strategic planning for Community Impact initiatives and the JLW’s annual Women’s Leadership Summit. Dionna is a proud member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Delaware Chapter, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League Young Professionals, and fund for Women founder.
