Andriana Abariotes Joins Reconnecting America Board of Directors.

Reconnecting America CEO John Robert Smith announced today the addition of Andriana Abariotes to the organization’s Board of Directors.

Abariotes is executive director of the Twin Cities office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). At LISC, her work has included grant making, evaluation, strategic planning, training, community advocacy, finance, external relations and fundraising. Among her major achievements have been program design and management for LISC investments in community development corporations and the development of innovative learning experiences for community development practitioners. A graduate of Macalester College, she also received her master’s degree in social policy and nonprofit management from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She has served as a policy advocate for housing and income and jobs strategies at Family and Children’s Services in Minneapolis. During graduate school, she worked on housing discrimination issues at the Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice.

"Andriana brings to Reconnecting America an outstanding skill set in the arena of community development and affordable housing,” said Smith. “Her work in the Twin Cities is well known and has meshed with our work on transit-oriented development there. Andriana's voice on our board will serve to reinforce equity issues, which are a key factor in Reconnecting America's work. We are honored someone of her caliber has agreed to join our board."

Reconnecting America's Board of Directors works with Reconnecting America's staff to set the vision and goals of the organization. The Board provides valuable, strategic advice in the constantly changing environment of housing and transportation issues.