Sarita Turner is an accomplished, self-directed, critical thinking Executive Leader with proven success in advancing strategic actions to foster equitable economic and community development in urban communities throughout the United States. Sarita brings sensitivity, personal and professional knowledge about these communities’ challenges, needs, and opportunities to her work. Sarita’s expertise has derived from her upbringing in North Minneapolis, her lived experiences as a Black woman, and the myriad roles and organization types she has served in, including global and national intermediary institutions, state government, and community-based organizations.

Sarita has successfully developed and led local, statewide and national networks, partnerships, and collaboratives designed to advance local, regional, and national initiatives, including White House and federal department, as well as community-based initiatives. Given as such, Sarita has worked extensively with congressional, federal, state, and local leaders to develop and administer data-informed, comprehensive, equitable development approaches, including the design and management of national programs impacting $200 million in federal Community Development Block Grants. All towards addressing disparities in access to opportunity, fair housing choices, and the comprehensive implementation of civil rights law.

Sarita’s key accomplishments include: bringing a business district pilot and a farmers market and consumerism-focused events to a challenged urban business corridor, supporting the development of the nation’s first community-based climate resilience hub, and leading the design and execution of a national program to bring climate resilience strategies and resources to Black and Brown neighborhoods. Sarita served in a leadership role in developing, piloting, and implementing the federal Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule (AFFH) and its companion data and mapping tool and served as a national trainer for HUD grantees on their AFFH related responsibilities.

Sarita is a nationally recognized trainer and speaker on racial and economic equity, fair housing, and implicit bias.