Business & Government

Weekend Celebration To Mark Five Years of University and Community Partnership

The President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships will celebrate its five-year anniversary Sunday with a Community Day celebration in Charlottesville’s Booker T. Washington Park.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event will include music, community resource partners and free food. University of Virginia President Jim Ryan and other members of the council and community are scheduled to make brief remarks.

“Community Day captures the essence of what the President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships and The Equity Center are working toward – amplifying the voices, needs and aspirations of the Charlottesville and Albemarle communities,” Ben Allen, executive director of The Equity Center, said. “While we’ve taken important steps in building partnerships that confront systemic inequities, the path to lasting change is ongoing. This event is not just a celebration, but a reflection of our commitment to advancing meaningful, community-driven change and our dedication to the work that still lies ahead.”

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The council comprises representatives from several University and University-affiliated groups, including The Equity Center, working to strengthen the community and bolster ties between UVA and the Charlottesville region. Council members join local leaders in addressing community challenges including affordable housing, the local economy, workforce development, early childhood education, public health and community safety.

Ryan established The Equity Center and the President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships in 2019 to help leverage the University’s resources to tackle problems facing the Charlottesville and Albemarle County communities. The council, among other things, has helped boost University spending with local small businesses and launched a program called Pipelines & Pathways to assist local residents in landing jobs at UVA.

Portrait of Ben Allen, Executive Director of The Equity Center.

Ben Allen, executive director of The Equity Center, stands outside Booker T. Washington Park, where Sunday’s community celebration will take place. “Community Day captures the essence of what the President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships and The Equity Center are working toward,” Allen said. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

“I’ve witnessed the deep connections being built between UVA and the Charlottesville-Albemarle community,” council member Eric Irizarry said. “Through our collective work, including key initiatives like affordable housing and public health, we’re creating sustainable changes that address systemic challenges. Community Day is a powerful opportunity to celebrate these partnerships and reaffirm our shared commitment to a more inclusive and equitable future for everyone in our region.”

The event is free, but registration is requested.