Director's Letter

Dear Citizens and Colleagues:

Welcome to the City of Orlando's Office of  Community Affairs Web site. We hope you find our site informative and user-friendly.

Our Web site is designed to help you understand the services that our office provides, and to link you to information that you may find valuable as a City resident, business owner or organization. Our staff works diligently to inform, engage and connect with all sectors of the public in an effort to raise awareness, acquire resources and gain support of our city’s priorities, programs, services and needs through partnerships and outstanding customer service. Our efforts are focused in several important areas: Volunteer Program, Mayor's Matching Grants Program, Arts & Cultural Affairs, Community Service/Civic Organizations and the Hispanic Office for Local Assistance (H.O.L.A.). On our Web site, each of our program services is described, with staff contact information.

I have been a city director for the past 15 years in various capacities. As Director of  Community Affairs I work with the Mayor, City Commissioners and city staff to develop and implement the city's community relations mission, while serving as the city’s liaison to the arts/cultural, neighborhood and non-profit sectors. With our staff team, I manage the city’s funding to support neighborhood organizations and arts and community service agencies. Before joining the city’s leadership team, I served as Public Information Director for Miami’s WLRN Public Radio and Television; staff writer and columnist for the Orlando Sentinel and Founding Editor of the Orlando Times newspaper.

In 2009, our office hosted Mayor Buddy Dyer’s 4th Annual  Community Summit, bringing together neighborhood, arts & cultural, civic, community-based and faith-based organization leaders to gain insights on innovative and exciting city initiatives, discuss community building opportunities and create partnerships that contribute to a vibrant city. We awarded $3.67 million in grants to Community Service/Arts & Cultural Organizations, $169,000 in Mayor’s Matching Grants, hosted 35 volunteer activities supported by approximately 145,000 volunteer hours and tracked citizen volunteer hours, saving the City $2 million.

My staff and I look forward to working with our residents and organizations to improve and sustain our city’s quality of life. If you have questions, please email me by clicking on my name below. Remember to “get in touch and get involved…we’re here to help!”

Sincerely,
Marcia Goodwin
Director, Office of  Community Affairs