Panelist

Eric Dexter

Vice President of Civic Leadership Initiatives Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Eric Dexter joined the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) in August 2023 as the first Vice President of Civic Leadership Initiatives. In this role, he oversees major projects and leads initiatives aligned with BRAF's Opportunity Agenda, focusing on quality of life, regional resilience, strong neighborhoods, improved health outcomes, educational advancement, and economic prosperity. Previously, Eric served as Vice President and Director of Business Development for Civil Solutions Consulting Group, where he played a key role in infrastructure development and community growth. Beyond his professional work, he is deeply engaged in community service, having served on boards and committees for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Capital Area United Way, Downtown Development District, and Ochsner-Baton Rouge. A graduate of the Baton Rouge Area Leadership Program, Forum 35's John W. Barton, Sr. Community Development Leadership Program, and CABL's Leadership Louisiana Program, Eric has been recognized for his contributions as a Baton Rouge Business Report Forty Under 40 honoree, LABI's Young Businessperson-Free Enterprise Champion, and a "Capital Region 500" Leader. Originally from Alexandria, Louisiana, Eric holds a Business Administration degree with a Marketing minor from Northwestern State University.

Speaking at

Mon May 12 2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time

Transformative Urban Corridors: Equitable Revitalization of Communities in Three Cities

Mr. Stephen Coulston, Perkins&Will

Ms. Gabrielle Bullock, Perkins&Will

Eric Dexter, Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Mr. Curt Upton, City & County of Denver Department of Community Planning and Development

Category Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Type Concurrent Session Open to All Attendees

Leaders transforming major urban corridors through equitable transit-oriented development (TOD) share the perspectives of three cities. These communities—each with a unique story tied to race, place, and transportation—are implementing groundbreaking projects and revitalizing the physical landscape and social and economic fabric within historically marginalized populations. Los Angeles's Destination Crenshaw introduces light rail transit (LRT) into "the spine of Los Angeles's Black community," a 1.3-mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard being revitalized into "an unapologetically Black" thriving cultural and commercial hub. Baton Rouge's Florida Corridor, a 12-mile Department of Transportation right of way that has symbolized racial division as the "Mason-Dixon Line of the city/parish," has approved a revitalization plan centering on equity and access, alongside new bus rapid transit (BRT) and the MOVEBR infrastructure investments. Denver's East and East Central Colfax and Federal Boulevard Corridors—with monikers "the longest, wickedest street in America" and "one of the most dangerous streets in the city," respectively—are transforming into BRT Equitable TOD corridors with prioritization on safety and community benefit.