The Public Policy Project

James Trice

After moving to Minneapolis from Chicago, IL in 1990, James Trice was hired by the Neighborhood Revitalization Program of Minneapolis as the organizer for the Whittier neighborhood. (A neighborhood made up of 90% renters and 10% homeowners and the second largest neighborhood in Minneapolis) He brought to the position experience in Chicago as the Drug Prevention and Intervention Coordinator for Community Linkages. In that capacity he was responsible for coordinating youth serving agencies to deal with the drug epidemic in Chicago. In Whittier, his job was to energize residents to develop a plan of how they wanted their community to look with regards to housing, safety, community and business development, youth, and parks. As a result of his work the Whittier neighborhood was the first neighborhood to have a plan submitted and approved by the City of Minneapolis.

After leaving Whittier, the energetic Mr. Trice worked as a tenant’s rights organizer in Saint Paul with the Community Stabilization Project. At CSP, he facilitated the Tenants Rights Committee of renters, low-wealth people and people of color to hold irresponsible landlords accountable for providing decent affordable housing.

Three years later, he was hired as the Executive Director of Jordan Area Community Council (A neighborhood organization in north Minneapolis). In 1998 James attended St. Thomas University for Non-profit financial management. He subsequently served as the Executive Director of The Listening House (a daytime shelter for the homeless). In both positions he was responsible for the day-to-day operations, staff supervision, strategic planning, fundraising, organizational development, Board recruitment and development.

James was hired as a Public Policy Advocate for Family Service Inc, now Children’s Home Society & Family Service, working on issues that impact low-wealth and people of color. In 2001, he received a Community Economic Development certificate from Neighborhood Reinvestment Training Institute. In 2005, James Trice took The Public Policy Project (the program he helped develop while at CHSFS) independent with his partner, Loren Niemi, as a provider of consulting, training and advocacy services.

James has been a lecturer on issues of race, community and leadership development, and policy at St. Cloud State University, Metro State University, the University of Minnesota and Fairbault State Correctional Facility. He has also conducted numerous workshops and served as a consultant to foundations and other non-profit organizations, including work with the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and the African American Adoption Agency.