Deeneaus Polk
Hometown:
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Connect: LinkedIn
Deeneaus is excited about the opportunity to return and contribute to his home region of the Gulf Coast. Blessed with global experiences, he hopes to bring perspectives that inspire new pathways toward prosperity and data-driven growth, ensuring the Gulf Coast thrives as a beacon of inclusive growth and resilience. He also looks forward to working with one of the youngest mayors in the United States.
Deeneaus “D” Polk is the Founder of 3LEVATE, a workforce, economic, and community development intermediary based throughout the Deep South. With 3LEVATE, D hopes to build vibrant workforces in rural communities of the future. 3LEVATE seeks to become the preeminent economic development institution of the South, one that provides public policy capacity, data innovation, technical ability, and international exposure – especially for areas isolated from opportunity and growth.
Germany is D’s second home. He most recently completed a Bosch Fellowship, where he worked with New Work SE in Berlin. While there he focused on Germany’s Future of Work, researched demographic shifts and its impacts on the national economy, and their vaunted vocational education training system. He is also a former German Chancellor Fellow and Fulbright Scholar.
Workforce development is his greatest passion. D is the former Director of the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program, a registered apprenticeship initiative seeking to better link the private sector, K-16 education, and community partners to build dynamic Registered Apprenticeship programs. He hopes to build new and innovative apprenticeship models that also help foster new Transatlantic ties.
ERC Project
Project Title:
Capacity Building through Suburban Rural Regional Coordination
Host Community or Region:
Louisiana
Host Organization:
St. Tammany Corporation
Washington and St. Helena parishes are currently navigating critical transitions for their communities, namely in human capital, affecting their capacity to effectively design and implement their economic development strategies. Through this project’s collaborative effort among multiple parishes and supported by St. Tammany Corporation, the ERC Fellow will provide direct support and technical assistance across the region, leveraging a strong foundation previously laid by community stakeholders and local leaders. The fellow will implement a place-based strategy, catalyzing relationships, fostering collaboration, and strategically planning for sustainable development to transform one-time grant initiatives into long-term impactful programs. By developing and implementing community and economic development plans for St. Helena and Washington parishes, it will position these communities for sustainable economic prosperity through capacity building and resilience efforts and as “Louisiana Development Ready Communities.”
Interested in supporting this project or learning more? Contact the ERC program team here.
