What we do
The Office of Community Affairs was formed by Mayor Yemi in his first year of office to help live out his Administrative values of being Proactive, Transparent, and Approachable.
- The Office of Community Affairs serves to represent the Mayor out in various communities, as well as to represent those communities in an advisory role to the Mayor.
- Our office carries out the following duties:
- Establishes partnerships with the communities of culture, faith, neighborhoods, leadership, government, military, as well as international relations.
- Conducts and coordinates events, town halls, forums, and projects in support of carrying forward mayoral initiatives at the community level.
- Serves as a liaison between the Mayor and City Leadership with these communities, civic groups, and the residents of Colorado Springs.
- Serves as a bridge between the Mayor’s Office and city residents to increase approachability and deliver timely response to needs and requests.
Meet our team
Thomas Thompson - Community Activation
“Thomas Thompson is the Senior Advisor to the Mayor, with a focus on Community Activation. He joined the City after a 30 year career working with community organizations, including churches, non-profits, CEO’s, and businesses. Community Activation is about empowering residents to participate in addressing City challenges. As Mayor Yemi says, “Democracy is a participatory sport, not a spectator sport… Democracy is best served when residents are involved in the decisions that affect their neighborhoods.”
Thomas’ position focuses on three roles:
- Proactively partnering with the community to address issues that concern our city, encourage local and grassroots solutions to local problems, and discover ways the Mayor’s Office might assist.
- Overseeing the Mayor's Fellowship, Mayor’s Spirit of Colorado Springs, and the Mayor’s Young Leader Awards to foster an intentional civic leadership development approach for our city.
- Leading collaborative efforts such as:
Contact Information: Thomas.Thompson@coloradosprings.gov 719-385-5554
Danielle Summerville - Cultural & Community Outreach
Danielle is the Cultural & Community Outreach Programs Manager in the Office of Community Affairs. She joined the City after a 19-year career with Big Brothers Big Sisters- Pikes Peak where she served as Executive Director for 10 years. During her tenure, Summerville developed board and donor stewardship, built impactful community partnerships, recruited volunteers, and created and implemented multiple programs.
Danielle is active with several community boards and organizations. She has received community honors including the Colorado Springs Business Journal’s Women of Influence, Leadership Pikes Peak’s Modeling the Way Community Leadership Award, and the CSAC Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Hats Off award.
In her role, Danielle serves as a conduit between the city administration and diverse members of the community. She is dedicated to ensuring that city government is accessible for all residents.
Danielle’s position focuses on:
- Elevating culture awareness through education, community celebrations, and partnerships.
- Including marginalized voices in decision making.
- Creating an inclusive city where all residents have a sense of belonging and feel welcome.
- Leading the Mayor’s Cup golf tournament to raise funds to support scholarships for first responders and local youth sports programs.
Contact Information: Danielle.Summerville@ColoradoSprings.gov 719-385-2208