'I'm in the right place': How New Bedford's TDI fellow will help accelerate development

October 25, 2022 : SouthCoast Today, by Kathryn Gallerani

NEW BEDFORD — Her understanding of diverse populations, community-building skills and outgoing character are among the reasons why Adelsa Mendes was chosen.

She has been an advocate for the immigrant community, minority-owned businesses and disadvantaged groups, working hard to identify available resources in Boston, Brockton and most recently, in New Bedford, in a district that covers Acushnet Avenue and the North End.

Mendes has been selected as the new Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) fellow for one of 12 new districts as part of the expansion of a MassDevelopment program for Gateway Cities designed to accelerate economic growth within focused districts.

An immigrant from Cape Verde, Mendes has lived in the United States for almost 14 years. She has always worked with communities on relevant issues. She worked as a liaison for the Boston Public Schools, mostly with the Cape Verdean community, especially on immigration issues.

Mendes spent nearly 10 years working as the coordinator of immigration affairs at the Consulate of Cape Verde in the United States, providing case management to more than 400 individuals.

She has a law degree from the University of Lisbon and spent time working in a law office in Lisbon in Portugal, specifically supporting the implementation of an international financial institution in Cape Verde. 

She has also worked with the city of Boston while addressing policies related to the DACA (Deferred Action for Child Arrivals) immigration program.

“That was something that I was very interested in,” she said. “At the same time, because the immigrant issue is so broad and involves other things like the struggle to navigate the system, be able to open a business, be able to find a fit in so many ways, it allowed me to actually go in person at the consulate while connecting with resources.”

“I became passionate about finding resources and at the same time advocating for the immigrant community, for minority-owned businesses and for disadvantaged groups to get access to those resources.”

Mendes followed that up by becoming the business assistance program manager for the Brockton Redevelopment Authority. In that role, she focused on supporting the business community, working with small businesses while also building strong partnerships by locating available resources. She was in that position for more than year.

She was looking for a career change that she could be passionate about and because Brockton has a large immigrant population she felt she could use her skills to work with the community that she was familiar with and extend that toward the immigrant community, especially those from Central America who are increasingly moving to the U.S.

What the TDI fellow will do

The opportunity to become a TDI fellow, and continue to do the kind of work she was doing in Brockton in New Bedford with its diverse population and people speaking different languages, was too amazing to pass up.

“I’m very grateful to be part of the TDI family and be physically in New Bedford,” she said. “I completely love the district where I am, and I feel very connected with it.”

She feels at home because while she started as a fellow Sept. 1, and her first day in the district was Sept. 6, as a Cape Verdean she has followed all the festivals in Massachusetts, participated in many Cape Verdean parades in New Bedford and tried its many restaurants, enjoying the Portuguese food.

As a TDI fellow, one of her roles will be to welcome elected officials and dignitaries from Cape Verde to New Bedford when they come to visit and go with them to attend community meetings where they can make connections.

“New Bedford was one of the first homes for Cape Verdean immigrants coming to the U.S. so this is a must-go stop,” she said.

She has also been to New Bedford and Bristol County in her role as coordinator of immigration affairs and provided case management for people under immigration custody while worked closely with the director of the immigrant resource center in New Bedford and would like to again.

Mendes is committed to being in the district and taking a boots on the ground approach to her role.

“I need to be in the district and connect with the businesses door-to-door, connect with the residents and have a clear picture of my district,” she said. “In the end this position is all about building a better community. One of the more important parts of making it happen is the information, the communication and the engagement of the community and the people that work there, live there and play there.”

She said she feels that she and the New Bedford TDI district are a perfect match and she’s looking forward to meeting more residents, business owners and visitors in her new role.

“I see it as the perfect fit for me and the district where I am,” she said. “I’m in the right place.”

A 'toolbox approach'

TDI Director Noah Koretz said MassDevelopment takes a toolbox approach to setting goals for the TDI districts by providing intensive staff support led by Mendes and others, taking into account all that goes into creating vibrant urban neighborhoods.

When New Bedford and other cities apply to join the program, they have local partners lined up to work with the TDI fellows over the next three years and establish a work plan. He describes the partnership as a living, breathing entity that will grow and become more representative over time.

“Part of what Adelsa is going to be working on over the next three years is growing and building and strengthening that partnership, making it more representative of the neighborhoods,” he said. “Part of her work and outreach in the neighborhood is to find leaders that aren’t at the table yet, both organizations and individuals, and help incorporate them into the partnership.”

The New Bedford Community Economic Development Center, New Bedford Planning Department, New Bedford Housing Authority and other local organizations are among the partners for the new TDI district. Additional partners may also be invited to participate.

Gateway Cities are defined as small to mid-sized cities in Massachusetts with a population of between 35,000 and 250,000 that anchor regional economies around the state with below state average household incomes and educational attainment rates.

Mendes will have access to a range of tools to help accelerate development, including technical assistance, grants to support local market development and arts and cultural infrastructure, collaborative workshops, resources and events.