Shawn Escoffery is Deputy Director of the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative. Mr. Escoffery is an experienced urban planner with over 11 years work experience in planning and community and economic development fields. Throughout his career, Mr. Escoffery has managed projects and people effectively to produce positive outcomes for communities. Mr. Escoffery has extensive experience in workforce and economic development from his previous senior management responsibilities with the City of Baltimore's Empowerment Zone and at New Community Corporation, one of the largest nonprofit community development corporations in the country. Prior to taking his fellowship position, Mr. Escoffery was the Project Executive for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Networks Initiative, where he was responsible for managing the technical assistance program team in the development of strategic plans and sustainable organizational structures for Neighborhood Networks centers and Neighborhood Networks consortia. Internationally, Mr. Escoffery has worked on a waterfront redevelopment project and land use survey for the City of Guayaquil Ecuador and a tourist redevelopment plan for the White Pagoda Temple in Beijing China. Mr. Escoffery has worked with federal, state, and municipal governments, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and private corporations to ensure sound land-use planning and development. He has served as an executive Commissioner for the City of Baltimore's Human Services Commission and currently sits on the board of several nonprofit organizations, and as the Vice President of BCT Partners, a strategic management, technology and organizational development consulting services firm that works with government agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations and educational institutions.

Shawn Escoffery holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a concentration in Housing, Community, and Economic Development. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English Literature from Rutgers University and a certificate in Communications and International Relations from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.