ABOUT
Canfield Consortium
Canfield Consortium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development organization committed to restoring the neighborhood community experience in East Canfield Village.
MEET OUR
Board Members
KIM Theus
President
As a key leader in project implementation, Kim collaborates closely with landscape architects and engineers to ensure the vision’s sustainability across various initiatives. Her diverse background encompasses public policy, strategic land acquisition, project execution, community engagement, placemaking, and placekeeping.
Kim’s unwavering commitment to equitable neighborhood development drives her to seek innovative solutions for persistent community challenges. Her tenure at Bloomberg Associates reinforced her belief in the power of data, collaborative teamwork, and passionate dedication to problem-solving. She is a strong advocate for the integral role of art in community development, seeing it as crucial for cultural preservation and historical commemoration.
Actively engaged in the arts and community, Kim serves on MOCAD’s Emerging Patrons Council, CDAD’s Capacity Building Committee, and is a member of the Friends of African American and African Art auxiliary group of the Detroit Institute of Art. Her dedication was recognized in 2023 with the Gene Kuthy Community Award for community development. Kim also previously contributed her expertise as a board member for America in Bloom.
Rhonda Theus
Vice President
Rhonda Theus is the co-founder of Canfield Consortium and a passionate advocate for equitable community development. A lifelong Detroiter, she holds a B.B.A. in Accounting and brings deep expertise in project implementation, team leadership, and corporate and payroll accounting.
Raised in East Canfield Village on Detroit’s Eastside, Rhonda has committed her career to restoring the health, connectedness, and economic stability of the neighborhood she calls home. Through Canfield Consortium, she leads grassroots initiatives focused on neighborhood revitalization, social and environmental justice, land stewardship and community engagement—ensuring that residents are not only heard but actively shape their community’s future.
Known for her determination and deep-rooted care for people, Rhonda continues to elevate voices from underserved Black neighborhoods, working to secure resources and partnerships that drive lasting, resident-led change.
Dina Pearson
Secretary
With deep roots in East Canfield Village, Dina has been a dedicated board member since day one. As a mother of five and the owner and lead designer of Life of the Party, an event planning firm known for its flair and precision, Dina brings a wealth of experience and a passion for excellence to everything she does.
Alexzandria Poole
Board Member
Alexz has spent her career serving as a public defender in New York City and Detroit. During her time as a public defender, she also played an integral role in several projects outside of the courtroom—including Know Your Rights training for immigrant communities and Detroit youth, advocating for discovery reform in Albany, New York, and promoting data integrity in public defender office settings.
Shania Richardson
Board Member
Shania’s long-standing involvement and immense support has been invaluable to the Canfield community’s growth. It’s fitting and timely that she joins our core team, where she will continue to be a pivotal part of our future development.
Our
Founding
After watching their Detroit neighborhood shift from a thriving community to an area of blight, Rhonda and Kim Theus, sisters who grew up in East Canfield Village, founded Canfield Consortium to eradicate issues associated with blight, such as substandard infrastructure, rundown buildings, and idle space.
By initiating an outreach effort to connect residents, schools, churches and businesses, Canfield Consortium is restoring the East Canfield Village community that holds tremendous promise for current residents, residents to come, visitors and businesses.
Our
History
In August 2018, Canfield Consortium completed its first community project, the East Canfield Community Flower Garden.
In October 2019, Canfield Consortium had its first East Canfield Village Fall Festival and the Grand Opening of the second community Flower Garden (Canfield-Lemay Community Flower Garden).
In August 2021, Canfield Consortium had its first art installation in the East Canfield Art Park, the Boy Holds Flower statue done by Austen Brantley.
Our
Contributors
Canfield Consortium gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the corporations, foundations, and government agencies listed above.
We also wish to thank individual donors and the many volunteers who support our work; you are an immeasurable part of our progress.
Finally, thank you to our community partners for collaborating with us to transform communities:
- Barack Obama Leadership Academy
- Detroit Collaborative Design Center
- Detroit Future City
- Detroit Land Bank Authority
- Eastside Community Network
- Keep Growing Detroit
- MACC Development
- Motor City Grounds Crew
- Community Development Advocates of Detroit
- JIMA Studio
- Partners’ Design Build
- Sidewalk Detroit
- Brightview
- Design Core
- Detroit Parks Coalition
- Ecology Center
- Modish Creative Co.
- SeeYouMovmnt