Change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens when people stay committed, remain present, and continue showing up for their community.
At Woodlawn United, we’ve spent the last 15 years walking alongside neighbors, partners, and advocates with a shared vision: to help this community thrive in place. That vision has taken shape not just through plans and programs, but through people. People who serve. People who lead. People who believe.
One of those people is Mashonda Taylor.
Thirteen years ago, Mashonda joined Woodlawn United as an office administrator. Today, she serves as President and CEO. Her steady commitment over the years has helped shape the organization’s growth and deepen its connection to the neighborhood we serve.
“Every step of this journey has been guided by trust, community, and an unwavering belief in the power of place.” — Mashonda Taylor
Her exceptional leadership has garnered widespread recognition. In 2023, she was named Non-Profit CEO of the Year by the Birmingham Business Journal. She is also a 2023 Leadership Birmingham Class member, a Class I member of the Alabama Leadership Initiative, a member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham, a 2025 Mosaic Fellow with Mosaic Changemakers, and a charter member of the National Council of Negro Women – Birmingham Chapter.
Her path is just one part of the story, but it reflects the values that have made our progress possible: consistency, humility, and a commitment to the people who make up Woodlawn.
Over a Decade of Steady Growth
Over the last 15 years, we’ve worked together to make long-term, community-rooted progress. Here’s what that progress looks like:
- - Grown service reach from 5,000 to 8,000 residents
- - Increased the partner network from 40 to more than 70 organizations
- - Built and supported community assets including housing, schools, and infrastructure
- - Developed mixed-income housing to expand access to quality, affordable homes
- - Launched more than 20 new businesses, strengthening the local economy
- - Increased homeownership from 18% to 28%, building generational stability
- - Reduced crime by 36% through holistic public safety efforts
- - Created and advanced public policy that reflects community priorities
- - Helped change charter school legislation to give Woodlawn residents enrollment priority
- - Hosted policymakers from across the Southeast to share local strategies
- - Hosted the Purpose Built Communities ® conference in 2016 and 2020
- - Expanded wraparound support across the entire Woodlawn feeder pattern
- - Graduated more than 50 emerging leaders through the WE Lead program
These milestones are a reflection of what’s possible when we build with, not for, the community. The progress we’ve made reflects years of collective effort, steady leadership, and a shared belief in what this neighborhood can become.
Join Us in Celebration
On Saturday, October 4, we’ll gather to celebrate 15 years of Woodlawn United at our signature event, Woodlawn Saturday Supper. This isn’t just a meal. It’s a moment to reflect, reconnect, and honor the people and progress that got us here.
We’ll be back on the block at Woodlawn Street Market with food, music, storytelling, and space for neighbors and partners to come together.
Want to see what makes this event special?
Catch the energy from last year on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBJl6ymRzdP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate how far we’ve come and look ahead to what’s possible next.