Verne Dixon is an active member of her community. Currently, she serves on her neighborhood’s Zoning Committee, where she advocates for affordable housing through rentals and homeownership opportunities. Her work mainly entails reviewing developer projects and conversion of the usage of property. Every month, Verne and her team choose to pick up approximately three new zoning projects in the community.
Before moving to Brewerytown, her ties to the area were strictly business-related. After relocating there, she now sees the neighborhood through a new lens defined by connection and purpose. “I don’t mean community as in neighborhood. It is a community,” she explains, noting how local civic organizations support residents and create spaces for belonging. These relationships, built through everyday interactions, have strengthened her connection to the area.
One of the people with whom I work closely just announced that they’re running for political office—and we’re going to support him as a community.
Verne enrolled in the Citizens Planning Institute (CPI), hoping to uplift her community further. CPI course topics vary from cohort to cohort. Verne’s CPI group focused heavily on zoning, helping her directly in her neighborhood work. The program provided timely solutions to questions she faced as part of her neighborhood’s zoning committee. She reflects that CPI helped her fill critical gaps, providing logical and easy-to-understand insights she couldn’t always ask during the fast-paced nature of her meetings.
Afterwards, Verne continued to attend classes in later cohorts, appreciating CPI’s open approach that lets participants join sessions tailored to their interests. She emphasizes how helpful it was “just being able to show up for the things that matter to you and getting that information directly from experts,” a model that allows community advocates to build expertise and act on issues important to them. Eventually, Verne even returned as an alumni mentor for CPI.
Verne’s CPI experience has extended beyond her Brewerytown. She serves as a Chief Financial Officer for an organization in central Pennsylvania, providing services to individuals with disabilities. She has found that CPI’s training offered tools she could use across professional and civic roles.
We don’t have a zoning person in our organization. But some of the information that I know from CPI has helped there.
What stood out about CPI, Verne notes, is the efficient and impactful format. The classes didn’t feel long, yet they provided depth and clarity on complex planning topics. The diversity of participants, from various organizations and backgrounds, made discussions richer: “I think it’s really interesting to see their perspectives and learn from them.” For Verne, CPI delivered both lasting knowledge and a broader understanding of community leadership.
Looking ahead, Verne is focused on the continued need for affordable housing in Brewerytown. She recognizes that although housing in the area is not as expensive as some places, some people can’t afford it. This challenge, to her, “means [housing is still] expensive.” Her leadership on the zoning committee means engaging with both large- and small-scale developments, and she sees supporting affordable housing opportunities as a crucial community goal.
I think that's probably the main thing— just being able to support affordable housing opportunities for people who need it.
Written by Catherine Cheng, Fall 2025 CPI Intern