The East Side Community Investment CO-OP
Board of Directors
Giovonnia Harris
Giovonnia Harris is the President of the ESCIC Board of Directors, (currently on a medical leave from the board). She has deep communication and organizational skills and over 10 years of direct community involvement and organizing experience. She is a former Community Organizer with the Greater East Side Community Council (District 2) and is the founder of a monthly Community Organizer Gathering.
Paris Dunning
Paris Dunning is the Vice President of the ESCIC Board of Directors. He is the Executive Director of the East Side Area Business Association (ESABA) in Saint Paul and has been working with members and collaborators to find ways to combat forces of displacement and cultivate local ownership, resilience, and cooperation with businesses on Saint Paul’s East Side. He has also been a building manager for two residential units along with commercial space on the East Side. Having worked with real estate lawyers and small businesses, Paris has an awareness of the leasing and space issues facing small businesses on the East Side.
Sid Pisano
Sid Pisano is the Secretary of the ESCIC Board of Directors. She is a community member on the East Side of Saint Paul who is passionate about community building and people power. She strongly believes that “we know we have everything we need in our reach and with one another.” Sid has spent the last three years as a community organizer focusing on housing insecurity in Saint Paul and is currently the Executive Director of TriLingua Cinema, creating community on the East Side through the arts.
Ben Werner
Ben Werner is an urban planner and affordable housing developer from the Twin Cities. Ben created and directed the Housing Justice Program at the East Side Freedom Library, a community based organization in Saint Paul. He previously worked for a New York based supportive housing provider, the Institute for Community Living, developing supportive and affordable housing and is currently working at Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services. Ben has been working on the East Side Community Investment Cooperative since its inception.
Ianni Houmas
Ianni Houmas, based in Saint Paul, is a seasoned professional specializing in housing and development with a strong focus on renewable energy. As CEO/Partner at MGG/ItaliaGreco since 2009, he has led numerous residential, hotel, and apartment complex projects, emphasizing the use of natural stone over synthetic. Ianni founded Adonis Eco-Housing Not for Profit, transforming over two dozen disbanded houses across Minnesota with renewable energy and energy-efficient retrofits, securing significant funding and managing statewide permitting. He holds various certifications in affordable housing, green housing rehabilitation, and renewable energy. Actively engaged in public service, Ianni serves as a Saint Paul Planning Commissioner and is a member of several committees, State and local, focused on sustainability and climate action.
Stephanie Harr
Stephanie Harr is a community member who has spent nearly 30 years cultivating community connections through volunteering and organizing. She has served on nonprofit boards including the Dayton's Bluff Community Council Council, Gateway Food Initiative food co-op, and the youth development organization Urban Roots. Professionally, she has worked in marketing, communications and community engagement for healthcare organizations and recently served for eight years at the City of Saint Paul as a legislative aide for the Ward 7 City Councilmember. She is currently working as part of the development team at a Saint Paul-based affordable housing developer focusing on community engagement on the East Side.
Claire Thomas
Claire Thomas is the Treasurer of the ESCIC Board of Directors and serves as Project Manager for the Early Childhood Education Facilities Program at the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. She oversees commercial development projects, manages predevelopment and construction administration, and ensures compliance with state and local regulations. Claire has administered over $3 million in grants for early childhood facilities and managed $1 million in technical assistance contracts.
Previously, Claire was the Economic Development Program Manager for the East Side Neighborhood Development Company (ESNDC) in Saint Paul, where she administered $830,000 in CDBG financing, supported major commercial projects, and provided technical assistance for the East Metro Main Street Revitalization Program. She launched the East Community Fund and the East Side Black Business Network. Claire holds a degree in African and African American Studies and Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis.
Ben Werner
Ben Werner is an urban planner and affordable housing developer from the Twin Cities. Ben created and directed the Housing Justice Program at the East Side Freedom Library, a community based organization in Saint Paul. He previously worked for a New York based supportive housing provider, the Institute for Community Living, developing supportive and affordable housing and is currently working at Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services. Ben has been working on the East Side Community Investment Cooperative since its inception.
Ianni Houmas
Ianni Houmas, based in Saint Paul, is a seasoned professional specializing in housing and development with a strong focus on renewable energy. As CEO/Partner at MGG/ItaliaGreco since 2009, he has led numerous residential, hotel, and apartment complex projects, emphasizing the use of natural stone over synthetic. Ianni founded Adonis Eco-Housing Not for Profit, transforming over two dozen disbanded houses across Minnesota with renewable energy and energy-efficient retrofits, securing significant funding and managing statewide permitting. He holds various certifications in affordable housing, green housing rehabilitation, and renewable energy. Actively engaged in public service, Ianni serves as a Saint Paul Planning Commissioner and is a member of several committees, State and local, focused on sustainability and climate action.
Stephanie Harr
Stephanie Harr is a community member who has spent nearly 30 years cultivating community connections through volunteering and organizing. She has served on nonprofit boards including the Dayton's Bluff Community Council Council, Gateway Food Initiative food co-op, and the youth development organization Urban Roots. Professionally, she has worked in marketing, communications and community engagement for healthcare organizations and recently served for eight years at the City of Saint Paul as a legislative aide for the Ward 7 City Councilmember. She is currently working as part of the development team at a Saint Paul-based affordable housing developer focusing on community engagement on the East Side.