Rebuilding America, Block by Block
Leadership and reinvention take center stage as Jonathan Pitts-Wiley captures the essence of transformation at The Slate Studio. In the world of community development in Providence, Jennifer Hawkins has carved out a unique path of transformation and growth. Her story at One Neighborhood Builders begins not with founding but with inheritance and reinvention.
"It's interesting," she reflects, "even though I wasn't the founder of One Neighborhood Builders, in many respects, I feel like I ‘refounded’ the organization. It was sort of in free fall when I inherited it." What followed was a complete rebuilding. "I expanded the organization and brought it in many new directions," she explains.
"Today, I hired every person who works there. So in these ways, I feel like I'm a founder." Her approach to leadership has evolved through years of self-discovery and growth. "I think I've learned that I have lots of blind spots," she admits candidly.
"Maybe as a female leader, a leader that was on the younger side, I was really reluctant to acknowledge them or to ask others to help me find them." But with time and experience came a different perspective: "As I've grown more confident, mature, I can just say, 'Listen, I know you're gonna have to help me overcome that or point that out to me because I'm just not strong there.'"
This growth mindset has shaped how she built her team. A recent personality test revealed an interesting dynamic – while Hawkins was identified as a "captain," her four senior leadership team members were all "collaborators." She sees this diversity in approaches as a strength: "I think they really value processing and intensively thinking through all the different elements where my instinct is, 'let's go.'"
As a practitioner in Providence's housing development sector, Hawkins has witnessed firsthand the challenges that impede progress. Her vision extends beyond individual real estate projects to systemic change. "If I can help change the way that zoning works or the way that housing finance works, then I’m not just making sure one housing development gets built, I’m also helping my colleagues’ projects and helping the entire field do its work faster and better."
Now, after marking her tenth anniversary with the organization and turning 50, Hawkins is preparing for her next chapter. "I have a deep connection to the work and the people," she shares. "It's not simply leaving a job. This decision has almost taken me a year to arrive at."
Throughout her tenure, Hawkins has grappled with complex identities – balancing being "an authentic leader who's genuinely connected to the residents" while also being "this very buttoned up, business-minded real estate professional." She acknowledges the challenge: "Sometimes I feel like that's a lot to ask of one person and having to flex those extremes."
As our time at The Slate Studio draws close, Jonathan's lens reveals the subtle shift from accomplished leader to adventurous pioneer. As she looks ahead, Hawkins takes pride in her willingness to challenge conventions. "You can't accuse me of staying in my lane," she says with conviction, "and I'm proud of that fact." She's considering her next move carefully, resisting the easy path of immediately jumping into another role. Instead, she's allowing herself space to explore what challenges she wants to tackle in the next decade of her career.
This transition marks not just a professional shift but a personal evolution – one that demonstrates how leadership in community development requires constant growth, adaptation, and the courage to step beyond comfortable boundaries.
Portraits by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley
