Department of Transportation welcomes Kenya Asli as Red Line Economic Empowerment Officer
			Since the Red Line Community Compact was launched in February 2009, one question has been on the minds of many, “How will the Red Line put Baltimore to work?” Job creation is central to the success of the Red Line and at the core of many of the goals laid out in the Red Line Community Compact. In August, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation began a search for the right person to address this question—and they found her.
This month, Kenya Asli begins her new role as Economic Empowerment Officer for the Red Line. This position is critical to coordinate economic empowerment opportunities and job training efforts to prepare Baltimore citizens for building the line. Her work will be trifold: To ensure that local residents can take full advantage of new jobs To develop programs and strategies for full minority- and women- owned business participation To lead the coordination of workforce development programs Kenya is no stranger to Baltimore. Growing up in Edmondson Village and as an Edmondson/Westside High School graduate, Kenya earned a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Morgan State University and later earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. She credits her training and knowledge of community organizing and community building to the neighborhood leaders she was privileged to work with for eleven years. It is this experience that has prepared her to take on these tasks. She has worked with neighborhood groups advocating for improved neighborhood conditions, better housing and transportation options. She has led trainings for communities on a multitude of issues from fund raising to mobilizing the community to get things done. And with such personal ties to the communities in the Red Line corridor, Kenya knows about both the assets and the issues facing her in this new position. “As a Baltimore native, I know that the skills and talents needed to build the Red Line exist in our communities. I am committed to tapping into that talent in order to get Baltimore working on the Red Line.” The Baltimore City DOT welcomes Kenya Asli to our team as we work to create an integrated transit system for all the residents of Baltimore.