PHEC 482: What Makes a Community Sticky, with Chelsea Richard, PhD, MSPH

What makes a community the kind of place people want to call home? In this episode, Dr.

Huntley sits down with Dr. Chelsea Richard, Vice President of Strategy and Operations at the Central Carolina Community Foundation, who set out to answer that question across 11 counties in the Midlands of South Carolina.

After a decade in state public health and early childhood work, Dr. Richard is now leading a community assessment that gathered input from about 3,500 people and took her into 18 focus groups, including a bustling community center in Calhoun County on a hundred-degree afternoon.

She shares how starting with what is already working in a community, from welcoming parks to busy public spaces, can guide where a funder invests, and why making those spaces easy to use matters as much as having them at all. Dr.

Richard also reflects on a career path that was sparked by a mentor at a Boston hospital, carried her through a PhD earned while working full time, and recently included a run for county council. If you have ever wondered how to listen to a community in a way that leads to lasting change, this conversation will leave you with ideas you can put to work right away.

Resources ▶️ Join the PHEC Podcast Community ▶️ Visit the PHEC Podcast Show Notes ▶️ DrCHHuntley, Public Health & Epidemiology Consulting