Community Builders Network Staff

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Linda Nguyen moved to St. Louis in 2013 to get her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in social and economic development and a specialization in nonprofit management. Linda is dedicated to the strengthening of organizations’ capacity and building strong neighborhoods through the reinvestments of people and places.

In the last decade, she has created and managed anti-displacement programming that addresses the needs of hundreds of low- and moderate-income households, completed several community-wide needs assessments to identify current gaps of service and areas of opportunities, provided strategic planning and board development for two growing nonprofits, and organized numerous community events and workshops that provided community stakeholders with the tools to take action. Prior to working in the community development field in St. Louis, she has over ten years of experience in social welfare case management and counseling support in an urban setting working closely with seniors, people with disabilities, at-risk youth and families, survivors of domestic violence, HIV/AIDS and homeless populations.

Linda is passionate about working together to build the capacity of leaders and organizations to address the inequities in the St. Louis region. With over two decades of grassroot nonprofit experiences, she looks forward to creating meaningful relationships that connect the private and public sectors to all the great opportunities that make St. Louis a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

As a long-time resident of the St Louis Metro East region, Megan Arnett has been driven by an unwavering commitment to social justice and an unshakeable belief in the power of community engagement. She understand that true change can only be achieved through collective efforts and meaningful partnerships. By leveraging her expertise and passion, she strive to empower communities to unlock their full potential and create lasting positive change. Megan’s educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master's degree in Sociology and Integrative Studies. This educational foundation has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of community dynamics and the complex interplay between individuals and their environments.

Before joining the CBN family, Megan served as a Professor of Sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, educating and inspiring the next generation of community leaders. Through her academic position, she has develop a deep appreciation for the power of knowledge and its ability to drive meaningful transformation within communities. Throughout her career, Megan have actively engaged with diverse community partners and resources, utilizing a community-centered approach to address individual and community-based needs. This experience solidified her belief in the transformative power of community engagement as a catalyst for positive change.

In Megan’s spare time, she enjoys exploring nature, advocating for social causes, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

St. Louis Vacancy Collaborative Staff

Torrey Park first became involved in community development and urban revitalization when she joined the grassroots organization, Metropolis St. Louis, in 1999, whose mission was to attract and retain young people to the city of St. Louis. As a leader on the steering committee, she embraced the values of developing community-centered collaboration, understanding the historical and political context of complex issues, and cultivating a “sense of place”. Since then, Torrey has been active in community-based groups and projects including re-establishing the Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association, implementing ward-level Participatory Budgeting, exploring and producing a Community Benefits Agreement, and supporting the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Coalition’s advocacy efforts to increase annual funding by the city of St. Louis. Torrey holds a B.A. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Missouri – Columbia and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Washington University – St. Louis. Additionally, Torrey is proud to be a Coro Women in Leadership program alumni. Torrey believes when it comes to addressing vacancy issues, it is key to prioritize equity and systems level change. She is committed to radical listening and creating a welcoming, inclusive space that fosters greater synergy amongst all stakeholders.

Zach Kassman is passionate about St. Louis and has been dedicated to making St. Louis city a better place through his work in community development since 2019.  Zach has an MSW from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied Social and Economic Development, macro-social work, with a particular focus on economic development in historically disinvested communities.  He also holds a degree in History and American Cultural Studies from Fontbonne University.  

Zach has experience working at St. Louis Development Corporation, the City of St. Louis Mayor's Office, Green City Coalition, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council (EHOC), the International Institute of St. Louis, and AmeriCorps St. Louis.  Most recently Zach spent the last four years working on the Prop NS Program after creating its pilot program and working with Green City Coalition on its community land trust efforts.  Zach was also a Gephardt Institute Public Service Fellow and is a Neighborhood Leadership Academy graduate (2020 Cohort).  He is also a member of the Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association and has served on their Development Committee since the Summer of 2022.  

He is passionate about community land trusts, equitable development across St. Louis, and playing soccer with friends.  You can find Zach hosting monthly Community Ownership get-togethers (which you should ask him about if you want to know more). 

Graduate practicum students

Octavia Bartmess is a first year MSW student and a member of the Navajo Nation. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of New Mexico. Before she came to the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, she worked for over a decade as a Software Engineer for Honeywell. She worked on legacy helicopters and then joined the Models & Simulation team in the SMARTlab in Advanced Technology.

Her concentration is in American Indian/Alaska Native studies with a focus on community building, and her specialization is in System Dynamics. Currently, she is a practicum student for Community Builders Network, a research assistant for the Social System Design Lab, and a Buder Scholar.  She hopes to become a licensed clinical social worker and to work with Indigenous communities in tackling contemporary issues as a System Dynamics problem solver.

Grace Coleman (they/she) is a dedicated St. Louis native currently pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in Domestic Social and Economic Development. Grace holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Webster University in St. Louis, and her professional journey includes prior experience in initiatives aimed at addressing housing instability among LGBTQIA+ youth and combating food insecurity in North St. Louis County.

As a Practicum Student at Community Builders Network, Grace brings a profound belief in the transformative power of community, connection, and compassionate care. Grace's professional interests are broad and include community development, racial equity, and LGBTQIA+ liberation among many other issues near and dear to their heart. Beyond the realms of academic and professional pursuits, Grace is an aerial arts coach for both children and adults and a completely devoted cat parent of two.