Eliot Reflects on His Time at Lloyd EcoDistrict

Eliot – who has been a terrific addition to the Lloyd EcoDistrict team recently accepted an exciting career opportunity. We’re really excited for him but also disappointed to lose a key member of our team. We asked him to write a reflection blog as he wrapped up time with the Lloyd EcoDistrict:

As I transition out of my role at Lloyd EcoDistrict, I reflect on the past year and four months—the community built, the projects started, and the relationships fostered.

Before joining as a Project Manager, I hadn’t spent much time in the Lloyd neighborhood. However, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to grow my skills and build connections in this unique and evolving part of Portland. Through community events like Party on Portland, the Winter Lights Festival, and many others, I came to know a resilient neighborhood looking ahead to a brighter future. Time and again, I was humbled by the commitment of my team, community members, and neighborhood partners—their audacity to envision Lloyd as one of the most sustainable and equitable neighborhoods in the country and, ultimately, as a place where people want to live, work, and stay.

In other parts of the city, I often heard people describe the Lloyd as a neighborhood in decline, a fading remnant of its former vibrancy in the City of Roses. Yet, time and again, this notion proved untrue. Lloyd may not be the same as it was five or ten years ago—but what place is? The neighborhood I came to know through my work at Lloyd EcoDistrict embodies resilience. Like a native rose emerging from the economic rubble of a pandemic, I saw a community pushing forward, shaping its own future.

One of the initiatives I was most proud to lead was our Greening Lloyd effort, which included offering edible, container gardens to low-income residents as well as monthly cleanups at Peace Memorial Park and other sites throughout the neighborhood. Seeing volunteers show up with authenticity and enthusiasm to improve their community was continually refreshing and inspiring.

Another project close to my heart was the Lending Library, which provides free supplies to the community. This initiative gave me the experience of building something from the ground up while listening to the needs of residents to guide its development. There was a particular satisfaction when users shared how much the library’s resources helped make their events possible.

My role also gave me a glimpse into city and neighborhood politics—an interesting foray that reaffirmed my sense that policy and governance may not be the space where I am inclined to contribute greatly.

Throughout my time at Lloyd EcoDistrict, our small but mighty team—Kristin, Joshua, and myself (though I was part-time)—proved that size is not the sole determinant of impact. While we were a fraction of the size of larger nonprofits, our nimbleness allowed us to creatively and effectively address community resilience and equity. I was constantly amazed by my teammates’ ability to meet community needs with positivity, openness, and innovation. It was a pleasure working alongside them, and I will always be inspired by their unwavering dedication to the Lloyd neighborhood.

Although my formal role at Lloyd EcoDistrict is coming to an end, I look forward to staying involved—whether by volunteering or simply attending fun events like Duckworth Dock in the summer. Living in Southwest Portland, I likely wouldn’t have spent much time in Lloyd had I not taken this opportunity. But now, knowing the heart of this neighborhood, I’ll return—whether to take a stroll through Holladay Park, enjoy the view from Peace Memorial Park, or reconnect with the many dedicated community members who make Lloyd so special.