Midamerica Housing Partnership (retired)
Joan Blackmon is a respected community advocate and leader whose career has been defined by her deep commitment to public service, affordable housing and empowering families.
Blackmon began her career in Danville, Illinois as a tenant landlord liaison officer with the local housing authority. She served as executive director of the Elgin, Illinois Housing Authority managing hundreds of housing units and Section 8 programs, and later as a fair housing education coordinator in Wisconsin, before moving to Cedar Rapids in 1989.
Blackmon spent 13 years guiding families toward homeownership through Homebuyer Education Courses at MidAmerica Housing Partnership. Her grant writing skills secured significant funding for affordable housing initiatives, including a $1 million award that enabled new construction and homeownership opportunities in Cedar Rapids. Other communities requested Blackmon’s expertise in their communities, including Victor, Brooklyn, Grinnell and Washington Iowa.
Through collaborative leadership, Blackmon has helped over 100 families achieve the dream of owning a home. She courageously took on innovative housing projects with rural communities as a partner in the efforts to build energy efficient housing such as Strawbale Houses.
Blackmon is a widow. She has five adult children Elliot (Kimberly) Abram, Timothy Abram, Melissa Abram, Kimberly (Corey) Abram-Bryant and Christopher Abram.