Notre Dame alum who has led an award-winning neighborhood advocacy group in Detroit for more than 25 years says his high school education was instrumental in college and professional success. Says he hopes all alumni will continue to support NDPMA.
One of the city of Detroit's strongest and most vibrant communities is the Grandmont Rosedale area, which is bordered roughly by McNichols, Southfield, Schoolcraft and Evergreen on the city’s northwest side. One of the reasons the area remains a bright spot in Detroit is that its neighborhood “association” takes a very active role in its advocacy.
In fact, the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation has garnered a more than its fair share of awards recognizing such advocacy and success. In the last three years, GRDC has won the following awards from the Detroit Community Development Awards association: the 2015 Extraordinary Economic Development Award; the 2014 Community Developer of the Year award; and the 2013 Outstanding Community Safety Program award. GRDC also was recently named a finalist for the Best Managed Non-profit Award given annually by Crain’s Detroit Business magazine.
The Grandmont Rosedale area is located in northwest Detroit.
“Although I had initially intended to work with GRDC only temporarily in the beginning, I have been there ever since in the role of executive director,” he said. “In my 25+ years with GRDC, the organization has grown to tackle problems ranging from vacant housing to commercial revitalization, economic development and public safety.”
Serving the community is goal
According to Goddeeris, GRDC is known today as one of the most effective community development corporations in Detroit and the state of Michigan.
“Also, it has been a great opportunity for me to go to work each day with the goal of serving my community,” he added.
Growing up on the opposite corner of Detroit from the Grandmont Rosedale area, Goddeeris and his two brothers, John and Jim, lived only a block from the Notre Dame High School campus, which was in Harper Woods. He said there really was no doubt as to where he would go to high school.
“My two older brothers both attended ND, so when it came to choosing a high school there was never really any question where I would go,” Goodeeris said.
He said he was glad he did because his Notre Dame education prepared him very well for the rigors of college, especially in the areas of writing and critical thinking. After graduating from Notre Dame in 1978, he went on the to the University of Michigan where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture, a field he said he’s been interested in since he was very young.
He later earned a master’s degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University and became a licensed architect.
“After college, I worked for a number of small architectural firms in Detroit, Goddeeris said. “Then, in 1990, my wife, Mary, and I bought our first house in the Grandmont Rosedale area of northwest Detroit. About a year later, I was asked to help out with a neighborhood-based non-profit organization just beginning called the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation, or GRDC for short.”
Goddeeris said the GRDC had formed with a mission to preserve and revitalize the Grandmont Rosedale area neighborhoods.
“At the time, the organization was pursuing a strategy of acquiring and renovating vacant and dilapidated houses,” he said. “My architectural education and experience made me particularly well-suited to help with these renovation projects.”
He said that although his career path has been somewhat non-traditional, he believes that his current position is very much aligned with his life-long interests in architecture, urban planning and social justice.
“Plus, the analytical and problem-solving skills I learned at Notre Dame and later in college are put into action every day as I work side by side with residents and business owners to address problems and devise strategies for improving the quality of life for our residents.”
Glad that others continue to benefit from Notre Dame
Reflecting back on his Notre Dame years, Goddeeris said it’s hard to believe that it has been nearly 40 years since he graduated from the school.
“I still have fond memories of high school and the many great friends and teachers I knew then,” he said. “I was involved with both the school newspaper and yearbook and enjoyed both activities. I also took many art classes, but my favorite teacher was Tom Schusterbauer, who taught English and definitely helped me perfect my writing skills.”
Goddeeris also said he loves the fact that others continue to benefit from a Notre Dame education albeit in a different location.
“I am very happy to see that the tradition of high-quality education lives on at my alma mater, although obviously the school has changed and adapted since way back then,” he said. “I also hope all alumni will continue to support this great institution.”
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.