SGA’s Community Connectors is a year-long program that supports teams in three small and mid-sized communities as they work to repair divisive infrastructure, improve safety outcomes, and advance lasting community reconnections. The program centers collaboration by bringing together community-based organizations with local government partners in learning sessions and hands-on workshops for quick-build demonstration projects.

At its core, Community Connectors is about people. This blog series highlights participants leading the work, offering a glimpse into their journeys and deep commitment to creating safer, connected communities. In this second round of participant profiles, we are featuring Connectors who work in city government.

Get to know Maneesh Krishnan, a co-lead for Little Rock, AR, in this year’s Community Connectors program. Maneesh is the Director of Public Works for the City of Little Rock.

The conversation below has been condensed and lightly edited.

What got you interested in transportation, planning, and reconnecting your community?

I went into engineering not really knowing exactly what my interest was going to be, but I was always interested in construction. When I first came to the U.S., I joined a master's program and got into transportation safety, reducing crashes, and improving safety for all road users. My first professional job was an internship with the City of Little Rock in 2006. Once I finished my master’s degree, I worked in the private sector for 16 years, and then came back to the city as an assistant director, and now I'm the Director of Public Works. From the beginning of my professional career, safety is what has driven everything.

What are you excited to bring to the cohort? What past experience do you want to share that your team can learn from?

While working in the private sector and now in public service, I've had the opportunity to work on projects like this. In my previous job at McClelland Engineering, we helped out with traffic counts for the Markham Street PopUp, a very successful pop-up that eventually became a construction project. My team at McClelland did the design. It's not yet done, so I'm on the city side of the table now with that project. I've seen that project go from a pop-up to a $2 million project that has become a reality. I'm excited to bring that experience, and I'm excited to learn from others. There's a lot you can learn from these kinds of projects.

What's something that you've learned so far from this program that you'd want your colleagues to know?

Knowing the history of the place where you live is very important. I say that because, honestly, I didn't know much about the history of Ninth Street until Ernest talked to me about it. I was like, “Wow, that is just down the street from where I work, and I didn't really know much about it.” That's the number one thing I would say: know the history of your place.

The other thing I would say is that if there's an initiative that you want to take to improve an area in your city, no initiative is too small. Big things come from small ideas sometimes.

What advice would you have for someone looking to start projects like these?

Don't be afraid to share your ideas. Network, get to know people, and spread the word. Getting people to know what's going on is very important.

What does success look like to you?

In general, success for me is being able to drive around and see all these projects that I've been able to work on in my community. That my family's enjoying those areas, that there are parks and facilities I've worked on in the city. In this case, being a part of a team that's able to make that a reality and restore Ninth Street’s history and heritage would be awesome.

What do you hope to leave behind for your community?

Having sustainable infrastructure that improves the quality of life of our residents and also has a sense of history. A place that's rooted in its history and that is sustainable really is successful.

What is one go-to resource every person doing this work should have in their toolbox for demonstration projects?

Being able to communicate is going to be really important because you have so many people you need to work with to get something like this accomplished. Just like how Ernest has been going around, talking to each entity and person, trying to get everybody to the table. There are so many other things you need to get this kind of project done, but being able to get everybody together, communicate, and get expectations set is very important.

Do you have any communication strategies, tips, or tricks?

If you have the floor and you have an audience, you’ve got to really know who you're talking to and how quickly you need to make an impact. Make sure you make the best use of your time and drill the point across in an effective way. Communication is something everybody starts with at a different level. You have to learn what your strengths are and then work on your weaknesses.