In a significant move poised to reshape the economic landscape of San Antonio's East Side, the local economic development nonprofit SAGE has expanded its service territory from 22 to approximately 75 square miles. James Nortey, the incoming CEO who took the reins of the organization in January, has been navigating SAGE through a period marked by financial tightropes and leadership instability. According to a recent San Antonio Report interview, Nortey has acknowledged the daunting nature of the task at hand.
While Nortey was anticipating a leadership challenge at SAGE, the reality of the organization's predicament was more tumultuous than expected. "What I did not understand was the level of chaos, confusion [and] emotional pain," Nortey told the San Antonio Report. Not just limited to stabilizing the team, Nortey's community outreach efforts have actively sought to build relationships and trust within the broader East Side area.
The reason SAGE has decided to extend beyond its traditional boundaries, which once aligned with the now-concluded federal Promise Zone initiative, ties back to the pressing needs of the community. Despite concerns over SAGE's capacity to operate effectively on this larger scale, McKayla Sumbry, the chair of SAGE's board of directors, said that the Promise Zone area “will still be our core focus. However, we have received so many requests for help from people outside of that boundary” that embracing a more extensive service area made sense in response to the demand.
The expansion aligns with SAGE's obligations tied to a $432,000 grant from the City of San Antonio aimed at fostering small business support programs through 2025. Nortey pitches the program to every possible stakeholder, encountering "a real hunger" for community and networking among local businesses. The grant is part of a broader financial backdrop in which an internal city audit and organizational turnovers led to a temporary halt in city support for SAGE and similar entities, as detailed by Brenda Hicks-Sorensen, executive director of the city's Economic Development Department, in a San Antonio Report article.
Looking beyond imminent financial challenges, Nortey's vision for SAGE includes applying for a $150,000 federal Health Services, Community Economic Development planning grant, and seeking Community Development Financial Institution status in the future. This forward-thinking strategy is aimed at not just maintaining but enriching the economic fabric of the East Side by saying, “We want to bake more pies, invest in the businesses that are already here, the talent that’s already here. And with a little bit more nutrition and water and love and care, we can blossom,” as Nortey expressed his intentions to the San Antonio Report.
