Ever since 1970, June has been designated as Pride Month—a vibrant tribute to the joys and challenges of the LGBTQ+ community. At Lamp Rynearson, we are inspired by the courage, justice, and love that Pride embodies, fueling our commitment to positive change. We had the honor of sitting down with Meridith Dillon, the Director of Strategic Growth, and Innovation at Blair Freeman. Join us as we explore her journey and her hopes for the future.
Meridith Dillon is the Director of Strategic Growth and Innovation at Blair Freeman. Blair Freeman, established in 2018, is remarkable in its dedication to diversity. The company proudly states “everyone deserves to have power over their own project.” Meridith’s passion is for community building and commitment to working towards equitable access to opportunity in the Omaha Metro Area. Her professional background includes developing and implementing programming in nonprofit, philanthropic, and governmental organizations. Prior to joining the team at Blair Freeman, Meridith served as the Executive Director at Front Porch Investments, as a planner for the City of Omaha, and was in Community Development Initiatives at The Sherwood Foundation.
We can’t thank her enough for sharing her time and story with us!
Q: As a queer change-maker yourself, where do you feel you’ve had the greatest impact in your career? What is the legacy you hope to leave?
Something that’s interesting about being a queer person is that you’ve at some point had to push against the norm. Because of that experience, because of the way I approach the world it allows me to be an outside of the box thinker. I don’t hold a ton of stock in the “We should do this a certain way because it’s always been done that sort of way” idea. If it’s not serving the most people to the most benefit, or not benefiting the people who need it the most; I’m not afraid to say we need to do something differently. Why are we doing the same thing if it’s not working? I think that’s been for me – now that I can look back on it, a way of being queer and a person in a community that is working towards change – how those intersect.
To answer the second part of your question: I’m not a person who really believes super deeply in the concept of legacy. I much more believe in the idea of “composting”. I honestly hope that whatever I leave behind…wherever that place is, or space is that I leave is more fertile for whatever needs to emerge next. That’s my hope.
Q: Can you share a specific moment or project you are particularly proud of in your efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community?
You know, again, I’ve had an opportunity to be a part of both the philanthropic community and the nonprofit community and have had the ability to work with amazing partners and volunteer with groups in Omaha. But one thing that stands out is when I got to serve on the mayor’s first LGBTQ+ advisor community. It was at a time not long after our city created some policies that didn’t feel super welcoming to people in the queer community. Some might have thought that was a controversial decision to be a part of this advisory committee. Instead, I think it was really important – it was a city’s acknowledgement of a community and their voice and the need to listen. And that was a great thing to be a part of – just again because of the precedent it set. That committee has gone on to do really great things. They recently launched a community center for the LGBTQIA+ community called Omaha For Us.
Q: Who, in your life, has been your change-maker?
This is an interesting question. I’m so grateful to have so many amazing humans in my life, but I’m going to change it up on you – especially as we’re looking through the lens of pride. The biggest change maker experience for me was a place, not a person.
I grew up in a rural small town in Nebraska, literally off Rural Route 1. My lens for what it meant to be queer in the 80s was unfortunately the AIDS epidemic and the two kids who got bullied in my school. You can imagine that I wasn’t super interested in exploring the parts of myself that I knew were different. That meant also pushing down a lot of my creativity and ability to express myself.
Then my sister moved to NYC, and I got to visit her in high school. She lived on the corner of Christopher and Bleecker, which was a very gay neighborhood at the time. I remember the first morning I looked out the window and saw a parade of people dressed all kinds of ways. I had no idea what they were celebrating.
The experience of seeing all these different kinds of people – there was a relief inside of my body. There are spaces in this world where people are so creative, and so expressive, and they love each other in whatever way they show up. It wasn’t just about gender expression or sexuality; it was also that they didn’t have cars! They lived in a way that was different. It changed me. I wanted to see more of the world, I wanted to see more perspectives, I wanted to see more ideas, I wanted to see more expressions of humanity.
Looking back, I realize that I felt the need to push down that part of myself so I could be safe. That trip helped me realize that one day I could live in a place that was safe and be myself. I never would’ve dreamed that I would eventually move back to Nebraska and be a part of creating that space. For me, the experience of going go to New York was my changemaker. It was transformative for me.
We’re going to create something that’s better for a community when we’re open, when we believe in supporting others.
Q: Your title is the Director of Strategic Growth and Innovation, what inspired you to pursue this career path? What was your “lightbulb” moment?
It was a natural fit for me to want to be a part of Blair Freeman because they are change makers. Blair Freeman is a Class A construction company and project management firm that was founded and is led by two black women. We aren’t your typical face of construction and development in Omaha. I loved their approach to the industry; I loved that they were different, I loved that they weren’t afraid of challenges. I think for me it wasn’t “oh I’m pursuing this; this is going to be my career”, it’s that I wanted to be a part of that energy. I wanted to really walk the talk of what it looks like to support black owned businesses and be a part of the changes that are happening in our community. Making sure everyone is represented and can see themselves reflected in the different industries.
Blair Freeman, they’re making a splash; they’re changing the face of the industry. And to have a role that’s focused on strategy, growth, and innovation – all my favorite things! I feel grateful. This role for me is really a dream job.
Q: Working as a housing advocate, how do communities address the obstacles around housing insecurity for their most vulnerable? What perceptions need to change to fully address the need that is out there?
Housing is a huge challenge. Communities are realizing that we need to find a new approach to how we house folks and support housing stability. It takes the voices of people with lived experience or who are currently experiencing a lack of housing. When communities bring their voices to the table – that’s when they have a more people-centered approach, which is what’s required for us to do this differently. We need to be designing solutions around people, for people, with people, instead of standing on the outside and assuming we know what someone needs.
We all know we’re in a housing crisis. We know that wages and the cost to build and obtain housing are disproportionate. We know that in America, 1 out of 4 households are one paycheck away from being unhoused. Yet we continue to point blame or leave responsibility with people who are struggling. This is one of the hardest things that happens in communities; looking for who to blame instead of who is accountable, it is all our responsibility.
There are folks in decision making power that can prioritize investments in housing, and they need to do that. Housing is expensive, and when people see the cost of people-centered solutions, they say “this is impossible!” But if we know that people need housing in order to have other needs met, in order to be a part of a thriving community, then we have to prioritize the investment in listening to those voices, removing barriers, and coming up with solutions with those who are unhoused.
Its people centered, it’s having those voices at the table in leadership, and it’s being committed to making the investments that matter.
Q: In 2024, Lamp Rynearson’s outlook is Navigating Our Future. At the core of this strategic vision lies our identity as futurists. We understand that the built environment is advancing at an unprecedented pace, demanding a forward-thinking mindset to stay ahead. How do you see Blair Freeman’s diverse team positioning itself to meet future challenges and opportunities?
Because Blair Freeman is both led and founded by leaders who have overcome challenges, we aren’t intimidated by them. We see challenges as possibilities. There’s not a silver bullet that’s going to save us from housing; from issues around the materials we’ve been using, the waste that the development industry creates, the timelines, and the cost of construction. All huge challenges! But we’re seeing these innovations come. It’s about not being attached to the idea of one silver bullet. Instead having a mindset of adaptability, of loving change, always looking for what’s emerging in terms of needs and challenges, but also talent in our community.
With the mindset of change, we believe there’s opportunities to create community that is more accessible and works better for more people. That’s what gets us to that future thinking. I love how that’s how your CEO Nancy has set the tone; we very much carry that same mindset.
If we looked at the example of what’s been done before we wouldn’t be here. We are not afraid to be first, to be courageous, to think outside the box, and embrace new ideas. We’re not in a mindset of competitiveness. We’re going to create something that’s better for a community when we’re open, when we believe in supporting others. These things are part of the fabric of Blair Freeman. I watch that unfold every day.
I think there’s a lot of room for innovation in the development, real estate, and construction world. I love that I’m a part of team that’s excited to embrace these new approaches, with different ways to approach the energy sector, the trades, to diversification to the construction workforce and more. We’re thinking about and embracing all this change in an industry that’s been slow to change and asking those questions.