Adina Black joined MNPGA in December as program manager. In her role, Adina will work to mobilize communities to become more educated about gambling addiction and to understand how to help people access resources. Adina is excited about this opportunity and plans to draw from her creativity and skill in strategizing. “I look to develop a vision for the community about how we can meet the needs of problem gamblers,” says Adina.
Adina has considerable experience in community engagement. She previously worked at the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute, where she worked with community organizations to help them focus on their priorities and to advance the well-being of communities. Her efforts involved developing networks and coalitions around community issues, with an emphasis on developing collaborative partnerships.
In her first weeks at MNPGA, Adina has quickly gained an appreciation for the issue of problem gambling. “Learning how much it’s associated with substance use and other addictions but not receiving a proportionate amount of funding represents a challenge,” says Adina. “It seems like problem gambling has taken a back seat and not received the recognition it deserves.”
Adina has also learned about the way problem gambling has been viewed in different communities. “From my perspective as a Black woman, I think about the different kinds of behaviors that have been normalized in the Black community that I now recognize as people struggling with gambling issues. It’s been an eye-opener.”
We look forward to the impact Adina will make. Welcome to MNAPG, Adina!