Transforming Baton Rouge, Block by Block

Robert brings a wealth of leadership, legal, and community development experience to the role. Most recently serving as Director of State Operations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program, she has overseen national economic development initiatives, infrastructure investment, and community revitalization efforts. Her prior experience includes serving as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Louisiana, Executive Counsel at the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and General Counsel for the Southern University System. With deep expertise in public-private partnerships, economic development, and strategic planning, Robert is well-positioned to guide BBR’s efforts to create more equitable and vibrant communities throughout Baton Rouge.

Marlee Pittman Miller oversees daily operations and leads strategic initiatives to revitalize underutilized and blighted areas across East Baton Rouge Parish. She brings nearly a decade of experience in community development, federal grants management, and public-private partnerships—always centering residents in the redevelopment process.

Prior to joining Build Baton Rouge, Marlee served as Director of the City-Parish Office of Community Development, where she administered over $47 million in federal funding and supported the creation of 800+ affordable homes, major infrastructure upgrades, and a $10 million homelessness initiative. Her leadership also produced the city’s first CDBG Disaster Recovery Action Plan and reduced audit findings by more than 75%.

A Truman Scholar and Scoville Fellow, Marlee holds a BA from LSU and advanced certifications from Harvard GSD and MIT’s Center for Real Estate.

Kendra Hendricks serves as the Senior Development Coordinator at Build Baton Rouge, where she collaborates with the planning, legal, and real estate teams to identify, secure, and structure funding for transformative projects. In this role, she plays a key part in every project launched by BBR, working with the team to guide initiatives from concept to implementation and ensure they align with community priorities.

Prior to joining BBR, Kendra was the Economic Development Manager at the Capital Region Planning Commission, where she provided  grant management and administration, project development, and community outreach and engagement across the 11-parish  area. Her professional background spans higher education, local government, and the nonprofit sector, giving her a well-rounded perspective on public service and economic development.

Kendra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a minor in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Southern University and A&M College. She is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. In addition to her professional work, Kendra is an active community leader and is engaged in numerous civic and professional organizations throughout Baton Rouge.

Josh Jefferson serves as a Land Bank and Real Estate Counsel where he oversees expropriation, adjudication hold, and blight lien foreclosure processes inpartnership with Parish municipalities. Additionally, he will conduct title clearing work on BBR and partner properties, and serve as counsel for all BBR land transactions. Josh brings and interest and passion for real estatedevelopment and community driven projects to BBR. 

Before joining BBR, Josh served as Contract Manager at Tulane University where hemanaged the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex contracts whilecollaborating with university stakeholders to mitigate risk, ensure compliance, and align agreements with institutional objectives. 

Josh was born and raised in Baton Rouge, earned his law degree from Loyola University New Orleans and his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Prairie View A&M University, where he also played Division I baseball as an infielder. His time as a student-athlete helped shape his team-first mindset, strong work ethic, and problem-solving approach that continue to drive his career today.

Dexter Alexander has joined Build Baton Rouge as the Community Real Estate Coordinator, where hewill help advance the organization’s mission to acquire, manage, and redevelopland in ways that strengthen neighborhoods and expand equitable opportunitiesfor residents.

A former student-athlete and graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in Communications, Dexter also earned a Master of Liberal Arts (MALA) with concentrations in Kinesiology and Business. He brings a diverse background in education, housing, marketing, and communitydevelopment.

Prior to Build Baton Rouge,Dexter served as BusinessDevelopment & Marketing Officer for the LouisianaHousing Corporation’s Single-Family Homeownership Division, where he managed statewide down-paymentassistance programs, led signature outreach initiatives, and partnered withdevelopers and local governments to expand access to affordable housing. Healso coordinated the LouisianaStatewide Homeownership Think Tank, aligning stakeholders from across the state to address issuessuch as scalable housing, insurance and flood policy, and innovativedevelopment models.

In addition, Dexter is a licensedREALTOR® with UnitedProperties, where he is known as a community-focusedreal estate professional helping families in the Greater Baton Rouge regionachieve homeownership and build generational wealth.

Tricia Prewitt, Administrative Officer, is the first point of contact at Build Baton Rouge. Tricia uses the skills that she learned as a child in the Felicianas to connect on a personal level with callers and visitors to Build Baton Rouge, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Tricia is essential to the smooth running of the office. Her previous experiences in office management are put to full use on a daily basis.

Tricia is an independent filmmaker and has worked on projects for the DA’s office, 100 Black Men, and other socially conscience organizations.