By Tiarsha Harrison
Pamela and Gary McCleod excel at business life, church life, and family life. The married dynamic duo decided to create their own business, which took off this year. McCleod Planning and Development Professionals, LLC, where Pamela serves as Vice-President and Gary as President is a privately owned planning and development firm established to build and revitalize communities with a focus on residential and commercial developments. The firm also offers land use planning services to both private and public clients which are provided by professionals and development teams. I caught up with the husband and wife team to find out more about their inspiration behind helping communities and why it is crucial for society.
A community should have quality of life, safety, and equal opportunity for the young and old, that is tangible and accessible.
Pamela & gary Mccleod
What inspired you both to create MPDP, LLC together as a team?
MPDP was created to build uniquely in communities where residents lacked opportunities. We are both from cities where there was a better way of life on the “other side of the tracks.” To change this and to start the next generation on a higher level, we want to bring better opportunities for people in places where they need it the most through economic and real estate development.
What motivated you to want to create enjoyable and livable places for others to live and provide a wider range of possibilities for residents and businesses?
Seeing people not have the opportunity available to them in their very own community is heartbreaking. A community should have quality of life, safety, and equal opportunity for the young and old, that is tangible and accessible. We want residents to be proud enough to call where they live home.
How did the motto “changing the world one community at a time” arise?
Changing the world seems like an impossible task with over seven billion people and countless communities. Although our goal is to change the world, we achieve success in steps and that is the truth with anything in life. We are going to take one bite of the elephant at a time by changing one community at a time.
In your opinion, how important is mental health in today’s society and why is it important to stay positive?
Mental health is probably the most common yet overlooked crisis that is attacking the human race. It is so important to stay positive and know that there is no one else on this earth like you. It is important for each of us to understand that we are all created with a purpose and that purpose is to impact the people around us. We are all in this together. If we are able to identify a problem, be bold and unafraid enough to address a problem, then together we can be the solution.
How has social media influenced your firm, MPDP Professionals?
In this type of business, social media is not a very popular source, although that may be hard to believe these days. Word of mouth and recommendations are probably the most valuable sources for us to get our name out there. Not just that, our integrity and quality of work will be the ultimate source of all. We use social media as a platform to let people know that it is not impossible to dream big, reach your goals, and operate in purpose.
What events do you have coming up to showcase your firm?
There aren’t many events happening with the pandemic, however, we have a lot of work! We are not limiting what we can do despite the drastic changes happening in our country. We see more opportunities, more work to do, and more lives to change. In the coming future, we hope to inspire the next generation to approach this field with an attitude of endless possibilities.
What are some of your upcoming goals for the near future?
Some of our upcoming goals are to partner with cities to accomplish a bigger vision and way of life. Also, we love sharing our story, so we will be releasing a book soon that will take readers through our journey of being young entrepreneurs and what building in your own lane of purpose with patience and endurance looks like.
Instagram: @mpdp_llc
Pamela’s Instagram: @pam2mac
Gary’s Instagram: @gmccleod24
