Rev. Davanta R. Scruggs Sr.

Community Engagement & Research Specialist

Rev. Davanta R. Scruggs Sr. is a community strategist, researcher, and organizational leader dedicated to advancing equity, economic mobility, and neighborhood transformation. He serves as the Community Engagement and Research Specialist for the West End Opportunity Partnership, the Program Manager for Pivot to Peace at Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, and the Senior Pastor of New Mount Zion Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Across these roles, he works to build systems that unite data, community voice, and sustainable impact.

At the West End Opportunity Partnership, Rev. Scruggs leads initiatives that center on resident engagement, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and translate research into actionable strategies for inclusive investment throughout Louisville’s West End. His work bridges community insight and institutional planning to ensure that residents play a defining role in shaping neighborhood revitalization.

At Pivot to Peace, a $5 million community violence intervention initiative, he co-manages five site teams across Louisville’s highest-risk areas. He manages a staff of twenty-five, coordinates intervention strategies with hospitals and partner agencies, and uses platforms such as Bonterria Apricot and Salesforce to track outcomes and inform program improvements. His leadership enhances Louisville’s public health model for violence reduction by combining trauma-informed care, accountability, and opportunity creation.

As Senior Pastor of New Mount Zion Baptist Church, Rev. Scruggs has led a major organizational and physical transformation effort. Under his leadership, the church eliminated more than $300,000 in debt, managed $3.3 million in assets, and launched the NMZ Transformation Project, a comprehensive restoration and redevelopment plan that integrates housing, land use, and community wellness. Central to this initiative is his development of the Cyclical Congregant-Communal Land Trust, an innovative model that removes property from speculative markets, preserving affordability while promoting wealth-building among residents. His pastoral leadership informs his community work, grounding strategic initiatives in lived experience, cultural understanding, and long-term relationship building.

Rev. Scruggs holds a Master of Community Leadership from Eden Theological Seminary, where his research explored the theological and economic foundations of land trusts as tools for social equity. He is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Eden with a focus on Preaching as Organizing: From Pulpit to Pavement, examining how narrative and data-informed leadership can mobilize communities toward shared prosperity. He is also a 2025–2026 Nollau Leadership Fellow with the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries.

A native of Indianapolis, Rev. Scruggs is recognized for his ability to connect vision with execution, research with relationship, and policy with lived experience. He lives in Louisville with his wife, Cenaisha, and their two children, Davanta Jr. and Caris, and remains deeply committed to shaping communities where opportunity, equity, and belonging thrive.