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Grand Design Inc.
Phone: (303) 693-8348
E-mail: bshanb9@gmail.com
Established 1984
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Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister is being honored with a street named after her in Aurora, Colorado!
The city is renaming the ring road on the Aurora Municipal Center Campus to Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister Boulevard
. The dedication ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, as part of the city's Black History Month celebrations.
This honor recognizes her nearly four decades of service to the city, including:
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Civil Rights Leadership: Serving as a co-founder of the Aurora NAACP.
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Community Service: Her 36-year tenure at City Hall, where she led the Community Relations Division and worked as a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion.
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Non-Profit Work: Serving as President and CEO of Grand Design Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving African American culture through the arts
MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
Cynthia Francis
Cynthia Francis joined GDI in 2019. Over the past 30+ years, Cynthia has worked as a Subcontract Administrator, Commodity Manager, Information Management Specialist, Strategic Project Specialist and Senior Shareholder Account Rep.
These positions span from the U.S. Air Force and private sector. While in the Air Force, she supported the Intelligence Division and Fighter Squadrons at Ramstein Germany and ended at the Intelligence Division at Langley Air Force.
She started her career at Randolph Air Force Base within the Manpower Personnel Center as an Information Management Specialist. The 1980s were spent in various Active duty U.S. Air Force duties.
In 1991, she began various private sector duties which included a tour in Iraq as a Subcontract Administrator and Expeditor in Operation Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
She has no roots as she’s a product of a Military family. However, she’s now very proud to claim Colorado as home.