Yes, there are professional associations for community developers. Both professional associations listed below have a variety of members who have an interest in community development education, outreach, or research:
► The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP). This organization is a national group of community development professionals but also has some regional groups around the country. Visit their website: http://nacdep.net/
► The Community Development Society (CDS) is an international group of community development professionals. One of the benefits of membership is the CDS Journal which is published quarterly. CDS provides those who do community work with best practices, networking opportunities, tools, and other resources. Visit their website: http://www.comm-dev.org/
If policy is of interest to you, you might want to investigate the National Community Development Association (NCDA). NCDA is a national nonprofit organization comprised of more than 550 local governments across the country that administer federally supported community and economic development, housing and human service programs, including programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs.