A Delta Workforce Program, A National Workforce Model
Education Commission of the States highlights Arkansas consortium as model for nation
WASHINGTON DC - Chairman Masingill spent last week in Washington with Dr. Glen Fenter, President of Mid-South Community College presenting the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC) as a model for a comprehensive regional approach to education and workforce training. As part of the Education Commission of the States' 2nd annual National Summit, Secretaries Vilsack and Duncan discussed the role of education in economic development in rural America.
Since 2005, five colleges in Arkansas have been working to address that role. ADTEC is made up of five community colleges in east Arkansas, with each campus anchored by a particular area’s workforce training expertise. Using online technology, someone sitting in a classroom who is interested in diesel mechanics can learn from a professor who teaches in another part of the region…or even the country! The Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium has changed the traditional training model to fit the region instead of changing the region to fit the model.
The Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium is a partnership that allows all member colleges to work together, sharing curriculum and strategies while going after the ultimate goal of creating jobs and growing the economy in the region. ADTEC has created a model for educating a historically underserved population with programs specifically selected to compliment the economic development future for the region. These are programs that start earlier in a child’s education, even while the students are still in high school, offering true career pathways even through the baccalaureate level. These programs ensure that the region’s future is filled with UNPRECEDENTED levels of opportunity.
Delta’s Distinguished
Arkansas: Former higher education administrator provides resources and networking for small communities in state
In 1997, Susan Forte left her career of 17 years in higher education administration to pursue her vision of connecting small communities to economic development opportunities. Recognizing the difficulty small communities have in funding projects and carrying out community plans, Forte created Houseaboutit, Inc., a non-profit community and economic development corporation that serves as a liaison between small communities of Arkansas and state business leaders and funding agencies.
Forte has worked tirelessly to develop programming that provides educational services and consultation to small businesses, funding for community development efforts, guidance in grant writing and management, and vital partnerships that connect small communities to each other and possible investors in their communities. Houseaboutit recently organized a seminar last month that provided small business owners information in marketing strategy and financing options. Participants were also able to network with representatives of lending organizations and small business support agencies in the state.
When asked about the past five years working with rural Arkansas, Forte excitedly highlights the many projects that Houseaboutit has been able to support, such as the building of the Youth Entrepreneurial and Technology Complex in Wabbaseka in central Arkansas and the Youth Entrepreneurial Training Center in Stephens in south Arkansas, which was funded with a CDBG grant from Arkansas Economic Development Commission. She is also proud of the recent revitalization of a downtown building that houses the Fire Department and Emergency Center in Altheimer, implemented with an Arkansas Rural Services block grant. She explains that Houseaboutit is able to attract funding to these communities because “[Arkansas grantors] recognize that investments in small communities such as these do not only affect the specific town but also encourage development in the surrounding communities.”
Forte is excited about the upcoming 3rd annual Small City Economic Leadership Empowerment Summit, hosted by Houseaboutit in July 2012. This summit serves as a forum for leaders of small towns in Arkansas to connect with each other, share successful practices, and learn effective leadership and development skills. She is currently working with a young entrepreneur in central Arkansas to develop a business and marketing plan for a local market to be built in the community of Scott, with the hopes of sparking economic development in the area. Forte is a recent graduate of the Delta Leadership Institute and has been able to apply her training to better serve communities in the Delta region of Arkansas, advancing Houseaboutit's mission to aid in rebuilding wealth in small underserved cities in Arkansas through economic development.
Delta Regional Authority to Invest $400,000 for Harrisburg, IL Recovery Efforts
HARRISBURG, IL - Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill was recently in Harrisburg, IL, along with Illinois’ Departments of Commerce, Transportation, and Emergency Management and USDA Rural Development-Illinois State Director Colleen Callahan to announce a commitment to the recovery efforts following the EF4 tornado that occurred on February 29th of this year.
The Authority contributed $400,000 to local governments to fund debris removal from the area. The investment was part of a total aid package for the community of $13 million supported also by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Finance Authority, the Illinois Department of Transportation, The Illinois Emergency Management Authority, and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Chairman Masingill said, "Creating jobs and building the economy of the Delta is the primary concern of the DRA. When a tornado of this size destroys homes and neighborhoods, closes small businesses, and hinders people’s ability to return to work, there is a domino effect on that economy. Assistance at this crucial moment helps to ease that negative impact and gets these communities back on their feet."
States' Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP)
Project Highlight
Louisiana: Alexandria Business Incubator opens up full-scale commercial kitchen
A decade ago when Alexandria business and city leaders began development of the Central Louisiana Business Incubator (CLBI), part of the feasibility plan included a commercial kitchen for use by food service enterprises and professionals. This kitchen is now becoming a reality thanks to an investment by the Delta Regional Authority leveraged by state and City of Alexandria funding with extensive organizational support from the Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District.
The kitchen will be used by food service professionals, owners, and employees of small food enterprises as a space to prepare and cook food in a licensed, inspected kitchen. Many food service entrepreneurs currently operate their businesses out of their homes or informal kitchens that are not licensed and may not be safe for food preparation. The commercial kitchen will provide these businesses with the ability to use a safe, licensed kitchen without the high cost of installing and operating their own commercial kitchen. Interested businesses or individuals will be able to rent the kitchen for an allotted amount of time each day but are also required to be clients of the business incubator.
As clients of CLBI, these professionals have access to the numerous trainings and programs at CLBI that guide entrepreneurs in management, marketing, financial, and business planning skills needed for success in their business endeavors. This investment will allow for up to 24 professionals to be trained over the coming year in food safety and use of the kitchen. Construction on the kitchen is to begin by the end of April and is expected to be completed by July.
Mid-South Aerotropolis Conference
MEMPHIS, TN - On April 10, 2012, the Greater Memphis Chamber and the University of Memphis Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute hosted the Mid-South Aerotropolis Conference. The conference explored the Aerotropolis Economic Development Strategy and how it has been applied in airport cities around the world. The event brought together community and business leaders, state and federal political leaders, and urban developers to discuss economic development strategies for the Memphis area.
“The Delta Regional Authority is proud to support the Mid-South Aerotropolis Conference because we understand that the Memphis & Shelby County economy is directly tied to the economy of the Delta Region and the entire Mid-South,” said Chairman Masingill. “We continue to put the Delta first when we build a network of strong economies across this region.”
The conference reviewed the Memphis Model for Aerotropolis, its leadership and results to date. The discussion centered on how Memphis can capitalize on its transportation infrastructure to move the needle forward for jobs, capital investment and neighborhood revitalization.
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