2016-17 Annual Report
Mission To have a positive impact on communities by equipping leaders with economic tools and resources, building consensus to achieve community goals, and bringing UCA resources and communities together.
Vision We envision communities with robust economies, a flourishing quality of life, and diverse and engaged citizen leaders.
Values The Center strives to develop relationships with leaders and communities that are based on:
â—† Trust and respect â—† Local action that fosters consensus-building, community ownership and empowerment, transparency, and inclusion
â—† An asset-based approach focusing on local strengths as the foundation for success
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Message from the Director UCA had another exciting and busy year working in communities across the state and touching leaders all over the mid-south. The Center for Community and Economic Development would like to thank the many professionals and partner organizations that have worked closely with us to grow our impact in Arkansas communities. Highlights include: ◆ A record number of participants and scholarships for the 31st annual Community Development Institute ◆ Kick Start Lonoke unveiled its Action Plan and received a pat on the back from Governor Asa Hutchinson ◆ Year-round training and technical assistance continued to evolve and reach more people As I reflect back on the work that has been done, the contacts that have been made, the stories that have been shared, it has become even more clear to me that economic development does not occur in a vacuum. The driving principle behind our work is that community development facilitates economic development—an idea that UCA has been committed to for 31 years now. I am excited to see what we can do together over the next year to strengthen communities in Arkansas!
Amy Whitehead, PCED
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Year at a Glance
355 481 594 7 37 $61,562
PEOPLE TRAINED BY THE CENTER
COMMUNITY LEADERS RECEIVED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ATTENDED PRESENTATIONS BY THE CENTER'S STAFF
CITIES AND COUNTIES RECEIVED DIRECT ASSISTANCE ARTICLES FEATURED THE CENTER RAISED
JASPER
SEARCY COUNTY HEBER SPRINGS GREENBRIER
BOONVILLE
CONWAY LONOKE
ARKADELPHIA
CROSSETT
2016-17 Trainings & Technical Assistance Empower Your Small Town Crossett, Arkansas | Attendees: 27 Community and Economic Development Basics Conway, Arkansas | Attendees: 30 Community and Economic Development Training Series Conway, Arkansas | Attendees: 83 Community and Economic Development Training Series Arkadelphia, Arkansas | Attendees: 65 Community Development Kick Start Lonoke, Arkansas Strategic Planning Retreat Booneville, Arkansas Kick Start Heber Springs and Chamber Ambassadors Leadership Program Heber Springs, Arkansas Land Use and Planning Assistance Jasper, Arkansas First Impressions Tour Greenbrier, Arkansas Site Visit Searcy County, Arkansas
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Thank you to our partners! Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce Arkansas Community Foundation Arkansas Economic Development Commission Arkansas Municipal League Central Arkansas Planning and Development District Crossett Chamber of Commerce Crossett Economic Development Foundation Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Newport Economic Development Commission Southeast Arkansas Planning and Development District Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District The Communications Group UCA Interdisciplinary PhD in Leadership Studies UCA Masters of Science in Community and Economic Development UCA Service-Learning Western Central Arkansas Planning and Development District Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
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More than 130 individuals attended the 31st Annual Community Development Institute, July 31 - August 4, 2017.
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Community Development Institute The 31st Annual Community Development Institute was held July 31 – August 4, 2017 on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. The Institute was attended by a record number of attendees! Over 130 community leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. CDI also had 47 scholarship recipients, another record number for the Institute. Highlights from CDI 2017 include Keynote Speaker Ben Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow & Associates who shared “The Power of Place: Empowering People to Shape Their Place” with participants and guests. The first annual CDI Alumni Day was also held on Thursday, August 3. Alumni were invited to participate in CDI sessions and special events. The CDI Advanced Year class traveled to Alma, Arkansas to conduct an in-depth assessment of the community based on online research, a driving tour, and interviews with community members. CDI staff and Dr. Mark Peterson with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s Breakthrough Solutions Program will continue to work with the community for nine months to assist them in the creation of a community action plan. Brad Lacy of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce was recognized as the Bill Miller award recipient and the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District and the Central Arkansas Planning and Development District were awarded the Friend of Community Development award. Visit uca.edu/cdi or our social media channels for updates, pictures, and videos of CDI 2017.
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2017 PRESENTING SPONSOR
2017 SUPPORTING SPONSORS
SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORTERS
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CDI Advisory Board Members The CDI Advisory Board was established in 2002 to assist UCA with the development of CDI curriculum, marketing, resource development, and external stakeholder support. We are excited to announce the newest additions to our board:
Duane Bullard Duane is a past CDI Year 3 class director and is a retried community and economic developer, but continues to be a community and economic development advocate in Mississippi. He is a 2004 graduate of CDI.
Pam Hipp Pam is the President of the Arkansas Community Development Society. She is a 2008 graduate of CDI.
Representative Frederick Love Rep. Love is the Director of Community Services for Pulaski County and represents District 29 in Arkansas.
Tandee White Tandee is the Program Manager, Community Development at Entergy. She is a 2002 graduate of CDI.
Thank you to all CDI Advisory Board members for their outstanding service! The complete list of board members can be found at uca.edu/cdi/advisoryboard.
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Technical Assistance
Community Development Kick Start – Lonoke, Arkansas The Center has worked with U of A Cooperative Extension to continue the 2016 CDI Advanced Year Community Development Kick Start program in Lonoke. The community received an assessment report developed by the Advanced Year class, and this report spurred the community to identify critical improvement areas in their city. They then formed Action Teams to represent these areas: Beautification & Recreation, Branding & Marketing, Downtown & Retail Development, Housing & Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Jobs & Education. UCA and U of A Cooperative Extension worked with Lonoke for nine months to develop a community action plan. The Center’s work in Lonoke culminated with the unveiling of the Kick Start Lonoke Action Plan, a strategic document that will carry Lonoke through economic and community development improvements over the next several years.
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Strategic Planning Retreat - Booneville, Arkansas In partnership with HarnessPoint Community Solutions, the Center hosted a one-day strategic planning retreat for the Booneville Chamber of Commerce. Key leaders from the city and chamber leadership were involved to assess the Chamber’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The Chamber was presented with an assessment that shared key insights and next steps for the organization.
Kick Start Heber Springs and Chamber Ambassadors Leadership Program Heber Springs, Arkansas The Center continues to follow up and assist Kick Start Heber Springs in their efforts to move Heber Springs forward. Center staff specifically assisted the Chamber in developing curriculum for the new Chamber Ambassadors Leadership Program.
Land Use and Planning Assistance – Jasper, Arkansas In partnership with Marsha Guffey Consulting, the Center worked with Jasper city leadership to garner an accurate map of Jasper city limits, research current land use, and offer recommendations for future land use. Guffey and the Center also suggested an organizational structure for how to make planning decisions in the city.
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First Impressions Tour – Greenbrier, Arkansas Greenbrier’s First Impressions Tour assessment pinpointed community strengths and opportunities by assessing the city’s target audiences, online, physical, social, and economic infrastructures. The Center’s staff identified eight potential “Next Steps” for the city, which include: create a community action plan, increase wayfinding signage, beautification opportunities, branding, programs to support small businesses, development of community festivals and events, update online information, and collect and share economic development data.
Site Visit – Searcy County, Arkansas Center staff visited Searcy County where they conducted a driving tour and led community leaders in a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Based on this conversation with key leadership, the Center and UCA's College of Business will provide branding, marketing, and data support for the county.
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Other Projects
Arkansas Municipial League The Center continued its partnership with Arkansas Municipal League’s City & Town magazine. Center staff contribute monthly articles concentrated on community and economic development in Arkansas. Articles in 2016 – 2017 have covered topics such as: youth in community development, business retention and expansion, wayfinding signage, using data for infrastructure decisions, resources to combat poverty and blight, and community success stories around the state. You can follow the Center’s work on our blog at uca.edu/cced/blog.
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Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation UCA would like to thank the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF) for its continued support through a grant for $84,000. This grant is intended to support the Center’s efforts to build the capacity of municipal and non-profit leaders through regional trainings and place-based technical assistance through 2018. As a part of WRF’s Moving the Needle 2.0 Strategic Plan, the Rural Community and Economic Development Grant will seek to strengthen Arkansas communities by: ◆ providing regional trainings on community and economic development issues for rural, municipal, and nonprofit leaders with an emphasis on regional coordination, ◆ providing direct training and capacity building to rural Arkansas municipalities, ◆ advocating for effective policy solutions in support of rural Arkansas communities, ◆ and organizing and deploying graduate and undergraduate level community development scholars to support municipalities and nonprofits. If you would like to keep up with our grant progress or request assistance under the grant, please visit www.uca.edu/cced and our social media platforms.
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Staff Highlights Amy Whitehead ◆ Served as board member:
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Community Development Advisory Council, Metroplan Regional Planning Advisory Council, Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Board, Breakthrough Solutions Advisory Council
◆ Served as UCA adjunct faculty member ◆ Elected Treasurer of the National Community Development Council
Shelby Fiegel ◆ Served on the Arkansas Community
Development Society as the Vice President of Technology and the Breakthrough Solutions Advisory Council
◆ Served on UCA Staff Senate ◆ Accepted as a participant in the Conway Area Leadership Institute (CALI) inaugural class
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Corey Parks ◆ Started at the Center on August 16, 2016 ◆ Earned the Business Retention & Expansion Coordinator certification
◆ Began the Master of Business Administration program at UCA
◆ Completed CDI Year 1 at CDI Texas and CDI Year 2 at CDI Central
◆ Attended IEDC's Workforce Development and Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development Strategies courses
Sara Whisenhunt ◆ Pursuing her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling at UCA
Two interns also served on the Center’s team throughout the 2016-2017 year: Jordan Sanders and Benjamin Askew. 23
uca.edu/cced | cced@uca.edu | 501-450-5269
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