CCED Annual Report 2017-2018

2017-2018 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 CCED Staff This past year has been a whirlwind of activity at UCA's Center for Community and Economic Development!

We offered new training opportunities such as the Small Developer Conference, continued to work with UCA students as they prepare for a career in the field, and began working with several counties throughout the state. We also closed out a three year grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, which has been a critical funding source that has allowed us to reach hundreds of rural community leaders and citizens. We thank the foundation for the incredible level of support they have shown to UCA and the state of Arkansas.

Working with communities around the state is our privilege and mission, but the work cannot be done in silos. Thank you to the many partners that came along beside us to help in the important work of strengthening economies and improving the quality of life for Arkansans.

As we prepare for another year of work, we intend to explore new opportunities and strategies for community development. Please use the Center as a resource for your work. We can all make a bigger impact when we do it hand-inhand.

Amy Whitehead, PCED Assistant Vice President, Community and Workforce Development Division of Outreach and Community Engagement 3

Year at a Glance

696 665 337 9 59 $145,000+

ATTENDEES AT CENTER TRAINING EVENTS ATTENDEES AT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE EVENTS ATTENDED PRESENTATIONS

BY THE CENTER'S STAFF

CITIES AND COUNTIES RECEIVED DIRECT ASSISTANCE ARTICLES FEATURED THE CENTER

RAISED

MOUNTAIN HOME

HARRISON

BLYTHEVILLE SEARCY COUNTY ALMA CONWAY LITTLE ROCK HOT SPRING COUNTY MITCHELLVILLE

2017-2018 Trainings & Technical Assistance Hot Spring County Conversation: Part I Hot Spring County, Arkansas

Community Development Summit Harrison, Arkansas

Community and Economic Development Basics Conway, Arkansas

UCA Small Developer Conference Conway, Arkansas

Searcy County Branding Initiative (Including Session with UCA Students) Conway, Arkansas Searcy County, Arkansas UCA Faculty/Staff Poverty Simulation Conway, Arkansas UCA Student Poverty Simulation Conway, Arkansas Hot Spring County Conversation: Part II Hot Spring County, Arkansas Levy Business Survey Presentation Little Rock, Arkansas

Kick Start Alma Action Plan Unveiling Alma, Arkansas Mitchellville Nonprofit Development Mitchellville, Arkansas Socio-Demographic and Economic Data Support Conway, Arkansas | Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Blytheville, Arkansas | Blytheville Main Street/Private Developers Mountain Home, Arkansas | Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce

UCA Small Developer Conference Promotional Lecture Conway, Arkansas

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Partners Thank you to our partners!

• Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce • Hot Spring County Economic Development

• AEP SWEPCO

Corporation

• Alma Area Chamber of Commerce

• Incremental Development Alliance

• Alma School District

• Infill Group

• Arkansas Community Foundation

• Innovate Arkansas

• Arkasnas Community Development Society

• Interfaith Arkansas

• Arkansas Department of Higher Education

• Metroplan

• Arkansas Economic Development

• Mississippi Economic Development Council

Commission • Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives • Arkansas Municipal League

• The Morris Foundation • Newport Economic Development Commission • Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District

• AT&T

• Thrive.

• Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce

• Schedler Honors College - UCA

• Central Arkansas Planning and Development

• Simmons Bank

District

• UCA Center for Leadership Development

• Chaffee Crossing

• UCA Counseling Center

• City of Alma

• UCA Housing and Residence Life

• City of Hope Outreach

• UCA Interdisciplinary PhD in Leadership Studies

• City of Maumelle

• UCA Masters of Science in Community and

• College of the Ouachitas

Economic Development

• Conway Area Chamber of Commerce

• UCA Office of Diversity

• Conway Development Corporation

• UCA Service-Learning

• Conway Convention Center and Visitors

• UCA Social Justice League

Bureau

• UCA Staff Senate and Faculty Senate

• Crafton Tull

• UCA Student Government Association

• Create Foundation

• UCA University Training

• Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension

• Entergy • Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis • First Security Bank

Service • Western Arkansas Planning and Development District

• HarnessPoint Community Solutions

• Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

• Harrison Area Chamber of Commerce

• Winthrop Rockefeller Institute

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During CDI, attendees enjoyed sessions such as the Poverty Simulation (above), Building Bridges Between Communities (center left), Keynote Speaker Chuck Marohn (center right), Advanced Year SWOT analysis (bottom left), and the Miller County Simulation (bottom right).

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Community Development Institute The 32nd Annual Community Development Institute was held July 30 – August 3, 2018 on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. Once again, the Institute broke enrollment records with over 150 community leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas in attendance.

Renowned speaker Charles “Chuck” Marohn, Founder and President of Strong Towns, served as the CDI 2018 Keynote Speaker. Marohn shared two presentations during the week of CDI: “Neighborhoods First” on July 31 at UCA Downtown and “Curbside Chat” on August 1 in McCastlain Ballroom. Both events were open to community leaders across the state.

The CDI Advanced Year class traveled to Sheridan, Arkansas to conduct an indepth assessment of the community based on online research, a driving tour, and interviews with community members. CDI staff and Dr. Mark Peterson, Professor 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.

Duane Bullard, CDI board member, past class director and alumnus, was recognized as the Bill Miller award recipient and the Arkansas Municipal League was awarded the Friend of Community Development award.

Visit uca.edu/cdi or our social media channels for updates, pictures, and videos of CDI 2018.

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE JULY 30 - AUGUST 3, 2018 PRESENTING SPONSOR

ADDITIONAL 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:

Pam Alexander Alexander is the President of the Arkansas Community Development Society.

GB Cazes Cazes is Chief Operating Officer at Metova in Conway, Arkansas.

Luci Sposito Sposito is the vice-chair of the Houma-Thibodaux Metropolitan Planning Organization. She is a 2014 graduate of CDI and has previously served as a Year 2 Class Director.

Candace Williams Williams is the executive director of the Rural Community Alliance. She is a 2017 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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Project Highlights

Community Development Kick Start – Alma, Arkansas In partnership with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Breakthrough Solutions program, the Center rolled out the fourth year of the Community Development Kick Start program. The 2017 Kick Start community was Alma, AR. During the first week of CDI, Alma received an assessment report developed by the 2017 CDI Advanced Year class. This report identified issues and opportunities within the community. After receiving the report, the community then developed a community survey and utilized the responses to form priority areas (called Action Teams) for the city: Culture, Recreation, and Beautification, Branding and Marketing, Downtown Revitalization, and Job Creation. Alma citizens worked hard over several months to research these Action Team priority areas and created goals for their community. With assistance from UCA and U of A, community leaders combined the goals into a strategic document to share with the public. In May 2018, the community, joined by Governor Asa Hutchinson, unveiled the final Kick Start Alma Action Plan.

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Hot Spring County Conversations – Hot Spring County, Arkansas Hot Spring County Conversations is a future focused, positive community development initiative. After helping Hot Spring County leaders host two large meetings for county leaders in November 2017 and February 2018, the Center is continuing to assist Hot Spring County leaders to develop an in-depth countywide strategic plan. In addition to a community wide survey deployed in November 2017, the Hot Spring County Conversations planning initiative will focus on collecting citizen input through local school districts over the course of the next year.

Searcy County Branding Initiative – Searcy County, Arkansas The Center worked with the Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce to develop a new brand for the county. The branding process was initiated following feedback from a UCA marketing course in which students advised Searcy County chamber officials on their branding and marketing efforts. The new Searcy County logo showcases the Ozark Mountains, the Buffalo River and a multitude of other waterways in the County. It’s topped by a sun emitting rays, which speaks to the energy and commitment found within the county by its people. The tagline “Always in Season” reinforces the idea that there is always something going on in Searcy County.

#BelieveBooneCounty – Harrison, Arkansas The Center assisted the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce in creating a strategic plan for Boone County. The plan, deemed #BelieveBooneCounty, has evolved into a grassroots effort that focuses on four pillars: Advance the Region’s Economy, Improve Quality of Life, Develop, Maintain and Acquire Talent, and Tell Our Story. The goal of #BelieveBooneCounty is to advance the reputation and highlight the strengths of the county in a very competitive economic environment. The capstone of the Center's work with the county was a regional training event entitled the Community Development Summit.

Mitchellville Nonprofit Development – Mitchellville, Arkansas The Center partnered with the Founder of City of Hope Outreach Phillip Fletcher, PhD to assist the city of Mitchellville in the development of a nonprofit for the city. Fletcher worked with key members of the community to build the capacity and structure needed to create a successful nonprofit organization.

Arkansas Municipal League The Center continued its partnership with Arkansas Municipal League’s City & Town magazine. Center staff contributes monthly articles concentrated on community and economic development in Arkansas.

Articles in 2017 – 2018 covered topics such as: entrepreneurship, workforce development, leadership development, site selection and community strategic planning initiatives.

Community and Economic Development Fellowship – Conway, Arkansas The Center launched a new Community and Economic Development Fellowship program to prepare UCA students for careers in the field.

The mission of the CED Fellowship is to expose UCA students to a variety of community or economic development careers and provide

Danny Baxter Clarksville, AR Spring 2018 Fellow

Jacob Holland Cabot, AR Spring 2018 Fellow

Jordan Johnson Jacksonville, AR Spring 2018 Fellow

Brittany Lutz Montclair, VA Spring 2018 Fellow

Ellen McKinnie Cabot, AR Spring 2018 Fellow

Alexandra Taylor Conway, AR Summer 2018 Fellow

networking, coaching and mentoring to enhance career preparedness. During the program, fellows participate in three site visits that showcase community and economic development activities at the local and state levels of government and in the nonprofit sector. Activities include job shadowing, organization tours, mock interviews and mentorship from CCED staff. Fellows also have the opportunity to join the Arkansas Community Development Society and attend the 2018 Community Development Institute free of charge. Five students were selected for the first cohort in spring 2018 and one student was selected for summer 2018.

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Moving the Needle Grant

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation For more than 40 years, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has worked to make a difference by helping to build and sustain the organizations that serve and strengthen Arkansas. Through grantmaking and strategic partnerships, we are working even harder to help close the economic and educational gaps that leave too many Arkansas families in persistent poverty. Working together, the needle can and must move from poverty to prosperity for all Arkansans.

UCA and the Center would like to thank the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF) for its support of the Center’s programs over the past three years through a grant for $84,000. This grant allowed the Center to provide training and technical assistance services free of charge to communities throughout the four corners of the state.

As a part of WRF’s Moving the Needle 2.0 Strategic Plan, the Rural Community and Economic Development Grant strengthened 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.

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Staff Highlights Amy Whitehead • Graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute

• Reappointed to Arkansas Geographic

Information Systems Board by Governor Asa Hutchinson

• Featured on Talk Business and Politics with Roby Brock

• Named Assistant Vice President, Community and Workforce Development

Shelby Fiegel • Received the Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) certification

• Received the New Professional Award from

the Arkansas Community Development Society (ACDS)

• Graduated from the Conway Area Leadership Institute (CALI)

• Elected as Vice President for Membership of ACDS and Secretary of UCA Staff Senate

• Named Managing Director of CCED

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Moriah Bruner • Started at the Center as Project Coordinator in March 2018

• Brings expertise in community health and

a professional interest in improving the social determinants of health through community and economic development

• Serves on the Healthy Active Arkansas

Healthy Work Sites Team and the Healthy Active Arkansas/Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention Physical & Built Environment Team

Victoria Mays • Started at the Center as Graduate Assistant in January 2018

• Pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Two interns also served on the Center’s team throughout the 2017-2018 year: Kristen Barre and Brittany Lutz.

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uca.edu/cced | cced@uca.edu | 501-450-5269

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