Welcome 2016!
As the new year kicks off and our team settles back into our routines, we are beginning to plan programs, technical assistance projects, and state-wide training events that will fill up 2016. This year will thus far entail community and economic development “Boot Camps” in Magnolia and Bentonville, the continuance of our CDI 2015 Advanced Year work in Heber Springs as we assist the community in creating an action plan, sessions of our new Technical Assistance for Mayors (TAM) program, training for small business owners through the Conway Small Business Institute (CSBI), various presentations across Arkansas and the Mid-South, and our 30th Annual Community Development Institute (CDI). If you are interested in any of the aforementioned programs, please click the links for more information.
Sounds like we have a busy year in store, eh? Well, we’re just getting started!
We want to continue to grow our impact and help as many communities state-wide as possible. To do so, we will continue to explore new opportunities by reaching out to community leaders that believe we can help positively shape the future of their communities. Want to speak with us about what we can offer your community? We encourage you to reach out to us through our Community Technical Assistance Application.
One of the first communities to reach out to us this year was the city of Crossett in southeast Arkansas. Located in Ashley county, Crossett is the largest city in the area with a population of approximately 5,500 residents. The self-proclaimed “The Forestry Capital of the South,” Crossett is also home to Georgia-Pacific, a Fortune 500 company. Crossett is a rural community and, like many other rural communities in Arkansas, contacted us because they were unsure how to take the first steps to move their community forward.
Pam Hipp, Director of the Corssett Chamber of Commerce, is a graduate of CDI and a PCED certification holder. Pam worked closely with our team to identify how we could best assist Crossett achieve community development success. Our first decision was to develop an information gathering session and site visit to help us better understand the ins and outs of the community. Our team made the 2.5 hour trek from Conway to southeast Arkansas to sit face-to-face with a small group of Crossett community leaders: small business owners, industry leaders, representatives from major institutions, and other movers and shakers. The group reviewed a SWOT analysis conducted years prior to our meeting and updated it. Out of the SWOT analysis conversation, our team will create possible “next steps” for Crossett and identify ways we can be of assistance to the community.
As an added bonus, we were treated to a driving tour of Crossett. We explored Crossett’s many amenities (did you know Crossett has a zoo and a library that rivals some of the best in the state?!?), businesses, infrastructure, housing, downtown square, industrial park, and much more. Crossett has many positive aspects and with a little nudge in the right direction we are certain that the community can thrive and become bigger and better than ever before!