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Arkansplorer Trivia Show

Did you know that there is a monument erected in MacArthur Park commemorating Arkansas’s first legal human dissection? How creepy!  Did you also know that Mountain View is considered “The Folk Capital of America?” Arkansas is such an interesting state! Over the summer, our team took a deep dive into the Natural State’s history, geography, culture, and more to create the Arkansplorer Trivia Show. 

The CCED team researched and developed Arkansas-centric questions to ask guests on our fun and informative trivia show. Guests of the show varied, but often included some of our community partners, economic developers, and colleagues at the University of Central Arkansas. For each correct answer, guests received points (10 points per correct answer in the first round and 20 points in the second round). For the final question, our competitors wagered their points, like Final Jeopardy. 

In an effort to support nonprofit organizations across the state, participants competed on behalf of their favorite nonprofit and our staff donated $34 to the winner’s chosen organization. This was to celebrate the 34th year of the Community Development Institute (CDI). So far, our trivia winners raised over $400 for Arkansas nonprofits! 

Whether you’d like to impress your friends at a party or simply brush up on your Arkansas knowledge, one of the best sources for information about our beautiful state is the Encyclopedia of Arkansas (link). The Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, online resource and project overseen by the Central Arkansas library system. It is a definitive, comprehensive source for all things Arkansas. 

While we’ve taken a break from hosting trivia for now, you can watch past episodes on our Youtube channel (link). You can also expect new episodes this fall, live on the CDI Central Facebook page, Fridays at noon. 

Posted in: CCED, CDI on September 22, 2020 Tagged: , , , ,

Smart tech helps cities plan for the future

The following post originally appeared as an article in the February 2020 issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s publication City and Town. Click here to learn more.

The use of smart city technology is an emerging trend that will help Arkansas cities and towns remain competitive through the 21st century. Intelligent city infrastructure has the potential to elevate the economic resiliency and sustainability of communities in the state. How can your community utilize the new benefits of big data to hone a more informed and responsive system that connects citizens and optimizes resources?

What is smart city technology?
Smart technologies embody a variety of products and services that are designed to perform efficiently, quickly and conveniently. Modern consumers expect businesses to keep up with technological trends. This market pressure is evident in the plethora of items that have been transformed and labeled as “smart” since the turn of the century—cell phones, tablets, watches, air-conditioning units and refrigerators to name a few. With such a drive toward automation in society, it should come as no surprise that urban planners are experimenting with the idea of smart cities. By utilizing electronic and digital devices with existing municipal infrastructure, cities may gather large amounts of data that show how people and machines interact across a multitude of locations.

Is smart city technology right for Arkansas?
The implementation of smart technology in municipalities is a difficult and expensive undertaking. Cities must purchase and obtain software necessary for collecting large sets of data as well as position and maintain sensors in targeted locations. Then, city officials must consult analysts who will help determine data trends that lead to significant improvements in the overall welfare of the community. Metropolitan clusters of finance, infrastructure and labor are well-equipped for the task; urban areas in Arkansas will likely become pioneers in the shift toward smart city technology. Nevertheless, as smart technology becomes more commonplace and inexpensive, smaller rural communities in the state will be able to follow suit.

Smart city technology’s applications and benefits
With numerous applications, there are vast benefits from harnessing smart city technology. The data collected from its use will help optimize efficiency and communication across civic resources and services. For example, the town of South Bend, Indiana, implemented
smart sewer systems that gauge water flow to prevent floods. Furthermore, the collection of this data can alter the way that citizens navigate their everyday lives.

Traffic sensors installed on roadways monitor driving patterns and adjust signals to make travel more efficient. In 2019, Conway began using adaptive traffic signals on two of its busiest streets: Dave Ward Drive and Oak Street. Motorists now enjoy shortened daily commutes through town.

Fort Smith and West Memphis are in the process of implementing smart city pilot programs. Fort Smith aims to improve its municipal solid waste, recycling and yard waste practices. City officials hope that this program will help them make more effective and knowledgeable decisions about waste management and sustainability. These are just a few examples of the many
practical uses for smart city technology that will have a tremendous impact on resource management and quality of life for Arkansans.

The 2020s offer far-reaching potential to utilize technology in support of community and economic development in Arkansas. Therefore, it is vital that city and town leaders planning for the future recognize and give serious consideration to the smart city model.

By Will Gloster

Posted in: Article, CCED on September 8, 2020

CCED Community Development VISTAs Serving in Lonoke and Hot Spring County

CCED has partnered with UCA Service-Learning to create six AmeriCorps VISTA positions to serve in communities across Arkansas. Two of those AmeriCorps VISTA members are Community Development VISTAs working with Arkansas communities that have worked with CCED in the past to develop citizen led strategic action plans.

The AmeriCorps VISTA program was started in 1965 and provides a living stipend and professional development opportunities for volunteers who dedicate a year of service to the goal of addressing the root causes of poverty in communities across the United States. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as a catalyst for change, living and working alongside community members to meet our nation’s most pressing challenges and advance local solutions.

Lonoke 2022 is a five-year citizen led strategic plan that was published in 2017 that came out of the Kickstart Lonoke project. This was a citizen led initiative that defined six priority areas for the city and created action teams to tackle each of these priorities.

Hot Spring County Conversations was a project from CCED and UAEX that created a ten-year citizen led strategic plan published in 2019. This plan identified five priorities for the county and established action committees in the five largest communities in Hot Spring County to carry out the plan.

Lonoke and Hot Spring County’s VISTA members will be working to advance these strategic action plans by organizing community action teams, marketing their efforts, and seeking grant opportunities to fulfil the goals of the strategic plan.

We’re looking forward to seeing these communities continue to work towards their goals with these AmeriCorps VISTA members to create a high quality of life for all who live there. To learn more, you can find the strategic action plans for Lonoke and Hot Spring County Conversations 10-year strategic action plan here and the Lonoke 2022 strategic action plan here. 

Posted in: CCED on August 25, 2020

Apprenticeships: A tried and true concept reemerges

The following post originally appeared as an article in the January 2020 issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s publication City and Town. Click here to learn more.

Apprenticeships are making a comeback. These somewhat informal programs used to be the primary method of learning a technical or vocational skill but fell out of favor to more formal paths of education. As college tuition prices continue to climb, apprenticeships have been gaining in popularity as an alternative to college or technical school by allowing individuals to learn valuable skills, gain real-world experience and earn money at the same time.

I spoke with Patty Methvin, workforce administrator for the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, to learn more about apprenticeship programs in that region of the state. “Programs like these are not new,” she said. “We’re bringing back an old model that wasn’t broken.” Methvin shared some insights into the types of people who enter apprenticeship programs and what these programs look like in practice.

There are many different paths to becoming an apprentice and there is no “average person” that enters an apprenticeship program. Some individuals may be coming directly out of high school and looking to establish a career for the first time. Others may be currently employed but have a desire to upskill or change their careers. Some may be dislocated workers looking to start their careers in a new field. Whichever way someone seeks out a program like this, they are likely to find an apprenticeship that fits their needs.

Apprenticeship programs can vary in structure based on the needs of the industry and the company. Apprentices may work part time or full time while receiving training for their role both on the job and outside of their working hours. While the structure of the program may vary, the end result of the program is the same, and potential apprentices should seek a program that best fits their needs.

As apprenticeship programs take hold in Arkansas, here are a few tips to ensure that an apprenticeship program is effective at attracting talent and impacting your community.

Educate your business partners
For potential apprentices, programs that enable them to receive training for a new career while still earning money during the process are a win-win. For businesses, this may be a slightly harder sell, but there are some real advantages to using this model for recruiting new employees. Programs like these allow businesses to employ individuals who are willing to educate themselves for a long-term career in their field and are able to take advantage of the approved outside partners providing valuable training outside of their normal work. This relationship-building through the apprenticeship program allows employers the unique opportunity to train an employee from scratch to ensure that the needs of the employer are wholly met. It’s also important for both the apprentice and the employer to understand that during an apprenticeship program, the apprentice is still considered an employee and they are held to the same standards as traditional employees.

Utilize your business environment to design your program
Apprenticeship programs are driven by the needs of employers in your area. When designing these programs, be mindful of the business environment and include them in the process to ensure their needs are being met. It’s also important to apply the apprenticeship model to new fields. Apprenticeships have historically been focused on traditional technical fields such as plumbing or welding, but new programs are starting to focus on emerging fields like information technology. Exploring these new fields expands the employment potential of future apprentices.

Seek opportunities to be inclusive
Apprenticeship programs offer a unique opportunity to include those in the workforce who may have been left out previously. Apprenticeships can be a powerful tool to remove barriers to employment, including dislocation or the special needs of an individual. One example is a program currently being implemented at a Fayetteville bakery that teaches individuals on the autism spectrum
the basics of food service. The Rockin’ Baker Academy program at the Rockin’ Baker teaches transferable skills in the culinary industry and addresses a need for an underserved community.

Apprenticeship programs are an effective use of time for both the apprentice and the employer. Having a trained workforce is a vital part of the human infrastructure that makes a community attractive to prospective businesses. Laying the groundwork through apprenticeship programs shows that your community is ready for the future by training the next generation of the Arkansas workforce.

Written by Dylan Edgell.

Posted in: Article, CCED on August 11, 2020

CDI Advanced Year to Work with Beebe

The first week of August is an exciting time for all of us at CCED and community and economic  developers from all over the region! Every year we host the Community Development Institute, a three-year training program where you spend a week each year learning the principles of community and economic development. Some of the best and brightest Arkansas community leaders come together at the University of Central Arkansas for a week of networking and highly informative training sessions. We see old friends and make new connections. Sadly, due to COVID-19 and in an effort to keep our staff and participants safe and help stop the spread of the virus, we decided to cancel CDI Years 1, 2, and 3.

But there is one part of the show that will still go on! Our CDI Advanced Year participants, a small group of 10 CDI graduates, agreed to carry on this year. The Advanced Year will follow all social distancing and safety guidelines provided by the UCA administration, the state, and the CDC.

The Advanced Year is a week-long, intensive workshop that takes place in an Arkansas community and that allows CDI graduates the opportunity to use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained from CDI in a real-world setting. In the past, the Advanced Year class worked in Paris, Heber Springs, Lonoke, Alma, Sheridan, and Camden.

 Advanced Year class of 2020 will work with Beebe. The Advanced Year will conduct an online audit of Beebe, participate in a socially distanced driving tour of the town, and host virtual focus groups with residents. At the end of the week, CDI Advanced Year participants will present their findings to key community leaders and the presentation will be live-streamed via the City of Beebe’s Facebook page. The presentation will focus on the community’s assets and opportunities from the perspective of the residents and local leaders. Participants will identify emerging priorities for the community.

The CDI Advanced Year will meet August 3 – 6, 2020. Be sure to tune in on Thursday, August 6 at 1 p.m. to watch the Advanced Year’s presentation on the City of Beebe’s Facebook page (LINK).

Posted in: CCED, CDI on July 28, 2020

CDI Graduate Highlight: Talicia Richardson

For this highlight, we are featuring Talicia Richardson!

Talicia is a Class of 2018 graduate of the Community Development Institute (CDI).

Tell us about yourself

I am Fort Smith native and came home after living away for 20 years. I have always looked for ways to give back to my community, and I was attracted to serving on various local boards because of my goal of doing my part to  improve communities through smart giving of time and resources aligned with both my personal and professional goals. I reside with my husband State Representative Jay Richardson and two children Yuri and Jag.

What organization do you work for and what is your role within the organization?

As the Executive Director of 64.6 Downtown, I work with my colleagues in practicing creative placemaking by translating community assets into economic development opportunities. How? By bring events to town, creation of a pocket parks, and fostering an appreciation of artists and artworks. We draw attention and awareness to arts and culture, which drives tourism, while drawing the attention of people who want to do business downtown and the greater Fort Smith area.

Why did you decide to attend CDI?

While working at the Fort Smith Housing Authority as the Development Officer my executive director, CDI graduate, highly recommended the 3 year commitment. After a review of the CDI website and information related to the PCED, I was sold.

What was your favorite session at CDI?

I must say Year 1 was the best!  Every session left me looking forward to Year 2.

What was your biggest takeaway from CDI, and how has it allowed you to develop a better community?

It is all about knowing your community. To hear their needs, to assess the assets with awareness of your liabilities, and nurturing relationship with all.

Why do you think community leaders should attend CDI?

It is easy to get lost in the day-to-day grind. To be able to step away and receive information from the various sessions, simulations, and networking that offer valuable data that could used to facilitate sustainable change in one’s community.

Do you have any news or upcoming projects you would like to share with our audience concerning yourself or your organization?

We are excited to be selected a 2020 Levitt AMP [YOUR City] winner.  As the first city selected in Arkansas, this summer we will bring a variety of genres to our FREE series Levitt AMP Fort Smith Music Series.

Posted in: Uncategorized on April 1, 2020

CDI Graduate Highlight: Matt Twyford

For this highlight, we are featuring Matt Twyford!

Matt is a Class of 2016 graduate of the Community Development Institute (CDI).

Tell us about yourself

I have lived in Arkansas my entire life. I was born in Fordyce, raised in Little Rock, went to the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville for college and worked in Northwest Arkansas for several years, and now am back in Little Rock. I have a B.S. in Finance from UA with emphasis in both Financial Management and Real Estate. Since graduating I have worked several jobs, both with the state and in the private sector. I love working with people, which is what led me to my current position. I love to travel, love sports, poker, bowling, and have been known to do karaoke on occasion.

What organization do you work for and what is your role within the organization?

I work for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and am the Director of the Community Development Division. Our division is essentially the face of the agency. We work with community leaders (elected officials, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Organizations, etc.) and connect them to resources, provide training, and overall work to make communities more competitive with regard to economic development. I manage a wonderful team of three Regional Managers (Kelsey Kelton – Northwest; Tonya Hass – Northeast; Kristen Barré – South) and one Project Analyst (Brittany Lutz).

Why did you decide to attend CDI?

I was blessed to have been hired by Denisa Pennington to be the Regional Manager of Community Development for Central Arkansas at AEDC in March of 2014. With my background having been in Finance, I had no previous exposure to community and economic development. I was able to attend the Mid-South Basic Economic Development course, and the first year of CDI within my first few months working for the agency. Both were invaluable, but I really preferred the interactive learning element of CDI.

What was your favorite session at CDI?

There were so many that I enjoyed it is difficult to nail down one I would say was my favorite. I really liked the interactive sessions – so I guess I’ll say Miller County. I was thrilled to have been asked to help Steve Jones with Miller County in the upcoming year of CDI.

What was your biggest takeaway from CDI, and how has it allowed you to develop a better community?

I think my biggest takeaway is that community development is a process, and it takes a lot of people to be successful. Additionally, I believe that most challenges a community faces have been faced before by other communities, so developing a network that you can call on to learn from other peoples’ experiences is invaluable. I think going through the 3 years of CDI at the UCA campus really helped me develop such a network.

Why do you think community leaders should attend CDI?

Having worked with communities across the state, I can say that my experience has been that communities that have leadership who can see the “big picture” tend to be the most successful.  CDI is the best program I have been exposed to that teaches people in all levels of community leadership about community development. Additionally, as I mentioned before, the network you build by attending the program is invaluable.

Do you have any news or upcoming projects you would like to share with our audience concerning yourself or your organization?

The community development team at AEDC will be continuing to work with communities all over the state utilizing our Competitive Communities Initiative (CCI). Additionally, be on the lookout sometime this year for a new tool we are developing that will connect all the community development resources in the state in an effort to maximize all of our efforts and eliminate duplication of efforts. I am very excited about the potential for this tool to help improve community development efforts throughout the state

Posted in: CDI Graduate Highlight on March 4, 2020

CDI Graduate Highlight: Melida Heien

For this highlight, we are featuring Melida Heien!

Melida was a Class of 2017 graduate of the Community Development Institute (CDI).

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m originally from the Midwest. I moved to Texas from Pekin, Illinois, but my immediate family lives in Evansville, Indiana. I enjoy traveling, true crime podcasts, and I also enjoy teaching group fitness classes at my local gym. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO, a law degree from North Carolina Central University, and I recently graduated with my Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. I did my first two years of CDI with CDI Texas and completed my 3rd year of CDI in Arkansas at CDI Central. I took my Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) test at the conclusion of CDI Year 3 and was so happy to have passed!

What organization do you work for and what is your role within the organization?

I’m the Main Street Coordinator for the City of Longview, Texas, which is on Interstate 20 about 1 hour from Shreveport, LA, 2 hours from Dallas, and not too tremendously far from Arkansas either. My primary work focus is on downtown development, which includes working with our small business community to help develop an economically viable downtown district, assisting with event planning, and helping with a variety of things related to our downtown. Every day is a different challenge.

Why did you decide to attend CDI?

I attended CDI because I really didn’t want to pigeon hole myself into being just a “Main Street” Coordinator. A downtown is really a city within a city, and I really felt that I needed to broaden my skills and knowledge and know more than just downtown related things. I have aspirations to get into city management and having a PCED is a very valuable credential to have.

What was your favorite session at CDI?

It’s hard to remember a particular session that I liked more than others, but I can say that I really loved my experience with my Year 3 class. I was coming in from elsewhere while they all knew each other and talked to each other regularly, but they embraced me and brought me into the fold. It was a lot of fun, and I know I really did learn a lot in that session. I also really enjoyed my 1st year mostly because I made some really good friends that are still friends to this day!

What was your biggest takeaway from CDI, and how has it allowed you to develop a better community?

My biggest takeaway was that the role of the community developer is not to fix problems but to cultivate community relationships that allow community members to work together and fix their problems. Being a relationship builder is a very powerful role to have and absolutely critical to the success of our communities.

Why do you think community leaders should attend CDI?

The people you meet are absolutely amazing! I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet any of them had it not been for CDI. I think it covers a lot of topic areas that pertain to any job within a municipal organization.

Posted in: CDI Graduate Highlight on February 19, 2020

CCED Hosts CAYLI “World of Work” Day

The Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) hosted a “World of Work Day” for the Conway Area Youth Leadership Institute (CAYLI) on November 6, 2019. This is one of seven monthly sessions that the 21 CAYLI students attend to be exposed to different aspects of Faulkner County to be more aware of and involved in their community.

The Conway Area Youth Leadership Institute is a program operated by the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement at the University of Central Arkansas. The program is comprised of junior and senior high school students from across Faulkner County with the goals of developing leadership potential, broadening community awareness, encouraging community participation, and providing mentoring and career exploration in the students’ areas of vocational interest. The students take part in a summer retreat, attend seven monthly sessions, conduct a community service project, and will graduate in April of 2020.

This session covered the “World of Work” and the day started with the CCED Project Coordinator Moriah Bruner as she shared best practices for young professionals for applying to jobs, interviewing, utilizing career resources, and networking. Corey Parks, Director of Economic Development at the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, followed with a presentation about the past, present, and future of economic development in Conway. The students then traveled to the UCA Makerspace to explore and experience the tools and technologies they have to offer with Master Maker Jason Huselton. At the Makerspace, the students were able to learn about the laser engraving machine, use 3D modeling software for 3D printing, and were able to create and take home a personalized laser engraved key chain. The day was then capped off with an economic development simulation, called Newtownia Go, led by CCED Director Shelby Fiegel that simulates the difficulties of community and economic development when multiple parties have competing interests in what is best for the fictional town. 

The CAYLI Program has been operating for 24 years and has graduated over 500 students from Faulkner County. You can learn more about the Conway Area Youth Leadership Institute here.

Posted in: Training Program on November 11, 2019

ACDS Conference 2019 – “Episode 2020: Now Loading”

Entry written by MBA student William D. Gloster, graduate assistant for the Center for Community & Economic Development in the Division of Outreach & Community Engagement at University of Central Arkansas.

The Arkansas Community Development Society (ACDS) is a nonprofit organization facilitating discussion, research, and improvement for community welfare in the state. ACDS hosted its annual conference and general membership meeting at UCA’s Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on October 17th, 2019. Participants had the opportunity to vote on amendments, network with one another, and share best practices for long-term sustainability within communities.

Dennis Fraise and Jason Hutcheson started the day with “Develop This!” Community and economic developers tend to rely on statistics to make informed decisions, yet data can be difficult to interpret and relay to other people. The Iowa economic developers proposed that by reaching audiences’ emotions through story-telling, developers can efficiently translate complex data and ideas into memorable lessons.

Natalie Ghidotti (Ghidotti Communications) led the second session entitled “Community Image Tune-Up.” She discussed the importance of communication in today’s economy. In a quick-twitch world with evolving technology, it is important for communities and organizations to differentiate themselves from competitors. Otherwise, they might become lost in the crowd. A highly effective method of differentiation involves the use of influencers for social media and marketing. Influencers have a specific following or audience that can help bring substantial awareness and funding to virtually any cause.

During lunch, ACDS highlighted several award-winners for their accomplishments in the field. Baxter County Forward, Explore Success, Growing Corning Together, and Searcy Small Business Revolution all received an Innovative Community Development Program/Project Award. The Community Development Achievement Award went to Ed Levy (Cromwell Architects Engineers), and the Friend of ACDS Award went to UCA Outreach and Community Engagement. Lastly, Monieca West (Arkansas Division of Higher Education) received the ACDS Distinguished Service Award.

Following the awards ceremony, futurist Chet W. Sisk presented seven opportunities that communities must plan for in the next three to five years. Sisk led conversation centered heavily around effects of the climate crisis; increased risk of living in coastal regions will likely cause inland migration to rural areas in the near future. Other topics of discussion included creative communities, community tech liaisons, elder councils, feminine principle leadership, and reestablishing values through promoted-mindfulness practices.

A panel discussion rounded out the day. Jon Chadwell, Tamika Edwards, and Roby Brock debated some of today’s most controversial community development topics: the cannabis industry, the 2020 census, and the political shift in Arkansas.

For more information about the Arkansas Community Development Society, visit http://www.arcds.org/.

Posted in: Training Program on October 24, 2019
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