City & Town – Arkansas Municipal League Article September 2022

Article originally published in the Arkansas Municipal League Association- September 2022 edition.

Identifying Your Community’s Moon Mission

By Dylan Edgell

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) hosted the 36th Annual Community Development Institute (CDI) August 1-5 in Conway. Each year, community developers, elected officials and community leaders make the trip to UCA’s campus for a week of immersive training covering a wide range of topics related to community and economic development. CDI is a three-year training program consisting of one week of training per year. Graduates of CDI qualify to take the Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) exam for certification.

One of the special events during the week of CDI is the keynote presentation, which was delivered by John Carroll, the executive director of City Leadership, an organization that seeks to change the lives of Memphis, Tennessee, residents through building and developing leaders. City Leadership is the organization behind the Choose901, Teach901, Serve901 and Give901 campaigns that work to recruit talented individuals, develop leaders and organizations, and catalyze collaborative projects for the benefit of the city of Memphis.

Since starting these initiatives, City Leadership has provided leadership development assistance to 2,515 Memphians. Carroll shared this progressive spirit in his keynote address, emphasizing that everyone has the power to create broad and bold visions for the future of their communities.

Carroll referenced the United States government’s persistent efforts to win the Space Race in the 1960s. He urged CDI 2022 participants to identify their own “moon mission” in their community. Carroll noted that the time between President John F. Kennedy’s speech announcing the moon mission on May 25, 1961, and Americans landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, was 2,979 days. When it was announced, the decision to go to the moon within a decade may have felt too ambitious, too big and too broad to be accomplished. It would require engineers learning and creating new technologies and experiencing multiple failures along the way. But accomplishing big and bold things requires big and bold thinking.

Carroll challenged CDI participants to look forward 2,979 days into the future and imagine what their community will look like on September 29, 2030. He Photo by Dylan Edgell Using the famous photo astronaut Buzz Aldrin shot of his footprint on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, John Carroll encouraged CDI 2022 participants to collaborate and create bold “moon missions” in their communities. September 2022 39 encouraged them to bring the energy and long-term vision required for the original moon mission into their work as community leaders.

This prompt raises important questions for the future of our communities as we move further into the 21st century. What plans do we need to make to build stronger communities, who do we need to bring to the table, and how will we engage and uplift the next generation of leaders?

Lonoke Mayor Trae Reed, a CDI 2022 participant, said he appreciated the future-focused keynote message, and he highlighted Carroll’s emphasis on collaborative decision-making. “No one person can effect change by themselves,” he said. “We all know it takes a village, which is why everyone in a position of influence needs a strong and reliable network.”

Finding a moon mission in your community is a great way to spark interest, energy and action around community and economic development initiatives. Not everyone in your community has this long-term vision so it’s important that local leaders take the time to collaboratively create and set the vision, express what the future could look like and bring others into the fold to make it happen.

To learn more about John Carroll and City Leadership, visit www.cityleadership.org. CDI 2023 will be held July 31-August 4, 2023, at UCA. If you are interested in learning more about the Community Development Institute, visit www.uca.edu/cdi.

Posted in: Article, CCED, CDI on September 8, 2022

Peering Through the Lens: A Look at Contribution

The following post was written by guest blogger and CCED Fall 2021 Intern, Halei Boyles.

A massive stack of papers in one hand, a series of fake name tags in the other, I looked at the daunting three tables full of packets. Of course, this task and fake name tags had a purpose; the CCED Poverty Simulation.

The Poverty Simulation is a hands-on immersive experience created to look at the realities of poverty. The zip packets contain different scenarios or situations that one may encounter while looking through the scope of poverty, each one creating a new viewpoint for the participants as they go through the motions of the simulation. Jump-starting the critical thinking process, some participants start out with advantages of money or benefits, while others are given nothing to begin with.

As I was tasked with the reorganization of the kits from the previous session, I sorted through each file meticulously, reading through scenarios that required critical thinking about the realities of poverty. I couldn’t help but connect it to my own life and courses that I have taken in my four years at UCA.

I’m currently taking a course called Public Policy Analysis and a requirement of the class is to gather research on a community based need, reflecting on service activities that help gain an understanding and sense of civic responsibility. In my sorting, checking, and counting of papers, I found that I was thinking of this class the entire time.

Poverty isn’t just a community problem, it’s global. A great part of the CCED’s mission as well is to build consensus to achieve community goals. So with this, I found a deep appreciation for the CCED and the awareness it looks to bring to others not only in Conway, but in the state. What part could I play as a simple college student in the grand act of community and economic development? It only took me 26 files and stressing about missing paper clips to realize that maybe- just maybe, I was already playing my part. As in, we are all playing our part!

As citizens, staff, and college students, we are playing an important role in our community just by being ourselves. We contribute as a whole to the world around us as we gather a deeper understanding and critical view of what is around us. The Poverty Simulation takes an unafraid realistic stance on poverty and how we impact society. This statement rings true, as I wasn’t even a participant playing the game, I was just simply reorganizing. Though the issues of the world are giant, even the tiniest of communities can take a bow on the stage for their contribution. Go on, take a bow!

Posted in: CCED, CDI, Guest Post on October 19, 2021

Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives Conference 2021 – Our Biggest Takeaways

Last month, the CCED Team attended the annual Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives (AEDCE) Conference in Jonesboro, AR. While there, we attended informative panels, listened to engaging speakers, strengthened existing partnerships and built new ones.

Each member of the CCED Team reflected on their time at the conference. Read on for their main takeaways:

From Shelby:

“If you want to be successful, you need to look like the places where decision-makers live.”

I felt this session was important because it held a mirror to the realm of CED in Arkansas and asked, “Do we reflect who we serve?” The fact is that, according to that latest census data, the 2020 U.S. population was more racially and ethnically diverse than measured in 2010. And yet, not enough progress has been made within leadership in our communities and organizations in creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workplaces and spaces. The Conway Chamber staff shared their personal reflections (as Black CED professionals) and prompted the (primarily white) audience to focus on understanding, connecting with, and respecting people who are different from themselves. They hit the nail on the head when sharing, “We must be more intentional about diversity and inclusion.” Overall I felt this session was needed during the conference and created a space for participants to share, learn, and consider ways to create those DEI focused spaces and places.

From Dylan:

My biggest takeaway from the conference was just how much the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the chamber and economic development profession and how it can serve as a kind of reset for chambers moving forward. We heard from a speaker named Kyle Sexton who is an author and consultant that focuses on chamber membership and marketing strategies. Sexton advocated for a rebuilding of the chamber membership model that involved multiple price points and an increased focus on creating relationships with members instead of being purely transactional. Sexton also offered a special Q&A session where participants were encouraged to share their challenges and pain points as a chamber executives in a disruptive economic environment. Sexton offered advice on how best to move forward in those situations and allowed for discussion between participants to create connections between folks at the conference. It was interesting for me to hear what chamber executives are struggling with and I now feel that I have a better understanding of what they’re dealing with day-to-day and how we can better serve them and their communities in our work

From Emily:

The session I found most interesting was a panel discussion about the rise in remote work. Especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more companies are transitioning all employees and functions to a work from home or remote work format. Panelists included Mike Harvey of Northwest Arkansas Council, Clint O’Neal of Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Alan More of Ritter Communications, moderated by JD Lowery of Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

Something the panelists emphasized were the opportunities for population growth offered by remote work. The idea of “live here, work anywhere”. If workers are no longer tied to an office, they can live and work wherever they please, even in an entirely different state. As such, a movement has emerged to encourage remote workers to make the move across state lines. States like Missouri, Oklahoma, and yes, Arkansas now offer remote work incentives, even including cash offers. Remote work offers not only great opportunities for workers, but for economic development as well!

Posted in: CCED, CDI on September 21, 2021 Tagged: chamber of commerce, chamber professionals, community development, economic development

Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives Conference 2021: Our Main Take Aways

“If you want to be successful, you need to look like the places where decision-makers live.”

This statement kicked off the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce “#ChambersSoWhite” session at the Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives 2021 conference. During the session, Chamber staff members (Cecilia Elliott, Corey Parks, Leo Cummings III, Adena White, and Brad Lacy) shared information about the City of Conway and why it was important to their organization to intentionally recruit diverse staff members (and why it’s important for all organizations to look at their staff and determine if it’s reflective of the diverse citizens in their own communities). I felt this session was important because it held a mirror to the realm of CED in Arkansas and asked, “Do we reflect who we serve?” The fact is that, according to that latest census data, the 2020 U.S. population was more racially and ethnically diverse than measured in 2010. And yet, not enough progress has been made within leadership in our communities and organizations in creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workplaces and spaces. The Conway Chamber staff shared their personal reflections (as Black CED professionals) and prompted the (primarily white) audience to focus on understanding, connecting with, and respecting people who are different from themselves. They hit the nail on the head when sharing, “We must be more intentional about diversity and inclusion.” Overall I felt this session was needed during the conference and created a space for participants to share, learn, and consider ways to create those DEI focused spaces and places.

Posted in: CCED, CDI on September 21, 2021

Thanksgiving 2020 – Thankful for the CDI Podcast!

Like most workplaces, the beginning of 2020 presented a new set of challenges to the CCED Team as we were directed to begin working from home. Our work is heavily hands-on and collaborative, so pivoting to an all virtual world was intimidating at first. What projects can we take on entirely from home? One such project was The CDI Podcast.

In an effort to market the Community Development Institute and continue to promote education in the field of community development, we began recording interviews on Zoom with community development professionals all over the midsouth. We heard from all kinds of professionals, such as Talicia Richardson with 64.6 Downtown Ft. Smith, former CCED student workers, and even author Quint Studer. We found that individuals often begin their careers in community development through nontraditional means, we heard about new ideas to engage our communities, and inspiring stories of towns transformed.

In the season one finale, the CCED Team gather on Zoom once again to reflect on the year 2020 and the CDI Podcast. We discuss our favorite episodes of the podcast and who we would like to interview in the future (Oprah, Dolly Parton, Ina Garten – we’re looking at you). We also take some time to reflect on the highlights of an otherwise incredibly challenging year. In 2020, the CCED team evolved – taking on new members and sending others off on new adventures. Just this year, we have new graduates, new parents, and newlyweds… and a New Year to anticipate! And for that – we are Thankful!

Thanksgiving is this week! What are you thankful for this year? What were some of the highlights of your 2020?

To listen to the Season One finale and other episodes of the CDI Podcast – click here!

Posted in: CCED, CDI on November 25, 2020

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: arkansas, arkansas history, arkansas trivia, history, trivia

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

Welcome New CDI Advisory Board Members!

Our team at the Community Development Institute (CDI) is pleased to announce the appointment of five new advisory board members, as well as two reappointments to the board.

The five new members include: Shaneil Ealy, associate vice president of UCA Outreach & Community Engagement; Stacey Neal, director of Community Competitiveness at Louisiana Economic Development; Shelley Mehl, executive director at the Faulkner County Community Foundation; Patty Methvin, president of the Arkansas Community Development Society; and Matt Twyford, Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED), senior manager of community development at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The two reappointed board members are Sasha Grist, PCED, executive director of the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District and Samantha Evans, PCED, community development advisor, Workforce Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Our full 2019 CDI Advisory Board can be found at www.uca.edu/cdi/advisory-board/

Individuals are invited to join the CDI Advisory Board based on their experience and knowledge and desire to work with the board for the purpose of advancing community and economic development practices in Arkansas and surrounding states. Advisory Board members work in conjunction with the staff at the UCA Center for Community and Economic Development to provide marketing assistance, coordinate activities and identify speakers for CDI.

Amy Whitehead, assistant vice president of community and workforce development at UCA Outreach, said, “Since the institute’s inception, the CDI Advisory Board has played a critical role in the program’s success. The knowledge and expertise of our board members are of the highest caliber. We are excited to work with all of our new and existing board members over the coming year.”

We look forward to working with all of our CDI Advisory Board members to develop a fantastic program for CDI 2019!

Posted in: CDI on January 8, 2019

CDI 2018: “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Our 32nd annual CDI has come to an end! CDI 2018 was a “boat load” of fun, and brought with it new connections, insights, and memories for our participants, partners, speakers and staff. Each day was packed full of top-notch speakers and thought-provoking simulations and activities (you can view the schedule here).

Highlights from this year’s CDI include: Charles “Chuck” Marohn (founder and president of community-development nonprofit organization Strong Towns) as our keynote speaker, Newtonia, the Poverty Simulation, StrengthsQuest assessment, Miller County Simulation, Somerset Simulation, Blue Sky, tours of downtown Conway, the Arkansas Innovation Hub, SOMA and much more. Members of the CDI Advanced Year class, who apply their training in local communities after they graduate CDI, worked directly with the city of Sheridan to assist in its future community and economic development efforts.

Pictured: Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns in McCastlain Ballroom during the CDI 2018 Keynote presentation “Curbside Chat.”

At the conclusion of CDI 2018 was our closing session and awards ceremony. Forty participants in the CDI Year 3 class graduated from CDI, and the Bill Miller Award, Friend of CDI Award, Ernest Whitelaw Award, and Year 1 and Year 2 Champions were awarded. Duane Bullard, retired community and economic developer from Ripley, Mississippi, was recognized with the Bill Miller Award for his long-standing leadership and support of CDI, which includes many years of service as a CDI Advisory Board member, CDI class director and advocate. The Arkansas Municipal League was honored with the Friend of the Community Development Institute Award, offered each year to an individual or organization that demonstrates strong support for community development and CDI.

The Ernest Whitelaw Award was given to Dennis Williamson II, WIOA Administrator at the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District. This award is bestowed upon an individual in the CDI Year 3 graduating class by their peers for dedication to professional community development practice, willingness to assume leadership roles and a spirit of caring, inclusion and integrity. Year 1 and Year 2 Champions were also chosen by their peers: Jessica Hemingway of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce was selected for Year 1 and Alicia Gillen of the Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce for Year 2.

Each class also reported out on their #CDIcentral experience. Jeff Matthews of Conway Corp shared that the Year 1 class now recognizes how important human resources (everyone in our communities) are to making our cities better places. The Year 2 class “celebrated good times” and the Year 3 class shared a poem reflecting upon their three years at CDI.

You can watch the Year 2 class report here: https://youtu.be/UYamMpP0ckg

You can watch the Year 3 class report here: https://youtu.be/p4mPqPH_PBE

CDI ended with CDI Poet Laurette and Year 2 Class Director Debra Banks sharing her CDI 2018 poem entitled “Making My Mark.” You can listen to the poem here: https://youtu.be/6oa4q6jtau8

For more information about CDI, visit uca.edu/cdi, or contact Shelby Fiegel at (501) 450-5269 or sfiegel@uca.edu. You can view photos of CDI 2018 on our Facebook page at facebook.com/CDI.UCA

Posted in: CDI on August 7, 2018

Cheers to 31 Years! CDI 2017

CDI 2017 was held July 31 through August 4 at the University of Central Arkansas, and was themed “Your Journey to Success Starts Here.” Over 130 community leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas attended. A record number of 47 scholarships were given at this year’s CDI.

Highlights from CDI include Keynote Speaker Ben Muldrow’s presentation on “The Power of Place: Empowering People to Shape Their Place,” tours of the Ministry Center in Conway, Hendrix Village, South Main Street in Little Rock, and the Innovation Hub in North Little Rock, and various simulations that pushed participants to think about the development of their communities.

Our 31st Annual CDI concluded with a special graduation and awards ceremony. Twenty-three community leaders from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas graduated from CDI. Brad Lacy, President and CEO of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, received the Bill Miller Award as recognition for his longstanding leadership and support of CDI, which includes many years of service as an instructor and sponsor. Central Arkansas Planning and Development District (CAPDD) and the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District (WAPDD) were honored with the Friend of Community Development Award, offered each year to an individual or organization that demonstrates strong support for community development and CDI. CAPDD’s Conya Spencer and WAPDD’s Sasha Grist (CDI Board Member) accepted the awards on behalf of the organizations. Tiffny Calloway of the Delta Regional Authority was selected by her peers to receive the Ernest Whitelaw Award. The Whitelaw award recipient is someone who has demonstrated dedication to professional community development practice, a willingness to assume leadership roles, and a spirit of caring and inclusion, along with strong personal integrity.

Year 1 and Year 2 Champions were also chosen by their peers: Dr. Rhonda McClellan (CDI Advisory Board Member) was selected for Year 1 and Don Clark for Year 2.

Our team at CDI would like to thank our sponsors, scholarship contributors, and Advisory Board Members for their support of our 2017 Institute! Without the support of these wonderful organizations and individuals, CDI would not have the vast impact on Mid-South communities it has today.

For pictures of the Institute, please visit: facebook.com/CDI.UCA/photos

Registration is now open for CDI 2018! The 32nd Annual Institute will be held July 30 – August 3, 2018. Register before December 15 for the early bird registration rate of $550!

Register today: www.uca.edu/cdi

Posted in: CDI on September 5, 2017

Identifying Your Community’s Moon Mission

By Dylan Edgell

From Shelby:

From Dylan:

From Emily:

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