Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will open the 30th Annual Community Development Institute (CDI) with a special proclamation beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 1 at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on the University of Central Arkansas campus.
Elected officials, development professionals and nonprofit leaders will convene at UCA on August 1-5 to commemorate three decades of educating community leaders.
Several other special events are planned for the week:
- Ed McMahon, senior resident fellow with the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. will be this year’s keynote speaker on Wednesday, August 3 at 2:45 p.m. His keynote address will highlight “The Secrets of Successful Communities.” He will also present a similar talk for the Conway community in a lunch-and-learn format at UCA Downtown at 11 a.m. The event is free but registration is required.
- The 30th Annual CDI Celebration Luncheon is planned for Thursday, August 4 at noon, with Ted Abernathy, managing partner of Economic Leadership LLC. He will speak on “Disruptive Technology and its Impact on Workforce Development.”
- A cohort of community and economic development professionals will travel to Lonoke, Arkansas on Tuesday, August 2 and Thursday, August 4 to provide an outside assessment of the community that will kick-start a 10-month development process in the community.
To register for any events, visit uca.edu/cdi.
Shelley Mehl, associate vice president for Outreach and Community Engagement, said, “We are proud of the long history of CDI and its impact in our state and region. CDI strengthens our division’s efforts to offer knowledge, expertise and research to communities looking to improve community and economic development. With leadership from the CDI staff and advisory board, we will continue that support into the future.”
CDI participants progress through the professional development program in class cohorts by attending one week of training each year for three years. Participants attend innovative class simulations, instructor-led presentations and community tours and participate in group discussions and case studies.
The Community Development Institute, established in 1987 at the University of Central Arkansas, trains community and economic development professionals from Arkansas and the mid-south. The mission of CDI is to empower people with the knowledge and skills necessary to proactively improve the physical and human resources of their communities, thereby increasing the quality of life for all citizens. CDI is part of UCA’s Division of Outreach and Community Engagement and helps UCA fulfill its mission of public service and lifelong learning.
For more information, please contact Amy Whitehead at 501-852-2930 or amyw@uca.edu.