Nearly 175 participants from 10 states attend five-day training
Nearly 175 community leaders from across Arkansas and nine other states – Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas – participated in the 40th annual Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). The five-day training session, held July 27-31, concluded with a graduation and awards ceremony.
Executive Director of the Women’s Leadership Network Dr. Shaneil Ealy received the Bill Miller Community Development Award as recognition for her leadership and support of CDI. This award recognizes an individual who has had a significant, positive impact on UCA’s CDI. Ealy serves as a CDI speaker, is a former CDI Advisory Board member and previously held various leadership roles in the UCA Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, including coordinating and leading CDI training.
“During her 20-year career at UCA, Shaneil provided guidance, direction, support and leadership to the Community Development Institute in various capacities,” CDI Director Shelby Fiegel said. “Under her leadership as the associate vice president for the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement (including CDI), CDI hit record enrollment numbers and developed new partnerships that have allowed our program to thrive.
“We are thankful for her service to UCA and her continued commitment to CDI.”
The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and the Conway Development Corporation (CDC) were honored with the Friend of the Community Development Award, offered each year to an individual or organization that demonstrates strong support for community development and CDI. The Chamber and CDC have served as a partner of CDI since its inception in 1987. Chamber and CDC staff provide support to CDI through board service, serving as CDI speakers and as sponsors of the program. Many Chamber and CDC staff are also graduates or current participants of the program.
“Conway was the birthplace of CDI and has been our home for 40 years,” Fiegel said. “For our 40th anniversary, it felt fitting to honor and thank our friends at the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation for their support and partnership.
“Our partners are the key to our success.”
The CDI 2026 graduating class chose Tannella Gauthreaux-Foster of Entergy Arkansas as the Ernest Whitelaw Award recipient. This award recognizes an individual for exemplifying the following points: dedication to professional community development practice; proven involvement in the CDI educational experience, demonstrated by enthusiastic individual and group class participation, willingness to assume leadership roles and regular class attendance; a spirit of caring and inclusion shown by a willingness to assist, enable and involve fellow students in the CDI experience; and strong personal integrity.
Rashad Woods of ARVAC Inc. was chosen by his cohort as the CDI Year 1 Champion, and Gary Bass of the Jefferson Davis County Economic Development Association was chosen by his cohort as the CDI Year 2 Champion.
Forty-three (43) leaders from across Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas graduated from the Community Development Institute (listed below).
In addition to the graduation and awards ceremony, the week’s activities featured Dr. Richard Reeves of the American Institute for Boys and Men as the CDI 2026 Keynote Speaker. Participants also engaged in several simulations, case studies and leadership development activities. A group of CDI graduates called the CDI Advanced Year worked directly with the City of Pea Ridge to explore the community and conduct a SWOT analysis to support future community and economic development efforts.
2026 Community Development Institute Graduates:
- Adriana Fuentes Archila of ACC Capital
- Amy Burton of Main Street Searcy
- Amy Finster of FARCO/Precise
- Baylea Birchfield-Renfrow of the City of Bentonville
- Beth Wilson of the City of Marion
- Brody Wamble of Simmons Bank
- Chad Hearne of the Vilonia Community Development Corporation
- Christie Lindsey of Phoenix Youth & Family Services, Inc.
- Christy Burns of the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce
- Contrena Smith of the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind
- Courtney Roberts of the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District
- Darrell Welch of Forward Searcy Inc.
- Mayor David Streeter of the City of Hamburg
- Mayor Ethan Barnes of the City of Hardy
- Georganna Cossey of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission
- Heather Edwards of Restore Hope
- Jacqueline Wolven of Main Street Eureka Springs
- Jessica Grady of the City of Bella Vista
- Karen Hicks of the Union County Chamber
- Mayor Kasey Griffin of the City of Heber Springs
- Keith Cox of the City of Bryant
- Kelli Souter of the City of Magnolia
- LaJarlyn (LJ) Wesley of the City of Maumelle
- LaTaaka Harvey of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research & Extension
- Mayor Lisa Hicks-Gilbert of the City of Elaine
- Malik Barnes of Americans for Action (A4A)
- Mallory Nelson of the Little Rock Regional Chamber
- Megan Selman of the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce & Russellville Regional Alliance for Economic Development
- Nick Stevens of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- Nicole Vogler of the City of Maumelle
- Quan Moore of Entergy Arkansas
- Rachel Jenkins of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce
- Rebecca Kidder of the City of Bryant
- Rickey Gulley of the Marine Corps League
- Shannon Newerth-Henson of My HR Pros and the City of Van Buren
- Shellie O’Quinn of Half Associates
- Stephen Partridge at the State of Arkansas
- Susie Cowan of The Creek Media
- Tannella Gauthreaux-Foster of Entergy Arkansas
- Vanessa Weeks of Howard County Economic Development
- Venesha Sasser of the Lafayette County Economic Development Authority
- Walter Lambert of the Northwest Texas SBDC
- Will Hopkins of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
CDI 2027 will be held Aug. 2-6, 2027. More information about CDI is available at uca.edu/cdi.
Graduate headshots available at uca.edu/go/CDIgraduates
Bill Miller Award (from left): Monieca West of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, Joyce Miller (wife of the late Col. Bill Miller), Dr. Shaneil Ealy of the Women’s Leadership Network, Melanie Codemo (daughter of the late Col. Bill Miller), and Shelby Fiegel of the UCA Community Development Institute.
Friend of CDI Award (from left): Jordan Ester of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Brad Lacy of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation, Kim Williams of the Conway Downtown Partnership, Sarah Henry of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Shelby Fiegel of the UCA Community Development Institute, and Jack Pillow of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ernest Whitelaw Award (from left): Kevin Sexton of Hot Springs Village, Tannella Gauthreaux-Foster of Entergy Arkansas, Lisa Johnson of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce, and Shelby Fiegel of the UCA Community Development Institute.
Year 2 Class Champion Award (from left): Chris Wasson of Entergy, Gary Bass of the Jefferson Davis County Economic Development Association, Tandee White of Entergy, and Shelby Fiegel of the UCA Community Development Institute.
Year 1 Class Champion Award (from left): Julie Murray of the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce, Amy Williams of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Rashad Woods of ARVAC, Shelby Fiegel of the UCA Community Development Institute and Talicia Richardson.