The Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Central Arkansas last Friday received $80,000 from the Nabholz Charitable Foundation to endow an operating fund for CDI.
The grant was announced at a luncheon held at UCA to celebrate the 20th anniversary of CDI. During the luncheon, CDI also presented its first “Friends of Community and Economic Development” awards.
UCA President Lu Hardin and Arkansas State Senator Gilbert Baker of Conway received the “Friend of Community Development” awards.
Billy Ray, executive director of the Phillips County Chamber of Commerce, received the Ernest Whitelaw Award, and Jay Robison of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission received the Bill Miller Award.
“These awards are to recognize those people who are forward thinking and committed to making life better by investing in community and economic development — not only for Central Arkansas, but for the state and region as well,” said Robert Pittman, executive director of the Community Development Institute.
CDI trains local officials, board members, and citizens from all walks of life to strengthen their local economies and build communities. UCA is home to the nation’s first Community Development Institute, which was founded in 1987. Since that time, CDIs have been established in Texas, West Virginia, Idaho and Illinois, and a national governing and certification body, the Community Development Council (CDC), has been created. Now referred to as CDI Central, the Arkansas program has attracted sponsors such as Entergy, AT&T, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Arkansas Community Development Society.
Founded in 1949 by Robert D. Nabholz in Conway, Nabholz Construction Corp. has grown to 850 employees with divisions in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri and six subsidiary companies. Robert Nabholz established the Nabholz Charitable Foundation in 1987 to provide funding to community and charitable organizations.
