DRA To Host Strategic Economic Development Planning Sessions

The Delta Regional Authority is currently updating its strategic plan and is inviting local and regional stakeholders to participate in the process. The Regional Development Plan III will build and expand upon Regional Development Plan II, the strategic plan which has guided the agency’s priorities and actions since 2008.

Once complete, the RDP III will guide the region’s economic growth over the next five years.

The RDP II resulted in the creation of the DRA’s guiding principles which will remain in place as the foundational framework for RDP III:

•Goal 1 – Advance the productivity and economic competitiveness of the Delta workforce
•Goal 2 – Strengthen the Delta’s physical and digital connections to the global economy
•Goal 3 – Facilitate capacity building within Delta communities

REGIONAL LISTENING SESSIONS
As part of the Regional Development Plan III, there will be 10 listening sessions throughout the region to seek the input of key regional and local stakeholders that play important roles in promoting and improving the economic strength of the Delta region.

Each public forum will include discussions about strategies for addressing the region’s economic challenges and opportunities–ensuring that local voices are heard throughout all of the Delta’s unique and vibrant communities.

The sessions include:

June 11, 2015 Carterville, Illinois 9:00 – 11:00 am John A. Logan College
700 Logan College Drive
Workforce Development Building
Workforce Rooms 127/128

June 11, 2015 Paducah, Kentucky 2:00 – 4:00 pm West Kentucky Community & Technical College
5100 Alben Barkley Drive
Emerging Technology Center
Room 109

June 12, 2015 Poplar Bluff, Missouri 9:00 – 11:00 am Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission
3019 Fair Street

June 19, 2015 Selma, Alabama 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Carl C. Morgan Convention Center
211 Washington Street

June 30, 2015 Pine Bluff, Arkansas 10:00 am – 12:00 pm South Arkansas Economic Development District
721 Walnut Street

July 1, 2015 Clarksdale, Mississippi 9:00 – 11:00 am Delta Regional Authority Headquarters
236 Sharkey Avenue, Suite 400

July 2, 2015 Monroe, Louisiana 9:00 – 11:00 am Monroe Civic Center Conference Hall
401 Lea Joyner Memorial Expressway

July 13, 2015 Reserve, Louisiana 9:00 – 11:00 am South Central Louisiana Technical College – Reserve Campus
181 Regala Park Road
Media Center Room A100

July 13, 2015 Collins, Mississippi 3:00 – 5:00 pm Collins Railroad Depot
102 S Ash Avenue

July 20, 2015 Jackson, Tennessee 2:00 – 4:00 pm Southwest Tennessee Development District
102 E. College Street

The listening session events throughout the region are structured conversations to give participants the opportunity to provide input to the DRA. No prior preparation on behalf of participants is necessary. The information gathered is used for background and idea generation purposes only, while openness and candor are crucial, officials said.

Officials stress that people should be sure to register in advance for these sessions.

For more information, contact Mirielle Burgoyne at [email protected] or 202-434-4847 with any questions.