UCA targets Alma for community development effort
by June 26, 2017 9:30 am 270 views
The University of Central Arkansas Community Development Institute has chosen Alma as this year’s focus for its Community Development Kick Start program.
Through the program, Alma will receive a “high-level assessment,” aimed toward identifying the community’s assets and how to utilize them, in addition to pinpointing areas that need improvement, according to a UCA press release. Following the assessment, the institute will work with Alma on a strategic planning and community engagement.
“The selection of Alma to be the Community Development Kick Start community for 2017 is a unique opportunity for our city,” Alma Mayor Keith Greene said, according to the press release. “Alma is truly the crossroads of America and continues to move forward each day. Our citizens are eager to see our steady growth continue and improve the quality of life in Alma.”
Amy Whitehead, director of UCA’s Community Development Institute and the Center for Community and Economic Development, said in the press release the institute intends to “bring in regional partners, such as Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority and the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District, to create a robust support network for Alma.”
Alma was selected through a competitive process. “Alma stood out from other applicants because of the local and regional assets in the community,” Whitehead said. “There is also a sense of excitement and a can-do spirit among local leaders.
Lonoke, the Kick Start Community for last year, unveiled its strategic action plan — a result of the UCA program — in May.
Other previous Kick Start Communities include Paris and Heber Springs, the chosen community for 2015. The program aided Heber Springs to in holding community meetings and constructing a core leadership group. As a result, six priority areas were identified for the city: branding and marketing, economic development, funding and finance, tourism, quality of life and place and education, according to the Community Development Institute website.
Community Development Kick Start is a cooperative program between UCA and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Breakthrough Solutions Program.