Community Development Institute (CDI) Central

The #CDIcentral Advanced Year will explore the City of Keo in 2025. Keo is The Pecan Capital of Arkansas and home to the best pie in Arkansas Charlottes Eats & Sweets. This morning, CDI Director Shelby Fiegel joined Mayor Stephanie White, Amy Williams with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and other local and state leaders for a tour of Cobb Brothers McNeely Orchard, one of Keo’s local pecan orchards.

Partnerships are the key to advancing vision in our small and rural communities. Thanks to a unique technical assistance investment by University of Central Arkansas Center for Community & Economic Development / Community Development Institute (CDI) Central, our friends in the growing City of Pea Ridge, Arkansas undertook a process of discovery and design facility by Thrive that resulted in a fresh new brand identity, setting the stage for the town to make big moves in Northwest Arkansas! Check out this piece in Arkansas Municipal League's City and Town Publication written by Tabatha Duvall, PCED! https://lnkd.in/g-yZEfXJ

Our partners at Startup Junkie , Conductor, and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission have developed the 75Strong program to strengthen entrepreneurship and small business development in Arkansas communities. The program is a two-year initiative that equips participants with the tools to drive economic growth, earn the internationally recognized Entrepreneurial Development Professional (EDP) certification, and develop Strategic Entrepreneurship Plans tailored to their regions. Want to learn more? Register for the information session being held tomorrow here: https://lnkd.in/g3uNv9tu

We started our week in northeast Louisiana at Louisiana Delta Community College-Monroe Campus hosting a Poverty Simulation for The Wellspring! The Wellspring is one of the state’s oldest non profit organizations. They offer services that address and solve homelessness, sexual assault, domestic violence, relational struggles, or other life transitions.

Congratulations to #CDIcentral graduates and certified Professional Community Economic Developers (PCEDs) Amy Williams, Grandon Gray, PCED, and Allison Hestand on their selection to the 2025 Delta Leadership Institute!

Six communities participated in the 2024 Arkansas Economic Development Commission Retail Academy hosted at the University of Central Arkansas. The communities who participated in the program were: Crossett, Hope, Marion, Morrilton, Newport, and Stuttgart. During the Academy, experts from Retail Strategies shared best practices for retail recruitment and assisted community leaders in analyzing their real estate portfolios and demographic data.

Registration for the Community Development Institute (CDI) 2025 is now open! CDI is a training program designed to empower leaders, forge strong leadership networks, and our curriculum is engaging, interactive, and explores best practices, case studies, and simulations. #CDIcentral You can learn more, register, and take advantage of our early bird rate here: www.uca.edu/cdi If you're a CDI graduate or current participant, tag a friend below that you think needs to connect to the CDI network.

The Mid-America Arts Alliance is now accepting applications for Cultural Sustainability: Operational Impact Grants for Small Arts Organizations. This pilot program, in partnership with The Wallace Foundation, will offer operational grants, capacity building, and cohort learning to small, culturally driven arts organizations with operating expenses under $500,000. M-AAA’s grant program is open to nonprofits AND arts-centric businesses in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Native Nations that share this geography. M-AAA expects to grant a total of $1,100,000 in the region, through 22 unrestricted, non-matching organizational grants of $50,000 each. Learn more and apply at the link below:

This year the #CDIcentral Advanced Year will explore the City of Keo and Lonoke County! We are working alongside Mayor Stephanie White and Lonoke County leaders to develop a one-of-a-kind experience, exploring best practices, innovative programs, and local assets. You can register to attend here: www.uca.edu/cdi/

Every community looking to grow and prosper needs to invest in planning for the future. Our team was proud to support the City of Pea Ridge, Arkansas as they develop their Master Plan through engaging residents of Pea Ridge in the planning process. Feedback from the community is critical when setting the vision for community and economic development efforts.