Community Development Committee
Conference Call
July 30, 2004

Present:
Tony Windham (Arkansas)
George Smith (Tennessee)
Alan Barefield (SRDC)
Emily Shaw (SRDC)
Bill Woodrum (West Virginia)
Gae Broadwater (Kentucky)
Brian Calhoun (Virginia)
Hank Cothran (Florida)
Greg Taylor (Texas)
Bo Beaulieu (SRDC)
Charles Sheppherd (Mississippi)

Admin Advisors Report

  • Larry Arrington & Alfred Wade. No report.
USDA Report
  • Sally Maggard reported that she may not be attending the PLN meeing in August - USDA will be interviewing for the CSREES Deputy Administrator that week. The House voted to restore our budget but we won't know anything until at least September.
PLC Report
  • Ed Jones & Charles Sheppard. No report
SRDC Report (Bo Beaulieu)
  • Bo reminded everyone that on Monday of the PLN meeting we will have luncheon for Bonnie Teater and that everyone needs to get their letters in for her book of letters SRDC is assembling.
    We will also be giving Bonnie a plaque of appreciation. This may become an annual award. We need to think how about how we develop the guidelines for the award. Do we want this to be a task for the PLN Committee or for the SRDC advisory council? We can discuss this at the PLN meetings.
    Interest in the recent rural poverty research conference suggests that SRDC may want to refocus some efforts on rural poverty in their new round of strategic planning. Bo would like feedback at the PLC meeting for building new strategic plan.
    Glen Israel and Martin Brennan will be at PLN to evaluate SRDC.
    SRDC is getting calls to resurrect CD Institute. We will need to discuss this at PLN.
    USDA wants to award contract to SRDC for training rural development training. There will be on demand specialized training and SRDC will have to mobilize faculty who can do this training. We will discuss this more at the PLN meeting.
    Money for SRDC's e-commerce program has been awarded and they will have competitive grants program in e-commerce.
  • A new post doc position is available at SRDC. The position will be housed at SRDC for work in the Delta for at least 3-4 years.
RCCI Update
  • Alan Barefield reported that the RCCI training will take place next week in Nashville. Five states will be participating and the CES Directors from the South will be attending as well. They are expecting 106 people to attend.
Regional Training Reports
  • Economic Development -Mike Woods (Hank to present). Mike Woods has sent out plans for the ED planning for comment. PLN needs to decide where the workshop will take place and discuss content. Hank will ask Mike to send this out again before the PLN meeting.
  • Civic Engagement - Bo Beaulieu. Only have 17 or 18 people who have signed up for the training in September. 40 seats are available and at the end of August they will open up to other audiences. Emily will take names for waiting list.
NACDEP Update
  • Greg Taylor reported that NACDEP is continuing to receive new memberships, They have sent out requests for presentations at the upcoming meeting. Nominations for offices will be out soon.
  • Greg Taylor reported that NACDEP is continuing to receive new memberships, They have sent out requests for presentations at the upcoming meeting. Nominations for offices will be out soon.
CECP update
  • Alan Barefield sent out an update this morning. Bo and Alan will be meeting with Janet Ayres, Ron Howe and others in August on the relationships between the national core competencies and our CECP classifications. PLN members should look at what Alan has sent and get feedback to Alan and Bo ASAP.
  • Discussion of Items to be placed on the Biloxi PL agenda. This year we will have 16-20 hours of meeting time. We need to identify who will be rotating off PLN. Hank and Bo will flesh out the agenda; please send any agenda items to them. Hank requests that committee members who want meeting materials distributed before the meeting should take the responsibility for distribution of those materials. Also, let Hank know if and when we might need to meet with other committees.