Delta Grassroots Caucus Events

Credit Michael Hibblen/ KUAR News, Arkansas Public Radio; Former President Bill Clinton speaking to the Delta Grassroots Caucus on May 2, 2013, at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, Little Rock

U. S. Senator John Boozman, Arkansas, at a Delta Grassroots Caucus meeting at the US Capitol

Brad Cole, Executive Director of the Municipal League of Illinois; previously a senior aide to former Republican US Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, earlier Mayor of Carbondale, Illinois, veteran Delta regional advocate, speaking at the Delta regional conference in West Memphis, Arkansas on April 26, 2019.

President Bill Clinton makes a comment to Delta Caucus Director Lee Powell at a meeting in Blytheville, Arkansas (in the northeast Arkansas Delta) on Nov. 2, 2014

The Delta Caucus would like to pay tribute to the late, great U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, a powerful force in the US Senate for decades and a champion for the Delta. Sen. Cochran passed away on May 30, 2019. He spoke to the Delta Caucus on many occasions over the years (he is pictured above speaking to a Caucus event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC) and his thoughtful, courteous and bipartisan leadership will be sorely missed.

Marcie Lawson, Executive Director, Sikeston, Missouri Regional Chamber and Area Economic Development Corporation, speaking at the Delta regional conference in West Memphis, Arkansas on April 26, 2019.

Alan Gumbel, Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce, Memphis, Tennessee, speaking at the Delta regional conference in West Memphis, Arkansas on April 26, 2019.

Mayor Shirley Washington of Pine Bluff, AR, speaking to the Delta Caucus at the Arkansas Capitol Rotunda in 2017.

Delta Regional Authority Conference Scheduled for April 27-28 in Memphis, TN

Posted on March 03, 2009 at 06:55 PM

At the request of the Delta Regional Authority, we would like to encourage all the Delta Grassroots Caucus partners to take part in the DRA’s conference scheduled for April 27-28, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. There will be many distinguished speakers from all over the eight-state region, including Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee and Jesse White, Jr., former federal co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission, who will speak on the importance of regionalism in economic development. This will be a great event and we encourage all the Delta Caucus folks to turn out.

The April 28 activities will begin with a continental breakfast at the Memphis Marriott Downtown at 8 a.m., and a 9 a.m. speech by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. At 3:15 p.m. on April 28, Jesse White Jr., the former federal co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission, will speak on the importance of regionalism in economic development. White is now the director of the Office of Economic and Business Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an internationally recognized expert on regionalism concepts.

There will also be an important meeting of the DRA board, with specifics provided below.

For information about the conference, call Sissy Kidd of the DRA at (501) 686-6195, or visit the website at www.dra.gov.

There are many other valuable activities, including a Department of Defense readiness training workshop for community leaders, a roundtable discussion for local development district representatives, a meeting of the DRA’s Delta Leadership Institute, and a session on sustainable tourism initiatives. Other sessions will focus on innovative education approaches, attracting retirees to Delta communities, alternative energy, and transforming workforce development in the region.

The Delta Regional Authority’s federal grant program funded 385 projects during its first six years, using $56 million of DRA funds. That $56 million leveraged $278 million of other federal funds and $1.2 billion of private funds.

It is estimated that this investment of more than $1.5 billion in the region has helped create or retain more than 32,000 jobs while providing drinking water and sewer services to almost 25,000 families. More than 6,300 Delta residents received job training due to this investment. Thanks very much—Lee Powell, MDGC

MESSAGE ABOUT ANNUAL DRA CONFERENCE, APRIL 27-28, 2009, IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Registration is now open for the Delta Regional Authority’s annual conference in Memphis. The conference is scheduled for April 27-28 at the Memphis Marriott Downtown.

The theme for this year’s conference is Models of Success.

The annual conference, which is expected to attract several hundred business and community leaders from throughout the eight-state DRA region, has no registration fee this year. Those wishing to register should go to www.dra.gov. For additional information, call Sissy Kidd at (501) 686-6195.

Rooms at the Memphis Marriott Downtown are available for as little as $90 per night. Those planning to attend the conference should call 1-888-557-8740 and ask for the DRA conference rate. To receive the special conference rate, reservations must be made by March 30.

One of the highlights of the conference will be a luncheon speech by University of Memphis men’s basketball coach John Calipari at noon Tuesday, April 28. Even though there’s no charge for registration, seating for the luncheon is limited so those interested in attending are urged to register now. Calipari is recognized as one of the nation’s top motivational speakers.

On-site registration for the conference will open at noon Monday, April 27. At 1:30 p.m. that day, representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense will present a readiness training workshop for community leaders from throughout the region. From 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on April 27, there will be a roundtable discussion for local development district representatives. From 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. that evening, current members and alumni from the DRA’s Delta Leadership Institute will hold a dinner meeting.

The April 28 activities will begin with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. and a 9 a.m. speech by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

At 9:30 a.m. on April 28, Susan Whitaker, the Tennessee tourism commissioner, will speak on sustainable tourism approaches for Delta communities. Breakout sessions from 10:15 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. will focus on innovative education approaches and attracting retirees to Delta communities.

Following Calipari’s luncheon speech, breakout sessions from 1:30 p.m. until 2:45 p.m. will focus on alternative energy and on transforming workforce development in the region.

At 3:15 p.m. on April 28, Jesse White Jr., the former federal co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission, will speak on the importance of regionalism in economic development. White is now the director of the Office of Economic and Business Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an internationally recognized expert on regionalism concepts.

From 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. on April 28, a gala reception will be held at the famed Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. The reception is sponsored by the Memphis Regional Chamber, the Southwest Tennessee Development District and the Northwest Tennessee Development District.

The DRA board will meet from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, April 29, at the Memphis Downtown Marriott. The board meeting is open to the public.

The DRA is a federal-state partnership that serves parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The board consists of the governors of the eight states and federal co-chairman Pete Johnson of Clarksdale, Miss. Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama is the state co-chairman.

The DRA operates a highly successful grant program in each of the eight states. This program allows cash-strapped cities and counties to leverage money from other agencies. The DRA also has expanded its regional initiatives in the areas of leadership development, transportation, health care and information technology.