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Gordon attends Delta Regional Authority program in Washington

Delta Regional Authority program brings community leaders from Alabama to participate in four-day session in U.S. capital

WASHINGTON — Members of the Delta Leadership Institute’s Executive Academy, selected by Governor Bentley and Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, met last week with their congressional delegation and federal officials in Washington, DC, to talk about issues affecting the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions, including creating good-paying jobs, growing small businesses and entrepreneurs, and training a skilled workforce.
“Our cities and towns are important laboratories for policy development and economic growth in our region. To support smart, effective decision-making in our local communities, the Delta Leadership Institute is training and connecting our region’s leaders with the tools, network, and skills to improve the economic realities of their communities,” Chairman Masingill said. “This session in Washington, DC, provides them access to each of these and empower them to share their experiences back home and throughout the region.”
Executive Academy fellows were in Washington for the fifth session of the DLI Executive Academy, a year-long program for community leaders across the Delta that teaches leadership skills and prepares fellows to collaborate across state and local borders to address the most-pressing challenges of the region. This is the eleventh class of the DLI Executive Academy.
Those attending were:
· Nyaesia Campbell | Birmingham, AL
· Nivory Gordon, Jr. | Camden, AL
· Beverly Helton | Montgomery, AL
· Susan Keith | Selma, AL
· Zach Lee | Montgomery, AL
· Felecia Lucky | Selma, AL
· Commissioner Tyrone Moye | Grove Hill, AL
· Mayor Gena Robbins | York, AL
· Max Snyder | Northport, AL
The meetings also allow these Delta leaders to interact directly with their congressional representation and discuss the policies and resources that they see as being most important to the region’s economic success, such as workforce development, access to healthcare, entrepreneurship, disaster recovery and resilience, and geotourism.
“I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Delta Leadership Institute during their recent visit to our nation’s capital,” U.S. Senator Richard Shelby said. “The Delta Regional Authority has played an integral role in the economic development of Alabama, and it is always beneficial to learn more about their critical efforts to spur growth throughout underserved areas of our state.”
“I was pleased to sit down with members of the Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy to discuss improving opportunities for economic development across East Alabama,” U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-3) said.
About the Delta Regional Authority
The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership that is congressionally mandated to help create jobs, build communities, and improve lives in 252 counties and parishes in the eight states of the Delta region. Through the Rural Communities Advancement Program, the DRA has provided leadership development to more than 400 community leaders over nine years and strengthened regional collaboration with its Delta Leadership Institute.

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