NADO.org » Training

Cluster Mapping Webinar Now Available for Download

Brett Schwartz — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:04:03 +0000

The first in a series about various Data Tools developed with support from the Economic Development Administration, this webinar provided an overview of the U.S. Cluster Map and Registry which contains data on the regional clusters that are driving the national economy. Through this website practitioners can access key information on industries by location and type, in both data and chart format, which can be useful for developing a regional economic development strategy. The registry provides a forum for organizations to identify other entities by geographic area that are directly or indirectly working to advance regional cluster initiatives. It is a useful tool for identifying potential organizations to partner with to advance regional cluster initiatives. Economic development organizations, practitioners, policy makers, and other stakeholders are encouraged to watch to learn how this tool can be useful in your planning and decision-making processes.

The webinar was co-hosted by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA). It is part of a series that will occur in 2013. Future webinars will address other EDA-funded data tools, including Stats America, Triple Bottom Line, Regional Innovation Accelerator Network (RIAN), and more. The NADO Research Foundation is coordinating the webinars as part of its Know Your Region program which is funded through an agreement with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (#99-06-07548).

Please contact NADO Deputy Executive Director Laurie Thompson at lthompson@nado.org if you have any questions about this webinar, or the series in general.

Click here to download the Powerpoint slides from the webinar

Upcoming Webinar: Building Vibrant Local Economies by Connecting Regional Food Systems

Kathy Nothstine — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:01:46 +0000

County and regional leaders are integrating food systems into economic development plans. These efforts are reinvigorating rural economies to foster economic development connected to local, agricultural economies. Join the National Association of Counties (NACo) for a free webinar, Building Vibrant Local Economies: Connecting Regional Food Systems, on Thursday, May 9, at 2pm EST to learn more about this topic.

Featured speakers include:

Ferd Hoefner, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Bahia Nightengale, Heartland Local Food, with Supervisor Melvyn Houser, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Elanor Starmer, USDA

This webinar is offered as a service to grantees of the federal government’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, NADO members, NACo members, and the broad community of individuals and organizations interested in regional food systems as a strategy for rural economic development.

For more information, contact Stephanie Osborn, sosborn@naco.org or 202.942.4235.

RPO America Annual Business Meeting and National RPO Council of Peers Meeting

Agnieta Sharpe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:40:36 +0000

In this session at the 2013 National Rural Transportation Conference, Kathy Ruffalo of Ruffalo & Associates gave a special guest presentation.

View her presentation below:

MAP-21 Update – Kathy Ruffalo

View more presentations from RPO America.

Closing Plenary: Future Directions for the Federal Surface Transportation Program

Agnieta Sharpe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:05:11 +0000

In this session at the 2013 National Rural Transportation Conference, speakers included Harlan Miller, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Planning, Stefan Natzke, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Human Environment, and Stuart Thompson, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety.

View their presentations below:

Future Directions for the Federal Surface Transportation Program - Stefan Natzke

View more presentations from RPO America.

Workshop: Getting a Perspective on the Human Landscape

Agnieta Sharpe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:54:22 +0000

In this workshop session at the 2013 National Rural Transportation Conference, speakers included Jeff Moore, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – Department of Highways, District Three Bowling Green and Anne Morris, Anne Morris and Associates, LLC.

View their presentations below:

What is Social / Environmental Justice and Why Should We Care – Anne Morris

Workshop Exercise (PDF)

Community Profile: this is a 15 minute exercise where small groups analyzed the special “needs” of communities and its unique citizens as to “effective engagement”. Examples include Sesame Street, Great Land of Oz, and Hundred Acre Wood.

What is Really Happening in the Community: Validating Official Data - Anne Morris

State of the Practice in Community Engagement: Tales from the Field – Jeff Moore

View more presentations from RPO America.

Healthy, Active Transportation

Agnieta Sharpe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:40:31 +0000

In this session at the 2013 National Rural Transportation Conference, speakers included Rachel Beyerle, Easter Seals Project Action and Elijah Sharp, New River Valley Planning District Commission (VA).

View their presentations below:

The Transportation Connection to Healthy Living in Small Urban & Rural Communities - Rachel Beyerle

New River Valley’s Bikeway, Walkway, Blueway Plan - Elijah Sharp

View more presentations from RPO America.

Plenary Session: RPO America Peer Symposium

Agnieta Sharpe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:13:44 +0000

In this session at the 2013 National Rural Transportation Conference, speakers included Jack Cebe, Alta Planning + Design, Pat Steed, Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Paul Black, Land-of-Sky Regional Council and French Broad River MPO (NC), and Chris Cummings, Oregon DOT.

View their presentations below:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning in Rural Regions – Jack Cebe & Jean Crowther

A Coordinated Approach to Enhancing Mobility - Pat Steed

Planning for Transportation Infrastructure – Paul Black

ConnectOregon – Chris Cummings

View more presentations from RPO America.

Opening Plenary: Putting Federal Resources to Work to Create Vibrant Regions

Agnieta Sharpe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:48:32 +0000

In this session at the 2013 National Rural Transportation Conference, speakers included Misty Casto, Buckeye Hills Hocking Valley Regional Development District and Second Vice President, Development District Association of Appalachia, Patrick Tyndall, Federal Highway Administration, South Carolina Division, John Frece, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Wayne Leftwich, City of Greenville.

View the session presentation below:

Connections for Sustainability – Wayne Leftwich

View more presentations from RPO America.

Southeast Region HUD Peer Exchange Materials (Greenville, SC)

Brett Schwartz — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:27:29 +0000

Wayne Leftwich, community planner with the City of Greenville, discusses the city’s neighborhoods during a tour of A.J. Whittenburg Elementary School.

On April 23-24, 2013 in Greenville, South Carolina, NADO hosted a Southeast Region Peer Exchange for HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning and Community Challenge Grantees working in rural or small metropolitan regions to develop plans and partnerships to bolster their communities’ economic competitiveness by engaging place-based strategies.

Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the NADO Research Foundation is one of eight teams providing capacity building and technical assistance to HUD and EPA sustainable communities award recipients. The capacity building teams are forming networks among the grantees to exchange ideas on successful strategies, lessons learned, and emerging tools for community and economic development.

Below are links to the peer exchange materials, including presentations, worksheets, and grantee background information. If you have any questions about this peer exchange, these materials, or NADO’s work as a capacity building team, please contact Brett Schwartz.

Workshop Materials / Grantee Information

Growing Economic Competitiveness with Place-Based Strategies
Mary Douglas Hirsch, Downtown Development Manager, City of Greenville, SC

5×5 Presentations: Sharing What’s Working
Participant presentations

Building Local Leaders and Experts for Long-term Community Change
Linda Giltz, Senior Planner, Land-of-Sky Regional Council

Prospering as an Entrepreneurial Community
Don Macke, Director, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship

Collaborating with New Partners to Implement Community and Economic Development Plans
Participant discussion

Workshop Materials: Collaborating with New Partners to Implement Community and Economic Development Plans

Brett Schwartz — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:57:59 +0000

In this session, participants discussed innovative partnerships with state agencies, philanthropic organizations, and private-sector partners. Small group discussions covered opportunities to access new partners to implement plans and projects.

Click here to download the session worksheet (PDF)