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

Linda Giltz, Senior Planner at Land-of-Sky Regional Council discussed the North Carolina Small Towns Economic Prosperity Program (NC STEP), a state effort to help small towns reinvigorate their economies through a combination of coaching, training, technical assistance, and grants. Small group discussions covered coaching and training local partners to maintain momentum and implement projects over the long-term.

Click here to download the Powerpoint presentation (PDF)
Click here to download session worksheet (PDF)

Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the NADO Research Foundation and Envision Utah are two 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 workshop materials, including presentations, worksheets, and grantee background information.  If you have any questions about this workshop, these materials, or NADO’s work as a capacity building team, please contact Brett Schwartz.

Workshop Background Materials

Opening Plenary:  Regional Visioning Based on Shared Values
Robert Grow, President/Chief Executive Officer, Envision Utah 

Finding and Leveraging Competitive Advantage 
Nora Johnson, Policy Fellow, US EPA Office of Sustainable Communities
Kathy Nothstine, Associate Director, NADO 

Scenarios Planning 101 and Part 2
Christie Oostema, Planning Director, Envision Utah
Jay Baker, Countywide Planner, Cache County, Utah
Lori Haddock, Economic development professional, Bear Lake County, Idaho
Mitch Poulsen, Executive Director, Bear Lake Regional Commission

Rural Poverty and Equitable Development 
Danielle Bergstrom, Program Associate, PolicyLink
Bill Vanderwall, Capacity Building Manager, Minnesota Housing Partnership

Keynote Address:  Progress and Challenges in Place-Based Rural Policies
Chuck Fluharty, President/CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute 

Best Practices in Creating Strong Regional Economic Development Strategies
Brian Kelsey, Director of Economic Development, NADO 

Implementing a Regional Plan as an Over-arching Economic Development Strategy: Focus on Implementation Strategies and Toolkit
Christie Oostema, Planning Director, Envision Utah
Dave Conine, USDA Rural Development

Additional Materials/Links 
Sonoran Institute’s About Town research and report 
California Financial Opportunities Roundtable (CalFOR) Guidebook 

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, April 24

Small Business Loan Funds and Small Manufacturers: Potential for Partnerships

Across the nation, RLFs are working to help small manufacturers continue to make goods, provide jobs, and contribute to local and regional economies. A study by the Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP) found that small manufacturers seek capital for facility expansion, equipment purchase, refinancing and general working capital.

Welcome: Misty Casto, Executive Director, Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District (OH)

Speaker: Doug O’Brien, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA

Speaker: Sean Esten, Financial Portfolio Manager, Rhode Island EDC

Speaker: Alan Singer, Lending Director, Franklin County CDC (MA)

Moderator: Erik Pages, President, EntreWorks Consulting (VA)

Innovations in Small Business Lending Programs: Noteworthy Practices

A hallmark of the Economic Development Finance Service (EDFS) is cultivation of a practitioner network that provides an environment for learning – during conferences and events, but also through electronic information sharing and exchange.

Rapid round robin presentations from small business lending programs that are using creative strategies to meet the needs of clients, resulting in job retention and creation, business growth and contributing to regional economic vitality. Group discussion will follow the round robin presentations, with a focus on ways to build programs that streamline operations while also meeting client needs. Participants will be encouraged to participate in a facilitated discussion about ways to overcome barriers and challenges to meeting the needs of small businesses in their regions.

Facilitator: Erik Pages, President, EntreWorks Consulting (VA)

Wednesday, April 25

Access to Capital in Rural Regions and Small Communities/White House Rural Council Study

A research team assembled by RUPRI is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to better understand issues related to capital access in rural America. The project is designed to achieve the following three objectives:

1. To provide USDA with a more detailed understanding of the capital market system in rural America and how it supports business development, job and wealth creation
2. To provide insights into effective models that support innovation within the system to improve rural business outcomes, including job and wealth creation
3. To provide evidence-based policy recommendations that support the creation or scaling of innovations that improve rural business outcomes

Speaker: Erik Pages, President, EntreWorks Consulting (VA)

First Things First: Evaluating Financial Statements and Business Plans

Learn successful tips for evaluating business plans and financial statements, and get an understanding of the red flags that signal potential trouble that can be avoided. This session will benefit those new to the small business lending world and will be a great refresher for those more “seasoned” loan fund managers.

Speaker: Pat Brennen, North Central PA RP&DC

Moderator: Mike Burress, Lincoln Trail ADD (KY)

Working Lunch: Rural Wealth Creation

This session will illustrate how the seven forms of wealth tool is being used to assist business development in rural communities and regions. Yellow Wood Associates has been working with The Ford Foundation on a national initiative to share the concepts with a broad audience; NADO has also been working with The Ford Foundation in targeted areas of the country to test the approaches that regional development organizations are employing with regard to rural wealth creation.

Speaker: Melissa Levy, Senior Associate, Yellow Wood Associates

Moderator: Holly Quinn, Business Loan Specialist, Northeast Nebraska EDD

Going the Distance: Making Sure the Loan Fits the Business

Learn how businesses benefit from strategic and practical loan servicing (before, during, and after the lending decision is made), and the importance of a solid technical assistance plan aimed at meeting their needs.

Speaker: Sean Esten, Financial Portfolio Manager, Rhode Island EDC

Moderator: Jeff Christensen, Business Loan Specialist, Northeast Nebraska EDD

Preparing for a Smooth Audit

This session will offer insights into what auditors are looking for, and how you can prepare your organization to sail through the process. Topics to be covered include considerations for audits while calculating loan loss reserves, making loan confirmations, engaging in management discussions and analysis write-ups, and accrued interest receivables.

Speaker: Carol Jackson, Comptroller, Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council

Moderator: Adam Quinlan, Financial Portfolio Manager, Rhode Island EDC

Tuesday, April 24

Legislative Update: State of Small Business Programs in the Federal Budget

The current battle over deficit reduction continues to dominate the federal decision making process, and encompasses all programs including those that fund your lending programs. The funding decisions being made right now will impact our nation for decades to come. Conference participants will learn about the latest federal legislative and policy developments and the budget and appropriations outlook for the year ahead, with an emphasis on the various small business loan fund programs that you all manage.

Speaker: Deborah Cox, Director of Government Relations and Legislative Affairs, NADO

Moderator: Russ Cowley, President, NADO, and Executive Director, Six County AOG

Helping Businesses Succeed: Technical Assistance Strategies and Programs That Work

This session will provide examples of technical assistance programs and strategies that are being implemented to help businesses not only re-pay their loans, but succeed in their communities.

Speaker: Linda Rossi, Associate State Director, VT Small Business Development Center

Moderator: Paulette Potter, Loan Program Manager, Northern Tier RP&DC (NY)

Federal Program Update

This session is an outstanding opportunity to hear the latest program updates from the funding agencies and to get answers to your program questions.

Speaker: Darcy Carter, District Director, SBA VT

Speaker: Michael DeVillo, Program Analyst, EDA

Speaker: Joshua Hanford, Director, State of Vermont, HUD

Speaker: David Robinson, Business Program Director, USDA Rural Development VT/NH

Speaker: Kyle Wilber, ARC Program Manager, NY State

This event was sponsored, in part, by the U.S. Small Business Administration under a cooperative agreement (# SBAHQ-10-I-0317) with the NADO Research Foundation. SBA’s funding should not be construed as an endorsement of any products, opinions or services. All SBA funded projects are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Additional support was provided by NADO and the NADO Research Foundation, The Ford Foundation, Bank of America and the Development District Association of Appalachia.

The NADO Research Foundation is sponsoring a two-part webinar series exploring how regional development organizations are incorporating sustainability principles into their regional planning processes.

The first webinar, “Land-Based Sustainable Development Strategies in Western North Carolina”, was held on Tuesday, June 21, from 2pm – 3pm EDT and featured two initiatives of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council (Asheville, NC).  Linda Giltz, Regional Planner at Land-of-Sky, described the Linking Lands and Communities Project, a four-county, multidisciplinary program to help guide land use decisions across the landscape by identifying and mapping the region’s most valuable natural and cultural resources.  Erica Anderson, also a Regional Planner at Land-of-Sky, discussed the Western North Carolina Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project, a program that builds the capacity of forest producers to sustainably pursue a variety of forest enterprises using a bottom-up planning and economic development approach guided by forest producers and by forest product consumers.

The recording of the webinar and a PDF of the presentations are available for download here.

On Tuesday, July 12, NADO Research Foundation sponsored “Rural-Urban Connections in the Sacramento Region,” a webinar exploring how the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is addressing rural growth and development issues in their regional planning processes.  David Shabazian, Senior Planner with SACOG, discussed the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS), a look at the region’s growth and sustainability objectives from a rural perspective.  Through the RUCS framework, SACOG is working with rural residents, businesses, and public agencies to form strategies that enhance the agriculture sector, rural economies, regional and local food systems, resource conservation, and regional sustainability.  Raef Porter, Senior Research Analyst at SACOG, demonstrated in real-time the interactive scenario modeling tools that SACOG is using to broaden understanding of how land use and transportation investments affect rural areas, agriculture production, and the region as a whole.  A recording of the webinar is located here.  SACOG staff will be demonstrating these tools further in an interactive workshop at NADO’s Annual Training Conference in Miami Beach (October 8-11).  This webinar was approved for 1.5 AICP Certification Maintenance credits.

The first webinar, “Land-Based Sustainable Development Strategies in Western North Carolina”, will be held on Tuesday, June 21, from 2pm – 3pm EDT and will feature two initiatives of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council (Asheville, NC).  Linda Giltz, Regional Planner at Land-of-Sky, will describe the Linking Lands and Communities Project, a four-county, multidisciplinary program to help guide land use decisions across the landscape by identifying and mapping the region’s most valuable natural and cultural resources.  Erica Anderson, also a Regional Planner at Land-of-Sky, will discuss the Western North Carolina Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project, a program that builds the capacity of forest producers to sustainably pursue a variety of forest enterprises using a bottom-up planning and economic development approach guided by forest producers and by forest product consumers.

Registration is free; reserve your place for the “Land-Based Sustainable Development Strategies in Western North Carolina” webinar now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/924646491.

The second webinar, “Rural-Urban Connections in the Sacramento Region”, will be held on Tuesday, July 14, from 2pm – 3:30 pm EDT and will feature David Shabazian, Senior Planner with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG).  He will discuss the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS), a look at the region’s growth and sustainability objectives from a rural perspective.  Through the RUCS framework, SACOG is working with rural residents, businesses, and public agencies to form strategies that enhance agriculture, rural economies, resource conservation, recreation, quality of life, and regional sustainability. This webinar will demonstrate the interactive scenario modeling tools that SACOG is using to broaden understanding of how land use and transportation investments affect rural areas, agriculture production, and the region as a whole.

Registration is free; reserve your place for the “Rural-Urban Connections in the Sacramento Region” webinar now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/552780427.

The NADO Research Foundation is sponsoring a two-part webinar series exploring how regional development organizations are incorporating sustainability principles into their regional planning processes.  The second webinar, “Rural-Urban Connections in the Sacramento Region”, will be held on Tuesday, July 14, from 2pm – 3:30 pm EDT and will feature David Shabazian, Senior Planner with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG).  He will discuss the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS), a look at the region’s growth and sustainability objectives from a rural perspective.  Through the RUCS framework, SACOG is working with rural residents, businesses, and public agencies to form strategies that enhance agriculture, rural economies, resource conservation, recreation, quality of life, and regional sustainability. This webinar will demonstrate the interactive scenario modeling tools that SACOG is using to broaden understanding of how land use and transportation investments affect rural areas, agriculture production, and the region as a whole.

Registration is free; reserve your place for the “Rural-Urban Connections in the Sacramento Region” webinar now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/552780427.

Register

Join NADO members and friends from around the country in our premier annual training event.  Participants will have access to educational sessions covering a variety of issues related to regional development, numerous peer networking opportunities, and many examples of best and promising regional development strategies.