Webinar – Stronger Together: Cooperative Models

Cooperatives can be powerful economic development tools, anchored in local ownership, community wealth‑building, and long‑term regional resilience. This webinar explores how cooperative models can help communities respond to disruption, retain jobs, and reposition key industries for growth.

Hear from Doug O’Brien, Executive Director of the National Cooperative Business Association, and learn from a real‑world case study in Central Virginia’s poultry sector. Following the 2023 closure of Tyson Foods’ Glen Allen facility, regional partners rapidly mobilized to support hundreds of displaced poultry growers. Through coordinated planning, funding, and technical assistance, they helped launch the Central Virginia Poultry Cooperative, a farmer‑owned enterprise that secured a long‑term supply agreement and preserved a critical regional industry.

Join this session to gain practical insights into how cooperative strategies can strengthen regional economies, support producers, and turn economic shocks into opportunities for successful economic development.