SERDI Council of Peers members are invited to this meeting; breakfast will be included.

This tour will take participants to the lower ninth ward to learn about the importance of incorporating green infrastructure into existing gray infrastructure and aligning the built and natural environment in order to strengthen resilience to future flooding events.  Facilitators from the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development will also highlight water retention measures, green building techniques, and other sustainability initiatives underway in the lower ninth ward and opportunities to replicate these practices in your region.  Meet in lobby at 12:15 p.m.; bus will depart at 12:30 p.m. and return to the hotel by 3:30 p.m.

Facilitator:         Arthur Johnson, CEO, Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, New Orleans, LA

(Pre-registration is required; $35 additional fee; limited to 30 attendees.)

This hands-on learning lab will offer strategies and tools for gathering and telling your own stories in compelling ways and give you the power to share your story utilizing local voices and language.  Methods and tools will be offered for using story to engage regional populations in the planning process as well as how to access information and data from these efforts to share and report progress.  (This learning Lab has a limit of 35 attendees.  While there is no additional fee to attend this Learning Lab, pre-registration is required.) 

Trainer:   Holly Larson Lesko, Principal, Holles Consulting, Blacksburg, VA

A growing number of RDOs are looking at ways to better align the various plans they are required to do, resulting in more cohesive and coordinated programs and services delivery mechanisms.  Attend this session for a refresher on the CEDS requirements and to learn about innovative and resourceful approaches that your peers are taking to maximize their planning processes. (While there is no additional fee to attend this Learning Lab, pre-registration is required.)

Trainers:           

• Brian Kelsey, Principal and Founder, Civic Analytics, Austin, TX
• Will Brooks, Planning Director, Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments, Henderson, NC
• Doug Elliott, Executive Director, East Central Iowa Council of Governments, Cedar Rapids, IA

All NADO members are encouraged to attend the NADO Board of Directors Meeting.  This is a great way to learn more about the organization's governance and leadership, and to hear about the current programs and initiatives of the staff to support the work you are doing in your regions.

Hosted by the NADO Board of Directors, this reception is for new executive directors of NADO member organizations, new NADO members, and members recently elected to serve on the 2015/2016 NADO Board of Directors.

This session, led by EPA-designated Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB) providers, will help attendees identify the causes and effects of brownfields sites and build community capacity to compete for funding, identify possible brownfields opportunities, and develop a vision of what sustainable revitalization can be.  The workshop will be followed by a tour of brownfields sites in New Orleans, including Mercy Hospital and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center.

The workshop is co-hosted with the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Center for Creative Land Recycling, and Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB) Programs. (Pre-registration is required; $75 additional fee; limited to 50 attendees.)

Trainers:           

• Ignacio Dayrit, Director of Programs, Center for Creative Land Recycling, San Francisco, CA
• Elizabeth Limbrick, Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives, NJ Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ
• Colette Santasieri, Ph.D., Director, Strategic Initiatives, NJ Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ
• Oral Saulters, PE, Project Manager, KSU, Center for Hazardous Substance Research, Manhattan, KS
• Sarah Sieloff, Executive Director, Center for Creative Land Recycling, San Francisco, CA

Learn new approaches to completing the SWOT requirement for the CEDS process, using wealth creation as an organizing framework to identify new strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, identify wealth-building strategies and actions, and performance measures related to multiple forms of community wealth.  Economic development staff and executive directors will gain new strategies to use in developing and implementing their region’s CEDS.  (While there is no additional fee to attend this Learning Lab, pre-registration is required.)  (Sponsored by the Ford Foundation.)

Trainer:                            

• Barbara Wyckoff, Principal and Founder, Dynamic Consulting, Silver Spring, MD

Regional Development Organizations can play a critical role in strengthening the economic resilience of the region by helping small and medium-sized local businesses be better prepared to withstand and bounce back from disasters.  This learning lab will walk attendees through an interactive exercise displaying the short- and long-term recovery obstacles businesses face and showcase some exciting main street economic resilience and business continuity work that is currently taking place in New Orleans. 

Trainers:           

• Scott Cave, Certified Business Continuity Specialist, Atlantic Business Continuity Services, Charleston, SC
• Miriam Belblidia, Co-founder and CEO, Water Works LA, New Orleans, LA
• Michelle Moren-Grey, Economic Development Planner, North Country Council, Littleton, NH

This session will explore what free, open source data is available to you and your communities to make informed economic development, land use, and infrastructure decisions.  Learn how the East Arkansas Development District and Civic Analytics are building a sophisticated online data warehouse that allows users to easily identify local trends and visualize future scenarios.  The warehouse comprises primary and secondary data related to northeast Arkansas demographics, land use, infrastructure, education, and other economic indicators. Its interactive mapping technology enables users to view data in a geospatial context, explore layers, and download data sets.  (While there is no additional fee to attend this Learning Lab, pre-registration is required.)

Trainers:           

• Brian Kelsey, Principal and Founder, Civic Analytics, Austin, TX
• Melissa Rivers, Executive Director, East Arkansas Planning and Development District, Jonesboro, AR
• Mark Goodman, President, Goodman and Associates, Conway, AR
• Andrew Hait, Program Planning and Data User Outreach Liaison, U.S. Census Bureau

Today’s RDO board member typically wears many hats.  In addition to serving as an elected official, running a local business, leading a nonprofit organization, overseeing an educational institution, or a combination of some of these vocations, they are also charged with making sure the RDO serving their region maintains its commitment to the community while also assuring its overall financial health and longevity.  This session will dive into the critical components of board governance.  (While there is no additional fee to attend this Learning Lab, pre-registration is required.)

Trainer:                            

• Monica Scamardo, Ph.D., President, Variate Consulting, Round Rock, TX

Participate in this interactive session—led by an industry expert—that will offer tips and strategies for enhancing your lending program, from attracting good borrowers to partnering with traditional financial institutions to working with borrowers to help them build strong and viable businesses, and much, much more!  (While there is no additional fee to attend this Learning Lab, pre-registration is required.)  (Sponsored by DiCara Training and Consulting)

Trainer:                            

• Vin DiCara, Principal and Founder, DiCara Training and Consulting, Brunswick, ME

All N ADO members are encouraged to attend their regional caucus meetings.  These peer led meetings are an excellent way to discuss issues of concern or interest to you and your organization, to connect with your peers from around your regions, to learn more about  NADO leadership and governance, and to participate in meaningful discussion about regional development.

The opening reception is the perfect opportunity to connect and catch up with old friends, make new ones, visit with NADO staff and Board.  Enjoy light snacks and beverages while you make plans to have dinner after the reception in one of NOLA's amazing restaurants!

This breakfast is for attendees from the LDDs in the Appalachian Regional Commission region.

Throughout the past 10 years, New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have experienced major hurricanes, a devastating oil spill, and the impacts of a lagging national economy.  But the city and communities along the coast and across the Greater New Orleans region fought back.  During this plenary session, you will learn how the region came together to re-build, re-brand,  and rejuvenate itself culturally, socially, and economically while also creating systems that are better prepared to withstand and bounce back from future natural and economic disruptions.

Welcome:         

• Terry Bobrowski, Executive Director, East Tennessee Development District, Alcoa, TN, and  President, NADO, Washington DC

Panelists:          

• Michael Hecht, President and CEO, Greater New Orleans, Inc., New Orleans, LA
• Mark Romig, APR, President and CEO, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, New Orleans, LA
• Flozell Daniels, Jr., President and CEO, Foundation for Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA
• Chalin Delaune, Secretary/Treasurer, Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Baton Rouge, LA

Broadmoor is one of New Orleans’ oldest and most diverse neighborhoods.  It is also on some of the city’s most low-lying ground.  After experiencing heavy damage following Hurricane Katrina, the city suggested a plan to convert the area to parkland.  Strong opposition from local residents, community groups, and elected officials who had already begun rebuilding and repairing homes and businesses led to this plan being dropped.  Efforts have continued to this day to support a thriving, healthy, and vibrant neighborhood.  This tour, which will be led by staff of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, will showcase the tremendous progress occurring in the neighborhood, including a visit to the community’s “Education Corridor,” anchored by a charter school, arts and wellness center, library, and medical center.   (Pre-registration is required; $35 additional fee; limited to 30 attendees.)

Grab some coffee and take a few minutes to network with peers, check in with your office, or roam the exhibit area.

NADO’s research has shown a trend in executive director retirements, which is not too surprising given the sheer number of baby boomers that are considering retirement in the near future.  As today’s executive directors start to plan for their departure from their organization, there is a class of deputy or assistant directors in the wings ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that leading an RDO presents.  This session will help emerging executive directors (those that have held the position for three years or less as well as those deputies that are gaining the needed experience to run an RDO) identify the characteristics of a strong and successful executive director and help them develop a strategy for assuring they become one in the future.

Trainer:                            

• Monica Scamardo, Ph.D., President, Variate Consulting, Round Rock, TX

Moderator:      

• Jeremy Ragland, Assistant Executive Director, Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, Harrison, AR

In today’s world of virtual and visual information RDOs have the opportunity to harness technology to better tell their story.  This session will showcase ways in which RDOs can develop a brand and market themselves to stakeholders in their region and beyond.  Participants will view exciting examples of NADO members that have used video, web, and social media to increase their visibility, outreach, and awareness.

Panelists:          

• Kevin Byrd, Executive Director, New River Valley Regional Commission, Radford, VA
• Nicole Griensewic Mickelson, Executive Director, Region Nine, Mankato, MN
• Matt McCauley, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Networks Northwest, Traverse City, MI

Moderator:       Patti Cullen, Executive Director, River Valley Regional Commission, Columbus, GA

It’s a common fact that many planning and development issues don’t adhere to geographic or jurisdictional boundaries. As a result, many RDOs are recognizing the need to collaborate with neighboring organizations and even across state lines. This session will highlight examples of multi-RDO collaboration, including the effort of a tri-state RDO collaborative that is working together to tackle the loss of a major regional employer. Panelists will discuss both the challenges RDOs face when attempting to collaborate over a wide geographic area and across jurisdictional boundaries and the significance of these partnerships when dealing with development issues that go above and beyond the capacity of one organization alone.

Panelists:          

• Jessica Atwood, Economic Development Program Manager, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Greenfield, MA
• James Baldwin, Executive Director, Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission, Lebanon, VA
• Randy Imler, Executive Director, Catawba Regional Council of Governments, Rock Hill, SC

Moderator:      

• Brian Kelsey, Principal and Founder, Civic Analytics, Austin, TX

Does your community have an abandoned building, old gas station, or other potentially contaminated site that is impeding your future growth? Are there properties in your community that could help revitalize a business district, provide community space, or host a new housing development? Do you wonder where funding could come from to transform these properties into community assets? Come hear from experts in the national Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) Program to learn how brownfields can be cleaned up, redeveloped, and used to reignite your community’s economic engine.  In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to engage directly with development organizations and local officials who have successfully completed brownfields redevelopment projects.

Panelists:          

• Rebecca Otte, Brownfields Redevelopment Program Coordinator, Regional Planning Commission, New Orleans, LA
• Ignacio Dayrit, Director of Programs, Center for Creative Land Recycling, San Francisco, CA
• Elizabeth Limbrick, Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives, NJ Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ
• Oral Saulters, PE, Project Manager, KSU, Center for Hazardous Substance Research, Manhattan, KS
• Sarah Sieloff, Executive Director, Center for Creative Land Recycling, San Francisco, CA

Moderator:      

• Terry Bobrowski, Executive Director, East Tennessee Development District, Alcoa, TN, and  President, NADO, Washington DC

Welcome:         

• Kevin Belanger, Executive Director, South Central Planning and Development Commission, Houma, LA

Speaker:            

• The Honorable Jay Williams, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development,  U.S. Economic Development Administration, Washington, DC

“Emerging Environmental” describes an industry that creates jobs and community wealth by providing products and services that help companies or governments address environmental challenges.  In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Greater New Orleans region has positioned itself to become a leader in water innovation.  This mobile workshop, facilitated by Greater New Orleans, Inc., will take attendees on a tour of
water management throughout the city and feature examples of economic development, job creation, and workforce training taking place in the rising field of resilience.  An informative discussion of the “emerging environmental” industry profile and the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan will also be featured.   (Pre-registration is required; $35 additional fee; limited to 50 attendees.)

Meet in the lobby at 1:45 p.m.; the bus will depart at 2:00 p.m. and return to the hotel by 4:30 p.m.

Fostering regional quality of life begins with health.  Whether it’s working to eradicate food deserts, developing parks, trails, and other opportunities for recreation, or supporting specialized community health initiatives, RDOs are able to build the necessary partnerships and programs to promote health and well-being throughout their regions.  This session will showcase examples of RDOs working to cultivate a rich and healthy quality of life for residents in their regions.

Panelists:          

• Jim Dove, Executive Director, Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, Athens, GA
• Cheryal Lee Hills, Executive Director, Region Five Development Commission, Staples, MN
• Jiten Shah, Executive Director, Green River Area Development District, Owensboro, KY

Moderator:      

• Misty Casto, Executive Director, Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District, Reno, OH

Developing
the skills and competency of your region’s current workforce is an important
element in meeting production demands and attracting additional investment and
expansion. Learn how regional development organizations are leveraging resources
and supporting programs to assist incumbent, unemployed, and displaced workers
with processing and manufacturing skills.

Panelists:          

• Bret Allphin, Development Director, Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District, Reno, OH
• Christine Frei, Executive Director, Clearwater Economic Development Association, Lewiston, ID
• Jon Gulliver, Director of Investor and Community Relations, Northern Maine Development Commission, Caribou, ME

Moderator:      

• Lloyd Frasier, Executive
  Director, Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Rome, GA

Come prepared to talk with your peers about your aging programs, and to ask them for ideas and suggestions for resolving problems… or to offer your insights for overcoming obstacles or achieving successes.

Facilitator:        

• Nancy Robertson, Executive Director, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments, Huntsville, AL

Spend your afternoon learning about the concepts of Economic Gardening: a “grow from within” strategy that targets existing growth companies and helps them grow to the next level by providing vital information to help them make strategic decisions, as opposed to matching them up with investors or other sources of capital.  Economic Gardening is a way to help businesses in your regions make calculated decisions that can result in increased revenues and jobs.  Facilitated by a leading Economic Gardening expert from the Lowe Foundation, attendees will learn how to leverage research using business intelligence tools and databases that growth companies in your regions might not be aware of or simply cannot afford.  Focus areas of Economic Gardening include: strategic market research, geographic information systems, search engine optimization, and social media marketing.  Leave this session with new ideas for helping businesses in your region expand and grow by implementing new concepts and approaches. (Pre-registration is required; session attendance is limited.)

Trainers:           

• Penny Lewandowski, Vice President, Edward Lowe Foundation, Cassopolis, MI
• Imagene Harris, Manager of Economic Programs, NetWork Kansas, Topeka, KS

Moderator:      

• Laura Lewis Marchino, Assistant Director, Region 9 Economic Development District, Durango, CO

During this break, there is time for you to visit with more exhibitors or continue the conversations from the previous sessions while refreshing your coffee or enjoying a cool soda.

Regions across rural America are experiencing demographic shifts that are impacting communities in a variety of ways.  Youth outmigration, aging residents, the arrival of new immigrant populations, and in some places the in-migration of young families are changing the face of rural and small towns.  Hear how regional development organizations are working with their local partners in addressing the changing demographics in their regions, and the challenges and opportunities these new trends bring.

Panelists:          

• Danna Stansbury, Deputy Executive Director, Land of Sky Regional Council, Asheville, NC
• Jay Trusty, Executive Director, Southwest Regional Development Commission, Slayton, MN
• Chris Turley, Director of Workforce Services, Bluegrass Area Development District, Lexington, KY

Moderator:      

• Jamie Wright, Deputy Director, East Arkansas Planning and Development District, Jonesboro, AR

This session will show executive directors and senior staff all they need to know to increase innovation with ready-to-use apps, using technology the organization probably already has. These apps will empower government leaders to solve problems in forward-thinking ways, and help create places where business wants to be and citizens want to stay.  (Sponsored by ESRI)

Trainers:           

• Lee Johnston, Jr., Sales Manager, ESRI, Redlands, CA
• Sarah Schrader, Solution Engineer, ESRI, Redlands, CA

Moderator:      

• Lisa Cribb, Executive Director, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Valdosta, GA

NADO's Annual Innovation Awards Program celebrates successful endeavors of member organizations that have made a difference in their regions.  During the reception you will be able to meet awardees and learn more about their programs and projects, while enjoying light snacks and beverages.  All registered attendees are invited to attend.

Be sure to attend so you can participate in the drawing for an iPad Mini!

During NADO's 2014 ATC in Denver, a few attendees who were only a few years into their careers asked if we could organize a Meetup for them to get to know each other and begin to develop their professional networks.

Plan to meet Nicole Griensewic Mickelson, Executive Director of Region Nine Development Commission in Mankato, MN, and NADO staff in the lobby for snacks (provided by NADO) and beverages (cash bar) for lively conversation and network building!

Over 5,000 oceangoing vessels move through New Orleans on the Mississippi River each year, with 1,800 of them calling at the Port of New Orleans.  The port is responsible for over 160,000 jobs, $8 billion in earnings, $17 billion in spending, and $800 million in taxes statewide.  Learn how this economic engine operates and connects to other transportation modes.  This tour will interest RDO board members, planning and economic development staff, executive directors, and others, with a waterside glimpse of port activities from the port’s own fireboat.  (Pre-registration is required; $35 additional fee; limited to 20 people.)

There are two tours.  Please refer to the ticket in your Conference Registration Packet to confirm which tour you are on. Tour 1 will meet in the lobby at 8:30 a.m.; the bus will depart at 8:45 a.m. and return to the hotel by 10:30 a.m. 

Like it or not, the new OMB grant guidelines are here and they will impact every organization that receives federal grant funds.  This session will walk attendees through the major components of the guidelines and help you better understand the changes that will affect your organization.

Trainer:                            

• Bob Lloyd, Principal, Robert Lloyd Consulting Services, Greenville, SC

Moderator:      

• Jack Couch, Executive Director, KIPDA, Louisville, KY

Time and time again, we have seen examples of regions suffering from the downturn of an industry or sector that they were overly reliant upon.  Currently, many communities are grappling with the downturn of the coal industry and identifying ways to rethink economic investments and prioritize diversifying their regional economic portfolio.  This session will highlight three unique examples of regions that were once reliant upon a specific industry, negatively impacted by that industry’s decline, and have since found ways to diversify and re-imagine their economic futures.

Panelists:          

• Sherry McDavid, Executive Director, FIVCO Area Development District, Grayson, KY
• Sandy Runyon, Executive Director, Big Sandy Area Development District, Prestonsburg, KY
• Cotina Terry, Executive Director, Randolph County Economic Development Authority, Roanoke, AL
• Mary Patchunka-Smith, President, Tour East Alabama, Lineville, AL

Moderator:      

• Lisa Dawson, Executive Director, Northeast Oregon Economic Development District, Enterprise, OR

Stop by this Conversation Café to talk with your peers about your organization’s role in disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.  Exchange information and ideas in this informal, yet facilitated, session aimed at pure peer-to-peer learning.  Come prepared to ask questions and offer solutions!

Facilitator:        

• Christine Frost, Executive Director, North Country Council Littleton, NH
• Tom Kennedy, Executive Director, Southern Windsor County RPC, Ascutney, VT

Every RDO needs strategies to bring in much-needed revenue and sustain new programs that do not have grant support.  Learn about the revenue-generating programs, institutional arrangements, and business models that RDOs have used to monetize solutions to regional problems.  This session will bring new insights to executive directors, senior staff, and board members of RDOs and their partner agencies.

Panelists:          

• Ryan Hutchinson, Chief Technology Officer, South Central Planning and Development Commission, Houma, LA
• Laura Mathis, Deputy Director, Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Macon, GA
• Tom Wilkinson, Executive Director, Brazos Valley Council of Governments, Bryan, TX

Moderator:      

• Chris Rietow, Executive Director, Apalachee
  Regional Planning Commission, Tallahassee, FL

Over 5,000 oceangoing vessels move through New Orleans on the Mississippi River each year, with 1,800 of them calling at the Port of New Orleans.  The port is responsible for over 160,000 jobs, $8 billion in earnings, $17 billion in spending, and $800 million in taxes statewide.  Learn how this economic engine operates and connects to other transportation modes.  This tour will interest RDO board members, planning and economic development staff, executive directors, and others, with a waterside glimpse of port activities from the port’s own fireboat.  (Pre-registration is required; $35 additional fee) 

There are two tours.  Please refer to the ticket in your Conference Registration Packet to confirm which tour you are on. Tour 2 will meet in the lobby at 9:30 a.m.; the bus will depart at 9:45 a.m. and return to the hotel by 11:45 a.m. 

One more chance to visit the exhibitors over a cup of coffee.

Although traffic fatalities have significantly decreased in recent decades, crashes are still responsible for causing over 32,000 deaths in the United States each year.  Learn applicable lessons from local, regional, and national-level efforts to decrease fatalities in this session for RDO executive directors, planning staff, and board members.

Panelists:          

• Cassie Parker, Planner 1, South Central Planning and Development Commission, Houma, LA
• Marie Walsh, LTAP Director, Louisiana Transportation Research Center; Safety Workgroup Chair, National Local Technical Assistance Program Association, Baton Rouge, LA
• April Renard, Highway Safety Manager, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Baton Rouge, LA

Moderator:       

• Chad Eggen, Executive Director, Boonslick Regional Planning Commission, Warrenton, MO

Your annual audit doesn’t have to be the most dreaded event of the year.  Attend this session and learn how you can be prepared for the audit in a manner that helps you sail through it with little to no heartburn.  Get a sense of what your auditors will be looking for, what information you need to have ready to share with them, and what steps you can have in place and follow throughout the year to assure your audit is as smooth as possible.

Trainer:                            

• Bob Lloyd, Principal, Robert Lloyd Consulting Services, Greenville, SC

Moderator:      

• Carol Jackson, Executive Director, Mid Ohio Valley Regional Council, Parkersburg, WV

Across the country, small towns are rediscovering and reclaiming their main streets and downtowns by pursuing innovative community and economic development projects.  Once-abandoned sidewalks, storefronts, and plazas are now bustling with activity as residents find their way back downtown, again making these spaces the social, civic, and economic centers of their communities.  Learn how regional development organizations are supporting efforts to transform downtowns and main streets, improving both quality-of-life and economic opportunities for residents and businesses.

Panelists:          

• Greg Boike, Senior Government Services Specialist, Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Macon, GA
• Amy Frogue, Associate Director, Pennyrile Area Development District, Hopkinsville, KY
• Scott Marshall, Mayor, City of Guthrie, KY
• Andrew Pompei, Regional Planner, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Houston, TX

Moderator:      

• Tom Bliss, Executive Director, Mo-Kan Regional Council, St. Joseph, MO

Experiencing a high default rate?  Looking for new ways to recruit businesses ready to borrow?  Struggling with providing technical assistance to your borrowers?  Wondering how other loan funds are managing to make solid loans and help businesses thrive?  Attend this Conversation Café and talk shop with your peers.  Come ready to find answers to you challenges and share your solutions and experiences!

Facilitator:        

• Vernon (Randy) Kelley, Executive Director, Three Rivers Planning and Development District, Pontotoc, MS

Grab your meal of choice from one of the many restaurants in the immediate hotel area (or in the hotel) and join EDA staff for this bring-your-own brown bag lunch to learn about the new process for EDA grant applications under the Economic Development Assistance Programs.  EDA has changed the way it accepts applications for funding.  A whole new suite of forms and a new proposal stage, among other changes, are aimed at easing, simplifying and speeding up the application process.  If you are interested in competing for EDA funding to boost your community’s job creation and economic growth, then come join EDA leaders at this brown bag lunch which will focus on the key changes and how you can develop a strong EDA application.

Speakers:          

• Angela Belden Martinez, Senior Advisor and Director of Outreach, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Washington, DC
• Nathan Ohle, Special Advisor for External Affairs, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Washington, DC

This plenary session will explore how narrative and storytelling can motivate your audiences and advance your cause and mission as a regional development organization. Learn the elements of a good story—whether in a Hollywood screenplay or a one-on-one conversation—and how to build a storytelling culture within your organization and board of directors.  This presentation will also develop your ability to communicate in “story packages”—combining a compelling story, a great piece of data, and a clear call to action.  (Sponsored by Three Rivers Planning Development District, MS)

Speaker:                          

• Terrence McNally, Principal, MessageMatters, Los Angeles, CA

Moderator:                     

• Jeff Kiely, Executive Director, Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments, Gallup, NM, and First Vice President, NADO, Washington, DC

All  NADO members are encouraged to attend the Annual Business Meeting and the first meeting of the recently elected Board of Directors serving the 2015/2016 term.

All 2015 Innovation Awardees will have their photo's taken with NADO President Terry Bobrowski.

All conference attendees are invited to the Annual President's Award Dinner. There is a cash bar prior to and during the dinner.