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NADO Executive Director Participates in ACE Seattle
In May, NADO Executive Director Joe McKinney participated in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s 16th Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) in the greater Seattle, Washington region. ACE is the premiere economic development, innovation, and entrepreneurial network of the Americas. Read more about McKinney's participation and ACE here.
Share Your Successes: Apply for an Excellence in Regional Transportation Award by June 24
Apply now for NADO and RPO America’s Excellence in Regional Transportation Awards program that honors noteworthy projects and practices in rural, small metropolitan, and larger areas. NADO members can submit plans, projects, and programs on transportation-related topics. Award-winning organizations will be recognized during a networking reception at the National Rural Road Safety Summit, September 12-14, in Oklahoma City. This is a joint event being held in place of NADO’s standalone National Regional Transportation Conference this year.
2023 NADO Impact Awards Application Window to Open Next Week
Each year, NADO recognizes member organizations that demonstrate valuable and effective approaches to regional economic and community development through our Impact Awards program. Applications for this year’s awards will be accepted June 15 through July 21. More details and information will be made available in the coming weeks. Contact Brett Schwartz with any questions.
Apply by June 30 to Host a Fellow through the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Program
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), in partnership with the NADO Research Foundation (NADO RF) and other national organizations, recently launched the inaugural Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) program. Submit an expression of interest to host a fellow by June 30. Questions? Contact Brett Schwartz or Jack Morgan.
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Advocacy & Legislative Updates
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Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 Signed into Law
On Saturday, June 3, President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) into law, averting the risk of a potential default on the nation’s debt. The FRA suspends the national debt ceiling through January 1, 2025, effectively increasing the amount of money that the federal government can borrow to fund federal programs. The FRA also includes rescissions – or “clawbacks” – of pandemic-era relief funding. NADO does not anticipate a significant impact to NADO members stemming from the rescissions in the FRA.
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Events, Conferences
& Online Training
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Webinar: Growing Rural Equitable Outdoor Recreation Economies
When: Friday, June 9, 2023, 1 p.m. ET
Where: Virtual | Register here
Join the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for a 'Thrive Rural' discussion on advancing outdoor recreation and tourism development through an equitable, sustainable, and locally-driven approach.
Webinar: Equitable Community Engagement - Discussion
When: Wednesday, June 21, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Where: Virtual | Register here
Join this call for a discussion about equitable community engagement. Alyce Brown from North Central Washington EDD will be featured and will share NCWEDD’s strategies for engagement, outreach, and community ‘buy-in.’ Betsey Suchanic from NGIN will also highlight newly available online resources showcasing best practices for building community partnerships and long-term engagement, particularly around the CEDS process.
Conference: National Summit on Rural Road Safety
When: September 12-14, 2023
Where: Oklahoma City, OK
NADO members and stakeholders are encouraged to hold the date for the National Summit on Rural Road Safety, hosted by National Center for Rural Road Safety and NADO. This year, NADO's National Regional Transportation Conference is combined with the National Summit on Rural Road Safety. Registration opens soon.
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EDD Community of Practice
Spotlight
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Wealth Creation Training Opportunity
Region Five Development Commission is hosting wealth creation trainings in ND, SD, and MN. Through the EDD Community of Practice, NADO is offering these free opportunities to interested EDDs:
Wealth creation is about connecting a region’s assets to meet market demand. This opportunity may be especially useful to EDDs if they are working on inventorying assets/SWOT, or considering ways of supporting economic development strategies/sectors. Please RSVP online if interested in attending a training or email Melissa Levy for more information.
NADO RF Releases New Interactive EDD Map
As part of the EDD CoP, NADO RF has created a new interactive national EDD map that provides information about each  EDD’s service area, website, contact information, and EDA regional office. It also includes two search functions: one that allows the user to quickly identify which EDD serves any address or location and one to search the map by the name of the EDD. Access the map here.
Virtual EDD Chapter Meet Ups Scheduled for June to Discuss CEDS Planning and Implementation
The next round of Virtual EDD Chapter Meet Ups has been scheduled for this month. Organized as part of the EDD CoP, these online networking sessions are an opportunity for EDD staff to connect with each other in small groups to share ideas and troubleshoot challenges together. The topic for the next Meet Up is CEDS planning and implementation. EDD staff have already been sent registration information for these sessions. If you need access to the link or have additional questions, contact Brett Schwartz.
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Funding Opportunities
& Resources
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Responses Requested: Public Engagement for Transportation Agencies
Public engagement is evolving rapidly for transportation agencies, and it is more important than ever to monitor the state of the practice. A volunteer research team is soliciting responses about current public involvement practices from every state and regional transportation organization in the U.S., with the results to be used in a research report. NADO and RPO America, along with other association partners, are sharing the public engagement query with transportation practitioners. Click here to learn more and respond by June 12.
NADO RF Shares Transportation Planning Issue Briefs
Through research supported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), NADO RF has developed two draft issue briefs on considering environmental impacts in rural, small metro, and regional transportation planning and projects, also known as Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL). NADO RF also shares updates on PEL and general environmental information on the Rural Transportation website. FHWA encourages transportation agencies to consider using PEL to streamline planning and project delivery.
Our Town Applications Open Until August 3
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town program supports projects that advance local economic, physical, or social outcomes that contribute to long-term systems change within communities. Guidelines and instructions for the Our Town grant program are now available online. The application is submitted in two parts; the Part 1 deadline is August 3. Click here to learn more and apply. An opportunity to connect with Our Town staff includes a webinar on June 15 at 2 p.m. ET. Registration information is on the Our Town Applicant Resources page.
FEMA Seeks Input for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program
FEMA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify sources that can provide support for the BRIC program’s non-financial Direct Technical Assistance initiative. FEMA seeks to learn from organizations of different sizes and reach who may be a good fit to meet all or some of its needs. Click here to access the RFI.
Smart Growth America Announces Community Connectors Grant Program
Smart Growth America’s new Community Connectors grant program will help advance locally-driven projects to reconnect communities separated or harmed by divisive transportation infrastructure and access available federal and state funds to support these projects. Fifteen teams (e.g., public agencies partnered with nonprofits or other community organizations) from communities with populations of 50,000-500,000 will receive a capacity-building grant of up to $130,000 in addition to tailored training. Learn more here.
New USDA Rural Energy Programs
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loan opportunities to help rural energy and utility providers bring affordable clean energy to communities. Funding will be available through two new programs under the Inflation Reduction Act: the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program and the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. USDA will accept Letters of Interest from June 30 to September 29 for the PACE program and from July 31 to August 31 for the New ERA program. To view the live announcement click here and to view the press release click here.
USDOT Grants and Technical Assistance Navigator Tool
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has launched the DOT Navigator, a new online resource designed to help communities identify federal grant and technical assistance opportunities. The DOT Navigator tool includes:
Several transportation grant programs are currently open relating to safety, tribal transit, ferry service, and more.
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Opportunities &
Job Openings
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RFQ for Mariculture Equipment Consulting and Analysis
Southeast Conference (SEC) is inviting proposals from firms qualified to provide consulting and analysis services related to the purchase of specialized mariculture processing and hatchery/nursery equipment. For more details, click here.
Brockton, MA | Senior Community and Economic Development Planner
Old Colony Planning Council is seeking an experienced Senior Community and Economic Development Planner to apply their technical expertise, working knowledge of community and economic development programs and applications, familiarity with zoning, permitting, and planning best practices to the diverse work program of a busy and growing Regional Planning Agency and Economic Development District. For more details, click here.
Brockton, MA | Senior Comprehensive Planner
Old Colony Planning Council is seeking an experienced Senior Comprehensive Planner who will play an important part in delivering plans and projects within the Comprehensive Planning and Sustainability Department, both independently and in collaboration with other staff. This is an excellent opportunity for a planner interested in a wide range of technical planning projects and enthusiastic about public participation. For more details, click here.
Brockton, MA | Principal Transportation Planner
Old Colony Planning Council is seeking an experienced Principal Transportation Planner who will play an important role within the Transportation Department. Fast‐paced and collaborative, the Transportation Department is responsible for delivering plans and projects at the regional and city/town levels. For more details, click here.
Columbus, OH | Economic Development Director & Regional Innovation Officer
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)b is seeking an Economic Development Director & Regional Innovation Officer to direct and develop agency economic development and strategic infrastructure programming, lead Central Ohio’s innovation ecosystem, and perform related duties as required. For more details, click here.
RFP for Marine Ferry Services
NADO RF seeks proposals from qualified vendors for consulting planning services to be provided to a region of Alaska as part of a publicly funded research project. Any interested parties can review the RFP details online. All responses to this opportunity should be submitted electronically to transportation@nado.org by June 15, 2023.
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NADO Board of Directors Meeting
June 26-28, 2023
Sheraton Park City
1895 Sidewinder Drive, Park City, UT
National Summit for Rural Road Safety
September 12-14, 2023
Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel
1 North Broadway Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK
NADO Annual Training Conference
November 7-10, 2023
Hilton Cleveland Downtown
100 Lakeside Avenue East, Cleveland, OH
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The views and opinions expressed by other organizations or outside publications referenced in NADO News do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the National Association of Development Organizations or its members.
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