Rural Alabama Initiative Grant Helps Address Eufaula 2020 Goal

The city of Eufaula prepared an ambitious strategic development plan in 2001. With the assistance of the Economic and Community Development Institute, Eufaula developed Eufaula 2020 as a planning document to guide community decisions over a 20-year period. Preparing the plan directly involved hundreds of residents in identifying the most important opportunities facing the community. The city has been busy implementing the strategic goals identified in Eufaula 2020 and has updated the plan several times with new goals as adopted goals are accomplished.

Recently, with the assistance of grant funds from the 2008 Rural Alabama Initiative, Eufaula will be able to address one of the most important Eufaula 2020 goals. That goal is to develop more leaders for Eufaula and Barbour County. Eufaula has recognized that future economic and community development success for the city and county is directly linked to the quality and quantity of its leaders.

The 2008 Rural Alabama Initiative project, designated Leadership Barbour County, will provide focused leadership training sessions devoted to developing specific leadership skills and how to apply those skills in the community. In addition, class participants will be trained on health care, economic development, state and local government, diversity and cultural awareness, and community trusteeship. The ultimate purpose of the project is to provide a group of trained and willing community leaders in Eufaula and Barbour County that can provide the energy and leadership for a host of organizations and projects, including local government, civic clubs, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and community-based or neighborhood-based organizations.

Dr. Joe Sumners, director of the Economic and Community Development Institute, talked with the Leadership Barbour County group recently concerning current and future economic development issues in Alabama. Charles Mason, county Extension coordinator for Barbour County, served on the Leadership Barbour County Rural Alabama Initiative project planning team and will be actively involved in the project throughout 2008.

Posted by dreynold at January 22, 2008 12:35 PM | TrackBack