A four-member team from Coffee County recently attended the Valdosta State University Center for South Georgia Regional Impact Rural Development Institute, a three-day summit designed to help communities across Georgia develop an action plan for rural prosperity.
“Rural communities and their citizens are integral to Georgia’s economy, culture, and future,” said Darrell Moore, director of VSU’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact. “Through the RDI, VSU is working to build capacity that encourages the growth and development of rural communities without sacrificing their distinctive rural character.”
To prepare for the RDI, Coffee County’s participating economic development, city, county, and community leaders were tasked with using a readiness index to conduct a self-assessment of their recruitment, education, infrastructure, leadership, demographics, and quality of life.
During the summit, they analyzed the results of their self-assessment and worked with a mentor to identify their unique opportunities and challenges, connect with experts and other available resources, build a support network, and develop a roadmap for economic vitality.
Moore said this year’s RDI, VSU’s third, offered a program that emphasized experiential learning with a heavy dose of discussion, debate, and teamwork.
Highlights included content experts, professional developers, and consultants delivering interactive and engaging sessions on the elected official’s role in economic development, the current economic environment and future projections, building the future workforce through pathways and partnerships, the impact of artificial intelligence, downtown redevelopment strategies, retail as a catalyst for economic growth, tourism opportunities to generate wealth, and more.
After each session the Coffee County leaders “worked with a mentor to reflect on what they had just learned and then talk about how they could take some of those ideas back and implement them in their communities,” Moore said.
“It is always good to get new information about resources and also to hear about the case studies and success stories from other communities that are rural, like mine,” said Matt Seale, chief executive officer of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce
Summit mentors represented various organizations — Electric Cities of Georgia, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Association County Commissioners of Georgia, One Valdosta-Lowndes, Georgia Power Company, Hodge Consulting Services, and the Georgia Municipal Association.
Featured summit speakers came from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; the Georgia Department of Economic Development; the Georgia Department of Community Affairs; the Georgia Municipal Association; Association County Commissioners of Georgia; the University of Washington iSchool; West AlabamaWorks of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; the Downtown Development Authority of Bainbridge; Retail Strategies; Hodge Consulting Services LLC; the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp; and the Wetumpka, Alabama, Chamber of Commerce.
Coffee County leaders left the RDI with a prioritized list of projects and initiatives designed to build a better future for the people who live, work, play, and visit in their communities.
Through experiential learning initiatives at VSU, the Center for South Georgia Regional Impact will use university faculty, staff, and students to help Coffee County implement at least one of these projects in the coming months.
“We came in with an abstract concept of what we might want to do, and through the RDI sessions, we both broadened our potential scope and refined our potential actions,” Seale said. “There is still much to discuss before a final project is selected, but the material presented and the discussion facilitated were incredibly helpful in developing something that we hope will have a lasting impact in our community.”
Based on feedback and comments from participants, presenters, and mentors, VSU’s RDI continues to be a tremendous success.
“The Valdosta State University Rural Development Institute produces the opportunity for rural community leaders to set priorities for economic and community development,” said Al Hodge, founder and chief executive officer of Hodge Consulting Services LLC and Coffee County mentor. “The RDI is unique with speakers and facilitators that provided relevant information and perspectives that assisted Coffee County leaders who have interest and expertise for further development of the area. Their continuous Coffee County theme was quality development for current and future residents and employers.
“Darrell Moore’s vision, and with the Valdosta State University team, produced a solid program for strategic public policy for development of rural communities. This is especially timely because of the increase in Georgia’s population and more interest in living and working beyond metro areas.”
VSU’s Rural Development Institute is an opportunity for the university to continue supporting the work of the Governor’s Rural Strike Team and provide a positive impact on Georgia’s rural communities.