Saline County Economic Development Corporation [Press Release]

Saline County well represented at UALR Mid-South Basic Economic Development Course

Saline County, AR (March 16, 2007) –

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Center for Economic Development Education graduated a record number of 40 participants, representing eight states, from its Mid-South Basic Economic Development Course (MSBEDC) on March 15. Among those 40 were Eddie Black, chairman of the Saline County Economic Development Corporation; Marsha Guffey, director of community and economic development for the City of Benton; Gwendolyn Edwards, community development specialist for the Central Arkansas Development Council; and, Robin Pelton, Saline County existing industry resource representative with the Arkansas Department of Economic Development. The four-day course covered topics addressing community preparation for economic development and community promotion for economic development. This was the fourth year for the course which is accredited through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the nation’s largest membership organization for economic developers.

Arkansas State Senator Shane Broadway and IEDC President and CEO Jeff Finkle presented the graduates with certificates at a graduation luncheon on Thursday. “May I commend you all for taking the initiative to educate yourselves with tools to take back to your communities, companies, and states,” said Broadway to the graduates. “Economic development requires vision, dedication and a long-term commitment. The things you’ve learned this week will help you help develop your communities into better places to live and work in years to come.”

“Communities must be prepared to meet the challenges faced in today’s economy – to capitalize on new developments, to turn potential obstacles into opportunities, and to enhance the quality of life for those who live, visit and invest in their community,“ said Dr. Ron Swager, course director and director of the Center. “These students are taking action to better meet the competitive challenges they face in fostering economic advancement in their area. They should all be commended for taking the initiative to arm themselves with applicable knowledge and applying such to their communities, regions and states.”

Twenty-two different instructors, panelists and moderators delivered specialized programs on twenty different topics within the two areas of focus – community preparedness and community promotion. Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas were all represented amongst the student population.

“With every course or workshop you attend, you can pick up new ideas to try in your community,” said Guffey, attending the course on a scholarship from the Arkansas Economic Developers association. “Eddie Black and I have already discussed how the City of Benton and the Saline County Economic Development Corporation can work together better on marketing efforts, based on what we heard in one of the sessions.”

Black, attending the course through a scholarship from Entergy’s Teamwork Arkansas stated, “The four-day course was very well constructed with many different speakers and experts in the field of economic development. The learnings I took away with me from the course will certainly aide our economic development effort in Saline County and help us chart our direction for future efforts and activities. The networking with 40 other participants will be invaluable going forward.”

The MSBEDC course can be applied to the requirements to sit for the Certified Economic Developer exam and the Mid-South Economic Development Professional exam. For more information on the certification program or the Center, please visit www.aiea.ualr.edu/econdev.