Lee County leaders develop action plan at Rural Development Institute

VALDOSTA — A seven-member team from Lee 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,” Darrell Moore, director of VSU’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact, said. “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, Lee 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 work force 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 Lee 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.

“RDI was an amazing opportunity to learn about a multitude of topics that affect our local economic and community development,” Leesburg City Council member Amanda White said. “We are currently focused on improving both in our community. RDI supplied the tools we need to launch these efforts as well as continue to improve on them in the future.”

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, Ala.; the Downtown Development Authority of Bainbridge; Retail Strategies; Hodge Consulting Services LLC; the Office of Gov. Brian Kemp; and the Wetumpka, Ala., Chamber of Commerce.

Lee 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 Lee County implement at least one of these projects in the coming months.

“The future is bright in Leesburg, and I’m excited to be a part of it all,” White said. “We did compile a prioritized list of projects that will receive extensive focus in order to boost economic and community growth. One will be a partnership with VSU to develop a strong visioning and branding campaign. It’s something we really need in Leesburg, and I’m really excited about it.

“We’ve already started initial communication with the school to kick-start the process. Other initiatives on the list include downtown development and housing development. These are ongoing projects that will continue to be prioritized by our leadership teams.”

Based on feedback and comments from participants, presenters, and mentors, VSU’s RDI is a success.

“The Rural Development Institute contributes to the community and economic growth of rural communities through strategic planning to develop initiatives to support local businesses, promote entrepreneurship, or attract investment,” Scott Purvis, regional economic development manager for Georgia Power and a Lee County mentor, said. “I am very optimistic of the hard work displayed by the participants from Leesburg and Lee County. They have developed a plan that will bring short-term success and long-term stability through a new community branding campaign and downtown development efforts.”

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.

On the Web, go towww.valdosta.edu/sgri.

Lee County leaders who participated in the institute included White; Bob Alexander, Leesburg’s city manager; David Daughtry, a Leesburg City Council member; Lee County Commissioner Chris Guarnieri; Lisa Davis, president of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce; Leesburg City Attorney Bert Gregory, and Leesburg Police Chief Chris Prokesh.

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