Community Development Institute (CDI) Central

The City of Sherwood Government is searching for a Director of Community and Economic Development! This position will be responsible for managing, directing, and integrating the functions, programs and activities of community and economic development, as well as the city's grant division. You can learn more and learn how to apply here: https://lnkd.in/gpMDKqMs

Join us in giving a warm welcome to our new graduate assistants: Unzila Cheema, BBA and April McCullough! Unzila is pursuing her Masters of Business Administration and April is pursuing her PhD in Leadership Studies. We are very excited to have Unzila and April join our team, and we can't wait for everyone in our network to meet them.

Strap on your boots, grab your backpack, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime at CDI Central 2025: Camp CDI! Community leaders across Arkansas and the nation are invited to join our troop July 28 through August 1 for the nation's leading community development training program. At Camp CDI you can expect to learn the skills and strategies you need to make an immediate, positive impact on your community. Community and economic development experts will share best practices through engaging, interactive sessions and simulations. You will have the opportunity to network with leaders from a variety of sectors. After graduating from CDI, you also have the opportunity to become a credentialed Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED). Register today to take advantage of our early bird registration rate of $550! To learn more and register, go here: uca.edu/cdi

Thanks again to The Wellspring for connecting with our staff to host a Poverty Simulation for their board members, staff, and volunteers in mid-November. We also appreciate our partners at Louisiana Delta Community College-Monroe Campus for opening their facility to us to host the simulation.

This Thanksgiving, the Center for Community and Economic Development is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside incredible communities in Arkansas. We appreciate your trust and support throughout the year! In observance of the holiday, our offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. Wishing everyone a warm and joyful Thanksgiving! 🍂🦃

In the latest issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s City & Town magazine, CCED’s Tabatha Duvall, PCED shares “Life is Better on the Ridge: Elevating City of Pea Ridge - Government with a new community brand.” Pea Ridge leaned into a community driven branding process to create a unique brand that combines the city’s rich history and promising future. Read Tabatha’s article here: https://lnkd.in/g-yZEfXJ #lifeisbetterontheridge

Our CED Fellows and Graduate Assistants were able to spend Friday afternoon with Matt Twyford at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission learning the different ways AEDC invests in the betterment of Arkansas communities including the retention and recruitment of Arkansas’ diverse industries. Thank you for being a great host and for all that you do!

The #CDIcentral Advanced Year will explore the City of Keo in 2025. Keo is The Pecan Capital of Arkansas and home to the best pie in Arkansas Charlottes Eats & Sweets. This morning, CDI Director Shelby Fiegel joined Mayor Stephanie White, Amy Williams with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and other local and state leaders for a tour of Cobb Brothers McNeely Orchard, one of Keo’s local pecan orchards.

Partnerships are the key to advancing vision in our small and rural communities. Thanks to a unique technical assistance investment by University of Central Arkansas Center for Community & Economic Development / Community Development Institute (CDI) Central, our friends in the growing City of Pea Ridge, Arkansas undertook a process of discovery and design facility by Thrive that resulted in a fresh new brand identity, setting the stage for the town to make big moves in Northwest Arkansas! Check out this piece in Arkansas Municipal League's City and Town Publication written by Tabatha Duvall, PCED! https://lnkd.in/g-yZEfXJ

Our partners at Startup Junkie , Conductor, and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission have developed the 75Strong program to strengthen entrepreneurship and small business development in Arkansas communities. The program is a two-year initiative that equips participants with the tools to drive economic growth, earn the internationally recognized Entrepreneurial Development Professional (EDP) certification, and develop Strategic Entrepreneurship Plans tailored to their regions. Want to learn more? Register for the information session being held tomorrow here: https://lnkd.in/g3uNv9tu