September 23, 2020
Delta Regional Authority celebrates 15th DLI Executive Academy graduating class.
CLARKSDALE, MS – Today, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) congratulates five new Missouri graduates of the Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy. This graduating class marks the 15th year of DLI-trained regional leaders equipped to improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt.
The five Executive Academy fellows completed the year-long DLI Executive Academy, a leadership development program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from DRA’s eight-state region. The program empowers fellows with the tools, experiences, and networks to address local and regional challenges, improve decision-making and policy development, and strengthen leadership capacity and mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues.
“The Delta Leadership Institute is a dynamic tool within DRA to promote the economic advancement of the Delta,” said DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Caldwell. “DLI’s diverse curriculum provides the next generation of economic and community development leaders with the tools needed to create change within their communities. I congratulate the DLI graduates and challenge you to use this new skillset to shape the development a more resilient Delta economy.”
The graduates participated in six training sessions over the past year to educate them on the regional and local economic and community development best practices employed across the Delta to catalyze innovative solutions implementable in their own community and region. DLI fellows learn from local, regional and national experts in infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health and other fields necessary to facilitate economic growth in the Delta.
“We are proud to have five Missouri graduates of the Delta Leadership Institute this year,” Governor Mike Parson said. “The skills, knowledge, and experience these individuals will bring to our state will help us create jobs, strengthen our communities, and recover our economy. Congratulations to the graduates on this accomplishment.”
The Missouri graduates are:
-
Hannah Barnett, Dexter | Executive Director, Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission
-
Shad Burner, Cape Girardeau | Project Manager, Missouri Department of Economic Development
-
Kathy Medley, Sikeston | Executive Vice President, Sikeston Regional Chamber & Economic Development Corp.
-
Gregory Roeback, Washington | Chief Executive Officer, Great Mines Health Center
-
Krista Snyder, Potosi | Executive Director, Washington County Industrial Development
Since 2005, DLI’s Executive Academy has enhanced the leadership skills, policy knowledge and networks of community members in the Delta. After graduation, the Missouri fellows become members of the Delta Leadership Network, which includes more than 500 community leaders who understand the importance of regional collaboration, resource sharing and innovative thinking.
DLI is a program of DRA in partnership with three institutions of higher education in the Delta region: Arkansas State University, the University of Louisiana Monroe, and the University of Arkansas.
About the Delta Regional Authority
The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt. DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s mission is to help create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of those who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state region.
DRA Media Contact:
Shawna Blair
Director of Communications and Public Engagement
202-434-4842
sblair@dra.gov
