St. Louis Fed to Host New Delta Communities Series in Mississippi

CLARKSDALE, Miss. — Building upon the success of the Delta Communities gatherings held this past year in Greenwood, Miss., and Helena, Ark., the St. Louis Fed will host a new series of Delta Communities sessions starting May 11, 2017, in Clarksdale, Miss.

The forum will bring local leaders from both Greenwood and Helena together to meet with new participants in Clarksdale for sessions that will be held throughout the remainder of 2017 and into 2018. Each session will be held at The Bank in downtown Clarksdale.

Strategic Doing™

The May 11 session on "Strategic Doing: Moving Our Delta Communities Forward," will guide attendees through a Strategic Doing™ process aimed at building momentum for future work throughout the Delta region.

Facilitated by the Stennis Institute at Mississippi State University, this session will arm attendees with the information needed to take practical steps to create stronger economic outcomes for households and communities.

Participants will learn how they can identify regional assets and resources that can be shared, as well as opportunities that can be explored, for improving economic outcomes in the Delta through five main areas: community development finance, financial access, capability and empowerment, housing and neighborhood development, small-business development and workforce development.

Participation is free; however, registration is required by May 5 for the first session. For more information, or to register, see the event listing on the St. Louis Fed's Community Development section.

About the Delta Communities Initiative

With an aim of strengthening communities across the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta region, the St. Louis Fed launched the Delta Communities initiative to build awareness of promising tools and strategies for community and economic development through regional forums. The meetings feature presentations from St. Louis Fed staff and regional and national representatives with experience in building and sustaining community and economic development efforts.

Additional Delta Communities Dates

Additional dates for Delta Communities sessions in 2017 will include June 22, August 3, September 21, October 19 and December 7.

Dates in 2018 will include January 18 and February 28.