April 11, 2007

LIVINGSTON, Ala.—The University of West Alabama, which is positioning itself as Alabama's premiere rural development center for the western tier of the state, recently awarded Community and Economic Impact Grants through the UWA Small Business Development Center to 10 communities in the Black Belt. On April 20-21, representatives from the Sumter County towns of Emelle, Epes and Geiger will convene at Birmingham’s Wynfrey Hotel for a strategic planning workshop led by nationally recognized consultant Mary Randolph, director of the Wyoming Rural Development Council.
 

With a combined population of approximately 400 residents, Emelle, Epes and Geiger, operate as a regional entity. Each town will send city officials, educators, senior citizens, law enforcement officers and representatives from other interest groups to the workshop to determine the main problems and assets of the area, with Randolph recommending several priorities for improvement in a five-to-10 year time frame.
 

What sets the UWA approach apart, says grants program director Kenric Minges, is the quality of the community and economic development planners contracted by the Small Business Development Center.
 

“With proven professionals including Wyoming’s Randolph and Alabama’s Larry Watts overseeing the community improvement projects, we expect measurable revitalization and growth in the communities receiving the impact grants,” Minges said.
 

UWA awarded Community and Economic Impact Grants to projects designed to have a positive and long-term impact in the areas of strategic planning, marketing of local resources and industry recruitment. The University has contracted with renowned certified planners to provide these services to other grant recipients including Aliceville, Demopolis, Eutaw, Linden, Selma, Uniontown and York. Another cycle of awards is planned for an additional four communities and three counties in the future.
 

For more information, contact Minges at 205-652-3665.