Building Vibrant Communities in Tough Times -
What to do NOW
2009 Breakthrough Solutions Conference
Friday, September 11
U of A Cooperative Extension
Service, 2301 S. University
Little Rock
Conference Agenda
Overall Purpose of the Conference:
To provide community and regional leaders with insights, tools, solutions, and a road map of how they can move forward in these tough times – what they can do now.
9:30 a.m. Registration and refreshments
10:00 a.m. Master of Ceremonies – Clevon Young, Ex. Dir., AR Human Development Corporation
Welcome – Dr. Tony Windham, Interim Associate Vice President of Agriculture, U of
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
10:10 a.m. Keynote: Creating Economic Opportunities Through Entrepreneurship – Don Macke,
Director, RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, U of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
- With job outsourcing and plant closings continuing, communities and regions need to embrace a more viable strategy. Creating your own jobs through entrepreneurship does not depend on outside decision makers, and is more sustainable over the long term because the entrepreneurs have loyalty to your community. Mr. Macke will share success stories, principles, and tools to support entrepreneurship in your community.
10:55 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Surviving and Thriving in Tough Times – the Breakthrough Solutions Model – Mark
Peterson, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
- In a time of rapid change, incremental improvements are not sufficient; it takes breakthrough solutions to move communities and regions forward.
- Drawing from research, best practices, and stories of successful communities, the new breakthrough solutions model provides a systematic approach for communities and regions to leverage and transform their assets with five critical elements
11:40 a.m. Visionary Thinking – Going Beyond Assets – Ed Levy, Partner, Cromwell Architects and
Engineers
- How can a community or region leverage and transform their assets to create a vibrant community in this economic environment?
- Ed Levy, an internationally known architect who is known for his visionary thinking and projects, draws on his experiences in the U.S., Asia, and Europe to provide a powerful framework for creating breakthroughs in your community
12:15 a.m. Break for Lunch
12:40 p.m. Luncheon Presentation: Emerging Markets in Our Own Back Yard – A Tale of Two Cities
Rickey Williams, Manager, RJB Broadband Holdings LLC
- What are the unseen opportunities for broadband in rural Arkansas? Is broadband sufficient for community revitalization? Come hear the story of two cities that embraced broadband and the widely differing results.
1:00 p.m. Break
1:10 p.m. Overview of Breakout Sessions - Ken Hubbell, Ken Hubbell and Associates
First Round of Breakout Sessions
1) A Tool Box for Community and Economic Development – Group Leader: Jeff Jones, Public Affairs Manager, CenturyLink; Heather Hendrickson, Community Resource Manager – Entergy; Heather Robinette, Consulting Manager, Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center and Roby Brock, Host and Executive Producer - TalkBusiness.net
2) Creating Economic Opportunities Through Entrepreneurship – Hands-On Tools – Group Leader: Stacey McCullough, Instructor, Com & Econ Dev, U of A Coop. Ext. Service; Don Macke, Director, RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship – will provide a more in-depth presentation of the entrepreneurship concepts and tools developed by the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
3) Alternative Energy Opportunities for Communities and Regions – Group Leader: Stanley Hill, Assoc. Director of Govt. Affairs, Arkansas Farm Bureau; Tom Riley, Jr., Director, Public Policy Center, U of A Cooperative Extension Service and Jenny Ahlen, Renewable Energy Programs Coordinator
Arkansas Energy Office. What are the opportunities for using biomass, water sources, and landfills to generate energy and jobs?
4) Creative Economy as a New Economic Development Opportunity – Group Leader: Joy Pennington, Ex. Dir., AR Arts Council; Rich Fischer, Chair, NCARED Creative Economy Team; Sonia Gutierrez, President, New Design Center. The creative economy in Arkansas offers a viable economic development strategy for many communities and regions, including branding opportunities.
2:00 P.M. Break
2:10 p.m. Second Round of Breakout Sessions
5) 21st Century Economic Engines – Group Leader: Dr. John Ahlen, President, Arkansas Science and Technology Authority; Dr. Wayne Miller, U of A Cooperative Extension Service; Mayor Carl Redus, City of Pine Bluff (invited). Will explore new economic opportunities in today's economy - strategic clusters and niches in the global economy, extraordinary products, services, and experiences.
6) Workforce Education for the 21st Century – Group Leader: Tim Wooldridge, Ex. Director, AR Association of Public Universities; Dr. Ed Franklin, Executive Director, AR Assoc. of Two Year Colleges; Gervais LeBlanc, Director of Manufacturing, Dassault Falcon Jet; What kind of workforce do we need in the 21st century economy? What are key elements and resources to develop this?
7) High Quality of Life and Place as a Competitive Advantage – Group Leader: Dr. Roby Robertson, Director, UALR Institute of Government; Cecilia Patterson, Program Director, AR Community Foundation; Mark Peterson, U of A Cooperative Extension Service when many people can live anywhere, quality of life and place becomes a differentiating factor for vibrant communities. Community philanthropy can play a strong role.
8) Broadband and e-Communities – Opportunities, Funding, and Updates – Group Leader: Shelby Johnson, State Land Info. Coordinator, AR Geographic Information Office; Kim Tran, Vice President of Connect Arkansas and Cammie Hambrice, Chairperson, Columbia County Forward - will discuss the e-Communities program, economic stimulus funds for broadband, and other opportunities related to broadband
2:55 p.m. Groups report out and discussion
3:20 p.m. Wrap up, including door prizes
3:30 p.m. Adjourn