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Why not here too? Let's talk about Cuba. We're not referring to the island country south of Florida. We're instead referring to a town in Missouri with a population of about 2,000 people. "In the early 1980s, this little town was much like small towns sprinkled throughout the Delta region," Dennis Roedemeier, the chief executive officer of the Missouri Research Corp., recently told the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus. "There were plant closures, high unemployment and a dying downtown. The future looked bleak for Cuba. They had two choices - die or fight. They chose to fight for survival. The Industrial Development Authority decided to formulate a plan to save the town. I was president of that group at the time. Their concentrated efforts earned them coverage on NBC's 'Today Show,' The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times." What did the people of Cuba do? First, they identified the lead organization for economic development. It's important for leaders of a community to be on the same page when they compile an economic and community development plan. Also, they were careful not to get caught up in the work of committees and endless hours of talk, a common roadblock to success. "Devise a plan that includes some things everyone can agree to do and just do them," Roedemeier said. "Don't discuss them to death. Don't drag out the plan. Just do them. Speed is your friend. By focusing on some solid task to accomplish and getting some quick results, the momentum will excite the town and fuel the citizens to take on more." It also is important to attract positive media coverage whenever possible. Roedemeier said that having the leaders of area banks and institutions of higher education involved in the process is another ingredient to success. "Get the banks on board," he said. "You can do everything right, but unless the local banks actively support this effort, it will not work. Their investment in the local economy is critical to economic and community development success. Also call your local university and talk to the people designated to help with economic development. Discuss how they might be able to help. They may be looking for communities that are seeking help. Don't forget about your state economic development agencies as well. They exist to help your community grow and prosper." Roedemeier said the importance of small entrepreneurs has grown tremendously since Cuba developed its plan in the 1980s. "Back in 1984, Cuba used industrial recruitment as a key component to revitalize its economy," he said. "This technique is still used. But it is rapidly being replaced by small cities and towns growing their own businesses and industries through entrepreneurship." The Missouri Research Corp. is the economic development arm of Southeast Missouri State University at Cape Girardeau. It's one of the partners we work with at the Delta Regional Authority. The Missouri Research Corp. has brought research projects to the campus, established a nationally recognized entrepreneurial training program and consolidated the resources needed to help businesses in the region grow. MRC also has started a community leadership initiative focused on communities with populations from 1,500 to 7,500. The goal of the initiative is to help communities develop customized programs for economic and community development. Across the eight states we serve, other partners are involved in work of this type. They realize that in this century, economic development and community development are about much more than highways, rail spurs, water lines and sewer systems. "Health care, education, the arts, recreation and economic opportunity are among the myriad factors that influence a community's quality of life," said Robert Pittman, the executive director of the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. "Community improvement does not happen by accident. It happens when local citizens plan and work together cooperatively and inclusively. Through research and experience, we are gaining a better understanding of what facilitates community and economic development. They're often used but sometimes misunderstood terms." Pittman said economic development is commonly regarded as "creating jobs in a community through recruiting firms and the facilitation of business start-ups. A more holistic definition of economic development would include raising the standard of living and quality of life for all residents through higher-skilled jobs and diversifying the local economy in a sustainable manner." Community development, according to Pittman, is a broader field that encompasses economic development. The outcome of community development includes improved infrastructure, better health care, lower crime rates, improved education and other advancements. "The process of community development occurs when residents address problems by planning and acting in a unified fashion to improve the community," Pittman said. "The ability of a community to successfully undertake the process of community development is often called social capacity. Successful communities constantly work to improve their social capacity -- a process often referred to as capacity building. ... If a location is not successful in community development, it will be much more difficult to achieve success in economic development. This is because economic development involves carefully planning and executing programs to recruit new firms, working with existing local firms in retention and expansion and facilitating business start-ups. In addition, community development creates better communities that will attract and grow businesses. Without a good product to sell, it is hard to be successful in economic development." At the DRA, we're completing work on a comprehensive strategic development plan for the 240 counties and parishes we serve in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Taking our cue from the vision laid out by experts such as Dennis Roedemeier and Robert Pittman, this plan represents a departure from traditional economic and community development models. We want to be creative in our approach to revitalizing the Delta. The programs that will emerge from this plan will embrace a vision of the Delta as a region where people, communities and businesses can flourish. The plan will contain prioritized goals, strategies and actions that provide focus for our efforts. I look forward to sharing the details with you in the weeks and months to come.
Pete Johnson of Clarksdale, Miss., is the federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority. He was appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2001.
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