MARION, IL.  – The Delta Regional Authority, through a program partnership with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced a $111,111 contribution to help the Greater Egypt Cluster Development Plan with its marketing strategy. 

The money will be used to develop a regional marketing strategy and materials to help attract businesses, jobs, and consumers. The marketing plan will focus on the manufacturing, transportation, warehousing and healthcare sectors.

MONTGOMERY, AL. – The Delta Regional Authority, through a program partnership with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced $26 million in new investments that will add 200 new jobs in Tuskegee, Frisco City and the City of Atmore.

DRA partnership resources will allow for road improvements in Tuskegee, rehabilitate an industrial park in the Town of Frisco City, and develop the Rivercane Industrial Park to aid in recruiting Brown Precision to Atmore.

COTTON PLANT, AR. – The City of Cotton Plant has reliable drinking water again thanks to a $37,721 emergency funding investment from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). Repairs to the city’s water filtration plant were completed today as full electrical power was restored to the system, which suffered a burned out electrical circuit in January.

Cotton Plant’s water filtration system was severely damaged after a Jan. 9 fire. Since then, only parts of the water system have been operable with power from a generator that has been a temporary solution. DRA funding was used to demolish older equipment and install new wiring, and electrical panels to bring continuous water supply to the city.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is opening the 2017 application cycle to provide investments through its States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP). The program is DRA’s primary investment tool to spur infrastructure improvements, help develop the Delta’s workforce and local businesses by enhancing regional economic opportunities in the 252 counties and parishes it serves.

Organizations and communities interested in applying can learn more and begin their application online at funding.dra.gov. The application process runs through May 31, and funds are available in DRA’s footprint in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) will provide funding for high-performing local organizations across its eight-state region to help improve economic opportunity in their communities. DeltaCorps member slots are available for service beginning September 2017.

Notices of intent to apply for funding must be submitted by April 28 and completed applications are due May 12. The Notice of Intent to Apply and the full Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found on the DRA website at dra.gov/deltacorps. Organizations with a focus on economic opportunity and workforce development are strongly encouraged to apply.

DeltaCorps is a DRA and AmeriCorps National program that seeks to engage individuals and organizations in intensive service across the 252 counties and parishes in the DRA footprint. Service projects focus on improving economic opportunities by helping create jobs, build communities and improve the live of the Delta’s 10 million residents. Since 1994, AmeriCorps has attracted 1 million members who have contributed more than 1.2 billion service hours to communities across the nation.

Delta businesses, families to receive access to no-cost one-on-one credit and money management counseling support and entrepreneur training workshops

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – Low-income families and small businesses across the Delta will have access to vital financial literacy education and entrepreneurial training programs through a new partnership between the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and global financial dignity nonprofit Operation HOPE, Inc. 

DRA will invest $250,000, with a $250,000 match programming contribution from strategic financial partners of Operation HOPE, to provide groundbreaking economic uplift in the region, beginning with six rural communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The goal of the initiative is to serve more than 3,000 individuals and businesses in 2017. 

The initial impact areas include DeSoto and Natchitoches parishes in Louisiana; Tate and Tunica counties in Mississippi; and Fayette and Haywood counties in Tennessee. Operation HOPE will install certified financial wellbeing coaches in the specified communities. The coaches will provide one-on-one counseling and mentoring to help individuals manage money and credit and raise credit scores, as well as provide resources on small business startup and development. 

Authority takes immediate action to approve $27,000 request

ROBELINE-MARTHAVILLE, LA. – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) today contributed $27,000 of emergency funding to provide reliable drinking water to 475 residents on the Robeline-Marthaville Water System Inc. in Natchitoches Parish. DRA’s investment will be matched by $5,000 in local funds to replace a 30-year-old water tank. This week, DRA also contributed nearly $600,000 to help deliver drinking water to St. Joseph, La.

Today, representatives from the Office of Governor John Bel Edwards were on the ground in Robeline, taking part in the meeting of local, parish, state, and DRA officials where the short-term solution was finalized. 

The Robeline-Marthaville Water System experienced a “catastrophic failure of its main pressure water tank,” the Water System said in its application for DRA funding. Buying a new pump will return reliable potable water to customers, including the 370-student Marthaville Elementary and Junior High School.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – Delta-based startups and entrepreneurs will have access to a first-of-its-kind, multi-million dollar investment fund focusing on helping them compete on a global scale, the leaders of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and Winrock International (Winrock) announced today. 

The Delta I-Fund, which includes an initial $1 million investment from IBERIABANK as well as another $1 million from the DRA, will target local entrepreneurs across the eight-state Delta region and provide key training, mentoring, and capital investment to help them build their businesses. 

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority, together with its federal and locally-based partners, today announced more than $4 million in new investments aimed at strengthening Illinois' infrastructure, workforce, and economy.

Specifically, DRA will invest more than $800,000 in supporting southern Illinois' entrepreneurial ecosystem, upgrading and repairing road and water infrastructure in Hardin County and Evansville, as well as purchasing equipment to train local workers on engine systems.

MEMPHIS, TN – Workers and businesses across the greater Memphis area will receive a major investment into the creation of good-paying manufacturing jobs – to the tune of more than $350,000 – Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced today.

The DRA, together with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, will specifically invest $155,000 to accelerate the expansion of the Metro Memphis Export Alliance, an organization focused on driving exports and supporting and attracting new manufacturing jobs. The project will receive additional funding from state, local, and private sources.

MONTGOMERY, AL – The Delta Regional Authority, together with its federal and locally-based partners, today announced more than $4 million in new investments aimed at strengthening Alabama's infrastructure, workforce, and economy.

Specifically, the new investments, including more than $1 million in direct DRA resources, will help create a new entrepreneurial support center in Dallas County and improve the roads and water infrastructure in Hurtsboro, Moldwood, and Fulton, as well as support tourism around Selma's role in the Civil Rights movement. 

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority, together with its federal and local-based partners, today announced $13 million in new investments aimed at strengthening Kentucky's infrastructure, workforce, and economy.

Specifically, DRA resources will invest in rehabbing a Henderson river​port crane, strengthening water infrastructure in Cadiz and Paducah, as well as expanding the Merryman House's facilities and services.

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Delta Regional Authority and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, together with their federal and local-based partners, today announced nearly $26 million in new investments aimed at strengthening Arkansas's infrastructure, workforce, and economy.

Specifically, DRA resources will help drive small business growth across the region, strengthening water and sewer systems in Bull Shoals, Clarendon, and Marvell, as well as increasing access to Arkansas's heritage trail. In total, the investments will create or retain an estimated 650 local Arkansas jobs.

DeltaCorps, a program of AmeriCorps and the Delta Regional Authority, helps address the economic and social needs of local communities in the eight states of the Mississippi River Delta region.

Watch our new video to learn more about what DeltaCorps can do to help your community.

DeltaCorps launched its program with five service partners and 40 DeltaCorps members chosen from our initial round of applicants. The newly selected service partners from the second round of applications are listed below, bring the total to 10 service partners and 52 DeltaCorps members. The third and final application round will open December 1st and run through the end of the year.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO – Three entrepreneurs, and one alternate, were selected this week as winners of the Delta Entrepreneurship Network’s final Delta Challenge hosted by Codefi in Cape Girardeau's Marquette Tech District, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced.

The winners become part of the DEN Fellowship and will receive intensive technical assistance trainings, including development support for their business plans and detailed feedback on their product pitches, as well as the opportunity to pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on March 19th, 2017.

The list of winning fellows includes:

• Edible Education, Ann Butler, Cape Girardeau, MO
  Edible Education's Kitchen a la Cart, is the first, interactive mobile teaching kitchen for schools, hospitals, wellness centers, libraries and dietitians to use to teach hands on culinary lessons. 
• My Veggie Chef, Mark Rigdon, Cape Girardeau, MO
  My Veggie Chef delivers and ships affordable, frozen, plant-based meal packages. Each weekly package consists of five meal kits of four servings each built around vegetables, grains, beans, and fruits.
• CosmeticTech, Chris Carnell, Cape Girardeau, MO
  Auto CosmeticTech is an online platform connecting vehicle owners to mobile technician vendors that focus on cosmetic repairs like paintless dent repair, wheel refurbishing, small bumper repairs, vinyl restoration, and headlight restoration.
• ALTERNATE - HABERDASHE, LLC, Smydge Perry, New Orleans, LA
  HABERDASHE is a brand and mobile platform for custom women's suiting by using 3-D body scanning, style algorithms, and virtual fitting rooms.

For many young people in the Delta region, employment in high school isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. But finding a job with a blank resume, an incomplete high school education, and no network or relationship with employers is a daunting task. A recently-released Annie E. Casey Foundation report on youth unemployment found that “today – with millions of jobs lost and experienced workers scrambling for every available position - America’s young people stand last in line for jobs.”

This is why I am so proud of the Delta Regional Authority’s participation in the White House Summer Opportunity Project. This strategic initiative brings together local governments, private businesses, philanthropic organizations, and young adults around a common goal: addressing youth unemployment.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority, together with its federal and local-based partners, today announced $6.7 million in new investments aimed at strengthening Missouri's infrastructure and economy.

Specifically, DRA resources will upgrade the region's ferry system, help lower 911 response times, expand online learning opportunities, and support local entrepreneurs, among others. The new investments come on top of recently-announced upgrades to the Port of New Bourbon.

RUSTON, LA – Three entrepreneurs were selected this week as winners of the Delta Entrepreneurship Network’s Delta Challenge hosted by Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced.

The winners become part of the DEN Fellowship and will receive intensive technical assistance trainings, including development support for their business plans and detailed feedback on their product pitches, as well as the opportunity to pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on March 19th, 2017.

The list of winning fellows includes:

• BetaFlix, Sree Sanakam, Ruston, LA
  BetaFlix is an online job training program that will provide educators and employers with a unique animated video in a visual-interactive format, allowing visual learning and helping users clearly understand very intricate and detailed steps in processes and procedure, which can be utilized anywhere or anytime to effectively and affordably transform training in the trades.
• Reflection Correction, Erin Maxson, Ruston, LA
  By using facial tracking technology to track the drivers face within a car, Reflection Correction offers a new car mirror system for both rear view and side view mirrors that will eliminate all blind spots without having the driver adjust the angles of their mirrors. 
• Kalikoe Galaxy, Quentin Allen, Memphis, TN
  Kalikoe Galaxy is an online social networking and gaming platform where registered users will use crowd sourcing as a way to build social groups online that can provide consulting services to people on a variety of topics.

Of all the investments that the Delta Regional Authority makes, I’m especially proud of the investments that we make into the people of our region – into expanding their skill sets, providing them with valuable experiences, and creating a support and mentorship network for them through the Delta Entrepreneurship Network (DEN).

The Delta’s entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our local economies – creating new jobs that stay in our communities and making new investments into our Main Streets.

No group better exemplifies the positive ripple effect of this investment than the growth and strength of the Delta’s female entrepreneurs. 

From healthcare and education to professional services and retail, the Delta’s female entrepreneurs are leading the way.

ITTA BENA – The Delta Regional Authority and its federal and state partners are investing more than $7.2 million into strengthening Mississippi's workforce, infrastructure, and economy, Delta Regional Authority Federal Chairman Chris Masingill announced today. 

The projects, which include more than $3 million in DRA-designated investments, include the construction of a new levee in Natchez, a new Amtrak platform and pavilion in Quitman County, the construction of permanent exhibits at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, improved water infrastructure across the state, among others.

When I was sworn in as the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority in 2010, our country – and our people and communities – were living through the worst financial crisis we had seen since the Great Depression.

That’s why I made it one of my top priorities to support an ecosystem of self-dependence in the Delta region. I wanted to help create local jobs that couldn’t be outsourced, support businesses that would invest in our Main Streets and people, and help develop industries and companies that would lead the new economy.

For me, achieving that priority meant identifying and supporting Delta entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Small business owners are the backbone and lifeblood of our economy. When they create jobs, it means new jobs in our communities. And when they invest in their companies, it means new investments on our Main Streets.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming six community and business leaders from Tennessee to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Tennessee are:

• Jake Bynum - County Mayor, Weakly County Government
• Rachel Beaty Crickmar - Senior Manager, Economic Development, Tennessee Valley Authority
• James Crone - Government and Corporate Relations/Comprehensive Solutions, Trane U.S. Inc.
• Maleia Evans - Director, Tennessee Small Business Development Center of Dyersburg State Community College
• Gwendolyn Gavin - Director, Eagles Nest
• Jai Templeton - Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Agriculture

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming seven community and business leaders from Missouri to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Missouri are:

• Marcie Lawson - Executive Director, Missouri Delta Foundation
• Scarlett Loomas - Director of Family and Community Development, Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation
• Samantha Rodgers - Project Coordinator, Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission
• David Wyman - Area Engineeer, Missouri Department of Transportation
• Dr. Victor Wilburn - Professor of Child Development, Southeast Missouri State University
• Cindy-Lyn White - Community Development Director, Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission
• Leslie Seabaugh - Regional Planner, Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming six community and business leaders from Mississippi to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Mississippi are:

• Thomas Harrison - Executive Director, Tippah Country Development Foundation
• Manivanh Chanprasith- COO, Billy’s Original Foods
• Staresha Hoskins - Deputy SEDAP/RCAP Manager, Delta Regional Authority
• Adrienne Hudson- Co-owner, Real Delta, LLC
• Mary McClendon - CEO, McClendon Training & Development
• Mechelle Wallace - Alderwoman, Town of Alligator, Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming seven community and business leaders from Louisiana to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Louisiana are:

• Lee Denny - President and Deputy Port Director of Lake Providence Port
• Leslie Durham - Governor’s Designee for the Delta Regional Authority, John Bel Edwards
• Andrea McNeil - ITI Service Manager for the Mayor’s Office, City of New Orleans
• Quentin L. Messer, Jr. - President & CEO, New Orleans Business Alliance
• Annette Straughter - Police Juror District 12, Lincoln Parish Police Jury
• Caesar Velasquez - Alderman, City of Sterlington
• AJ Walker - Project Manager, Louisiana Economic Development

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming six community and business leaders from Illinois to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Illinois are:

• Delio Calzolari - Associate Director, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Tina Gibbs - Community Relations Coordinator, Ameren, IL
• Andrew Sisulak - Director of Marketing, Baysinger Architects
• Beau Henson - Economic Development Specialist, Greater Egypt, IL
• Kristina Stephenson - Downstate Director, Illinois Office of the Comptroller
• Ella York - Community Outreach Liaison, Illinois Attorney General’s Office

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming five community and business leaders from Kentucky to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Kentucky are:

• Greg Curlin - Executive Director, Hickman-Fulton County Riverport Authority
• Lee Lingo - President,  Hopkins County Regional Chamber of Commerce
• William Matthews - Field Representative for Senator Rand Paul
• Mary Anne Medlock - Special Projects Coordinator, Purchase Area Development District
• Kent Waide - President, Ruby Concrete Company

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming eight community and business leaders from Arkansas to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Arkansas are:

• Karen Castle - Project Manager, Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC)
• Tina Cole - Community and Economic Development Coordinator, Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District
• John Davis - Asst. Professor, Director of Governmental Relations, University of Arkansas at Monticello
• Adam Fogleman - County Attorney, Pulaski County, Arkansas
• Alexandra Johnston - Rural Services Director, Arkansas Economic Development Commission
• Dr. Cliff Jones - Sr. Vice President of Instruction, ASU- Mid South
• Courtland Sykes - Military and Veterans Affairs Representative, U.S. House of Representatives
• Jason Willett - President, FJW Consulting

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – The Delta Regional Authority is kicking off the 2016 – 2017 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy this month, welcoming eight community and business leaders from Alabama to join a class of 53 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states. This year is the twelfth class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Each fellow was nominated by their respective governors and the Federal Co-Chairman to participate in the year-long leadership training program. The 2016-2017 DLI Executive Academy fellows from Alabama are:

• Carrie Banks - Communications Director, Alabama League of Municipalities
• Marcus Campbell - Chairman, Sumter County Commission
• Cedric Campbell - Project Manager, Board of Director, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc.
• Winfield Ezell, Jr. - CEO, Obsidian Creative Studios
• Darrio Melton - State of Alabama
• Maureen Neighbors - Community Services Unit Chief, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs
• Susan Smith - City Councilwoman, City of Atmore, AL
• Tiffany Smith - Americorps VISTA/ Community Needs and Partnership Developent, United Way of West Alabama

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – DeltaCorps, a national service initiative of the Delta Regional Authority and AmeriCorps, today unveiled its first five support organizations and 40 inaugural members that will work to improve lives across the Mississippi River Delta region. The first DeltaCorps class is part of AmeriCorps’ national one millionth member celebration.

“The DeltaCorps is setting a new standard for deploying AmeriCorps members to rural America – leveraging the power of national service to improve the lives of our people and communities. Not only will these members address a variety of critical needs within our community such as school preparedness and disaster readiness, but they will also experience the rich history and culture of our people and the entire Delta region. I am excited to work with them to make our communities stronger,” said DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, together with public and private partners, today announced nearly $100 million in new investments into strengthening infrastructure, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, and attracting new companies to West Tennessee. The investments, a combination of the DRA’s 2016 economic development awards as well as state, local, and private resources, are expected to create and retain hundreds of local jobs, train workers, and support industries across the region. 

The investments are primarily made through the DRA States’ Economic Development Assistance Program, the agency’s main federal funding program that invests in basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, workforce development, small business and entrepreneurship, and health access projects in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state Delta region. DRA coordinates directly with Tennessee’s three planning and development districts in the region for program funding implementation.

LIVINGSTON, AL – Three Alabama-based entrepreneurs, and one alternate, were selected last night as winners of the Delta Entrepreneur Network’s Delta Challenge hosted by the University of West Alabama in Livingston, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced.

The winners become part of the DEN Fellowship and will receive intensive technical assistance trainings, including development support for their business plans and detailed feedback on their product pitches, as well as the opportunity to pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on March 19th, 2017.

The list of winning fellows includes:

• Entrelinc, Amelia Thomas: Entrelinc is a technology driven platform that matches and connects large businesses that are seeking to deepen their diversity spend by focusing on doing more business with small, locally-owned, minority and women-owned businesses in the communities in which they have locations.
• Carol’s Artesian H2O Energy, Moses Weaver: Nature's Own Carol's Spring Water, LLC bottles pure, natural artesian mineral water at the source.
• Think Ink, LLC, Carl Morgan: Think Ink is a zero-waste management program, which will prevent recyclable material and electronic waste from entering the municipal waste stream and landfill.
• ALTERNATE - Bio Boom, Dr. Mustafa Morsy: Bio Boom has developed a biofertilizer that will increase production and improve drought tolerance.

OXFORD, MS – Three Mississippi-based entrepreneurs, and one alternate, were selected today as winners of the third annual Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellowship, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced.

The winners will receive intensive technical assistance trainings, including development support for their business plans and detailed feedback on their product pitches, as well as the opportunity to pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on March 19th, 2017.

The list of winning fellows includes:

• HigherLearning, LLC: Lee Ingram, Oxford, MS
  HigherLearning offers high-quality, affordable tutoring services for struggling students by pairing them with well-performing students on campus.
• On The Wall, Inc.: Pontus Andersson, Oxford, MS
  On The Wall is creating the world’s first smart-mirror operating system. Their aim is to make displaying information on a mirror as easy, or as advanced, as using a smartphone.
• Bootsie's Delta Funk BBQ: Pete Grumbles, Pope, MS
  Bootsie's Delta Funk BBQ offers several small-batch and craft bbq sauces and spices, as well as catering of slow-smoked products. 
• ALTERNATE - Interactive Languages: Thomas Matlock, Oxford, MS
  Interactive Languages is a situation and tasked-based virtual world that provides those wishing to learn Spanish with an immersive experience that will provide more sensory cues for memory when the time comes to travel.

JACKSON, TN – Three West Tennessee-based entrepreneurs entrepreneurs, and one alternate, were selected last night as winners of the third annual Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellowship, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced.

The winners will receive intensive technical assistance training, including development support for their business plans and detailed feedback on their product pitches, as well as the opportunity to pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week beginning on March 19th, 2017.

The list of winning fellows from the Tennessee pitch competition are:

• Skycision: Brendan Carroll, Memphis, TN: Skycision provides a Software-as-a-Service solution to the global agriculture industry that enables farmers to detect crop stress earlier in the growing season, and enables growers to make yield enhancing and cost reducing decisions that positively impact their bottom line.
• Somavac Medical Solutions, Inc.: Josh Herwig, Memphis, TN: SOMAVAC Medical is creating a wearable, ultra‐low profile, low power suction device for removal of post-surgical fluid. The device is easy to conceal and operate and has a disposable reservoir with graduations for measurements that can be easily attached or detached.
• B‐G Innovative Safety Systems LLC: Marcus Boykin, Lexington, TN: B-G offers the patented and trademarked Lighting Bug Technology for the automotive industry. This technology is an easy-to-install plug-adaptable module to a vehicle's headlight. It monitors the headlights for failed conditions and provides an auxiliary light when the low beam fails by automatically depowering the high beam to work as both a high beam and low beam under the circumstances.
• ALTERNATE - Xcellent Life: Victor Brown, Lexington, TN: The Xcellent Life Cloud Platform is a software platform powered by analytics and advanced artificial intelligence to empower wellness. The platform powers a mobile application with the ability to provide personalized insights to each individual about their health.

NATCHEZ, Miss. —Local community leaders, regional and state tourism managers, federal partners, and Mississippi River businesses and residents today launched the Mississippi River Geotourism MapGuide website in partnership with National Geographic Maps. The landmark project has taken two and a half years to plan and execute and it is a historically significant digital asset for everyone who visits or lives in the 10 states along the Mississippi River.

The Geotourism MapGuide highlights the unique and authentic landscapes and resilient people of the Mississippi River that is the lifeblood of the economies along its banks and a unique melting pot of experiences not found anywhere else in the United States or across the world. It is designed to showcase to national and international audiences the diverse natural, cultural and historic attractions that define the many communities along the Mississippi River.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR – Four Arkansas-based entrepreneurs, and one alternate, were selected last night as winners of the third annual Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellowship, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced. 

The winners will receive intensive technical assistance trainings, including development support for their business plans and detailed feedback on their product pitches, as well as the opportunity to pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on March 19th, 2017.

The list of winning fellows from the North Little Rock pitch competition are:

• RaftUp, Corey Boelkens
  RaftUp is a social boating community accessible via the web, enabling people to develop connections on and off the water between friends, family, businesses, and public agencies.
• Cocoa Belle Chocolates, Carmen Portillo
  Cocoa Belle Chocolates is launching a new line of chocolate bars and barks inspired by classic southern desserts; aimed to be sold at major retailers.
• Polypatch, Nathan Bailey
  Polypatch is an easier, more cost-efficient patch to apply to polypipe irrigation systems, providing an innovative solution to a crucial tool in Delta agriculture.
• Clinicpass, Tracy Simpson
  Clinicpass is a web based solution for pharmaceutical and/or device representative event/appointment scheduling and credentialing, allowing medical clinics & representatives to do what is really important . . . to help improve and extend peoples' lives.
• ALTERNATE - My Color of Beauty, Eyona Mitchell
  My Color of Beauty is marketplace for diverse women to find information on how to use hair products, apply makeup and implement skin care routines with proven products.

BATON ROUGE — The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and Governor John Bel Edwards, in partnership with local officials, announced a combined investment of more than $72 million in increased economic development, workforce training and infrastructure improvements throughout Louisiana's Delta Region.

The investments are primarily made through the DRA States' Economic Development Assistance Program, the agency's main federal funding program that invests in basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, workforce development, and small business and entrepreneurship, and health access projects in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state Delta region. DRA coordinates directly with Louisiana's seven planning and development districts in the region for program funding implementation.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA – Entrepreneurs from across the Delta region will have the opportunity to win $40,000 in small business training – and access to national and international investors – as part of the Delta Regional Authority’s third annual Delta Challenge pitch competition.

The entrepreneurial competition, which will begin the second week of September and run through November, will select twenty entrepreneurs and sixteen support organizations to be a part of the DRA’s Delta Entrepreneurship Network. A full schedule of the pitch competitions is provided below. The winners will have the opportunity to pitch investors during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (March 2017).

If selected, entrepreneurs will:

• Receive a fellowship in technical assistance and training to enhance their entrepreneurship capacity and opportunities 
• Invited to participate in special investor meetings in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW)
• Access to engaging workshops and mentorship from panelists and other industry experts.

Eight DLI fellows, nominated by Governor Bill Haslam and DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, represented the State of Tennessee this year:

• Landy Fuqua of Martin
• Dennis Henderson of Jackson
• Rodger Jowers of Jackson
• Travis Martin of Jackson
• Mayor William Rawls, Jr. of Brownsville
• Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro of Memphis
• Mayor Allan Sterbinsky of Stanton
• Jimmie Tucker of Memphis

Six DLI fellows, nominated by Governor Jay Nixon and DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, represented the State of Missouri this year:

• Penny Davis-McGath of Poplar Bluff
• Doug Friend of Fredericktown
• Maude Harris of Benton
• Rachelle Johnson of Charleston
• Kristopher Klaus of Perryville
• Margaret Yates of Perryville

Six DLI fellows, nominated by Governor Phil Bryant and DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, represented the State of Mississippi this year:

• Amanda Allen of Clarksdale
• Joshua Bower of Jackson
• Rolando Herts of Cleveland
• Shellie Michael of Jackson
• Lane Riley of Shaw
• Jessie Whitley of Oak Grove

Five DLI fellows represented the State of Louisiana this year:

• Tracy Ausberry of Monroe
• Cole Avery of Jonesboro
• Katrina Branson of Bastrop
• Mayor Adam Holland of Oak Grove
• Courtney Hornsby of West Monroe

Four DLI fellows represented the Commonwealth of Kentucky this year:

• Brandi Harless of Paducah
• Mark Lee of Madisonville
• Mayor Carolyn Townsend of Dixon
• Chris Wooldridge of Murray

Four DLI fellows, nominated by Governor Bruce Rauner and DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, represented the State of Illinois this year:

• Emily Burke of Murphysboro
• Steven Mitchell of Benton
• Jennifer Olson of Carterville
• Diane Regan of Carbondale

Nine DLI fellows, nominated by Governor Asa Hutchinson and DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, represented the State of Arkansas this year:

• Andrea Allen of Jonesboro
• Bevin Hunter of Little Rock
• Spencer Lucker of Little Rock
• Robert Moery of Little Rock
• Abby Olivier of Little Rock
• Trudy Redus of Pine Bluff
• Jessica DeLoach Sabin of Little Rock
• Wesley Ward of Little Rock
• Peggy Wright of Jonesboro

Eight states in the Delta region are receiving a total of $10 million in grant funding in FY 2016 to reduce chronic diseases that disproportionately affect the region. The funds will support collaborative efforts among health care providers to use an evidence-based model to address diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, stroke and behavioral health.

The Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program requires that local health providers work together across counties and parishes to share resources and expertise, with a focus on strengthening the knowledge of Delta region communities about health risks and disease management. Funded projects are tailored from programs showing evidence of effectiveness in addressing gaps and needs in a community setting and improvements in the health status of individuals. The grants are funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Nine DLI fellows, nominated by Governor Robert Bentley and DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, represented the State of Alabama this year:

• Nyaesia Campbell of Montgomery
• Nivory Gordon, Jr. of Camden
• Beverly Helton of Montgomery
• Susan Keith of Selma
• Zach Lee of Montgomery
• Felecia Lucky of Selma
• Commissioner Tyrone Moye of Grove Hill
• Mayor Gena Robbins of York
• Max Snyder of Northport

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo - The non-profit foundation responsible for extending the benefits of the Marquette Tech District to greater downtown Cape Girardeau and the southeast Missouri region is receiving a $200,000 investment to support installation of a state-of-the-art fiber optic network that will provide high-speed internet access and public wi-fi to the emerging technology district, Delta Regional Authority Federal Alternate Co-Chair Mike Marshall and Marquette Tech District Foundation, Inc. Executive Director Dr. James Stapleton announced recently.

Based on a study conducted by the Institute for Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University, the combined first-year regional economic impact of the construction, new jobs, and new sales from the entire Tech District project are estimated in excess of $76.2 million. The ongoing annual regional economic impact of the new jobs and sales are estimated in excess of $42.5 million.

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The U.S. Department of Defense and Delta Regional Authority will host a 13-day health and wellness clinic for residents of southern Mississippi and northeast Louisiana, both groups announced today.

Through the DOD’s Innovative Readiness Training program, Tricentennial Wellness, the final of three medical missions in the Delta region this summer, will bring healthcare providers with the U.S. Military to Natchez, Mississippi, to provide basic medical, dental, and optical screenings at no cost to the community and patients from Tuesday, August 2 to Sunday, August 14.

ITTA BENA, Miss. – Six Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Delta region have been selected to advance entrepreneurship among their students and grow the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through the inaugural HBCU Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Initiative, the Delta Regional Authority announced today.

The Initiative will help these institutions expand programming opportunities and support services for their student populations engaging HBCU leaders, community leaders, and student entrepreneurs in a series of activities that support the growth of minority-owned businesses on college campuses in the Delta region.

WASHINGTON – A new partnership for national service, DeltaCorps, will help address economic and social needs of local communities in the eight states of the Mississippi River Delta region, leaders from the Delta Regional Authority and Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps, announced today. This partnership, valued at $1.6 million, will deploy up to 100 AmeriCorps members to the Delta region over the next year.

DeltaCorps: a program of AmeriCorps and the Delta Regional Authority will deploy AmeriCorps members to local organizations to help them improve economic opportunity in their communities. DeltaCorps members will serve with nonprofit organizations that have distinguished themselves as powerful catalysts for change in the Delta region. The program will utilize a diverse portfolio of models that develop stronger local economies through workforce training, health and wellness, emergency preparedness, and additional focus areas.

PADUCAH, Ky. – The U.S. Department of Defense and Delta Regional Authority will host a 10-day health and wellness clinic for residents of western Kentucky, southern Illinois, and southeast Missouri, both groups announced today.

Through the DOD’s Innovative Readiness Training program, Bluegrass Medical, the second of three medical missions in the Delta region this summer, will bring healthcare providers with the U.S. Military to Bardwell, Mayfield, and Paducah, Kentucky, to provide basic medical, dental, and optical screenings at no cost to the community and patients from Monday, July 18 to Wednesday, July 27.

Services provided will include non-emergency medical treatments and screenings, sports physicals, dental cleanings, fillings, and tooth extractions, eye exams and single-vision prescription glasses. In addition to receiving medical services, residents will be able to obtain information at clinic sites about local healthcare services, public health programs, and general resources.

WASHINGTON -- Members of the Delta Leadership Institute’s Executive Academy, selected by each state’s Governor and Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, met last week with their congressional delegation and federal officials in Washington, DC, to talk about issues affecting the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions, including creating good-paying jobs, growing small businesses and entrepreneurs, and training a skilled workforce.

The meetings also allow these Delta leaders to interact directly with their congressional representation and discuss the policies and resources that they see as being most important to the region’s economic success, such as workforce development, access to healthcare, entrepreneurship, disaster recovery and resilience, and geotourism.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt region is “ripe for exploration, both for its actual landscape and its richly diverse cultural one,” writer Echo Garrett states in this month’s issue of Delta Sky Magazine.

Across 36 pages of editorial musings on the many cultural and natural assets of the Delta region and attractive highlights of each states’ attractions, Delta Sky Magazine has dedicated its June regional profile to the many reasons the Delta region is a great place to visit and explore for travelers throughout the United States and across the world.

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – The U.S. Department of Defense and Delta Regional Authority will host a month-long health and wellness clinic for residents of east Arkansas, west Tennessee, and northwest Mississippi, both groups announced today.

Through the DOD’s Innovative Readiness Training program, Greyhound Medical, the first of three medical missions in the Delta region this summer, will bring healthcare providers with the U.S. Military to provide basic medical, dental, and optical screenings at no cost to the community from Monday, June 6 to Saturday, June 25.

“From rollicking cities to rural charm and rolling landscapes, there’s never a dull moment in the Mississippi River Delta region.” This is the opening line, written by southern travel writer Echo Montgomery Garrett, in this month’s 36-page profile of the Delta in Delta Sky Magazine. Those of us who live in the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt know very well the truth about this statement. The only things dull about our region are the rocks that people hike on in our beautiful natural landscapes or the knives of the many chefs that consistently produce some of the best food in the world.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. — The Delta Regional Authority today announced the 2016 – 2017 schedule of sessions for the twelfth class of the Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy.

Applications for the 2016 – 2017 Executive Academy are available now and will be accepted until the application deadline of July 15, 2016. Interested applicants can learn more about the program and begin their application at dra.gov/leadership.

As we celebrated Economic Development Week last week and look forward to Infrastructure Week this week, I can’t help but go back to my days working on economic development issues and projects in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It was there I learned how committed the people on the ground are to seeing their communities grow and realize economic opportunities. It was there I also learned the importance of strong public infrastructure in bringing growth and economic progress to places like the Delta region.

CLARKSDALE, Miss.—The Delta Regional Authority today launched the 2016 application cycle for $20 million of investment through its States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP) and a new funding program, the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), to better support the local infrastructure, workforce, and small businesses of Delta communities.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Delta Regional Authority is seeking proposals for a mapping and research project that will connect rural small business owners and entrepreneurs with the resources, support organizations, and tools that will help them grow their business towards economic success.

The Delta Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Mapping project will identify the physical and digital resources that are available throughout the Delta region for potential and current entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Everyday I am reminded of the important role small businesses and entrepreneurs play in my life, my work, and the economies of the Delta region: when I am shopping for food for my kids, when I am helping a small business owners connect with a partner support organization, or encouraging a local leader to expand services for local businesses. National Small Business Week (May 1-7, 2016) is a week-long opportunity to recognize and appreciate the major contributions that entrepreneurs and small business owners make to our local, regional, and national economies. It also affords us the chance to recognize the resources and organizations that support these small businesses in their endeavors. This year's theme is "Dream Big, Start Small," and no place is this motto more evident than right here in the Delta.

ITTA BENA, Miss. – Five Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Delta region will empower aspiring student entrepreneurs to develop their ideas for business success through the inaugural HBCU Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Initiative, leaders with the Delta Regional Authority, Allen Entrepreneurial Institute, and Mississippi Valley State University announced today.

GREENVILLE, Miss. – The Washington County Economic Alliance (WCEA) announced it has received a $20,850 Rural Business Opportunity Grant from Delta Regional Authority to assist in the Lower Mississippi River Port Investment Initiative (LMRPII). This investment will fund the necessary cultural resource survey and subsurface soils investigation. 

“There is an enormous untapped investment opportunity for venture capitalists smart enough to look at the numbers and fund women entrepreneurs.”- Dr. Candida Brush, Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship Babson College.

I’m not a venture capitalist, and DRA isn’t an investment firm, but we at DRA are not ones to miss a good opportunity, which is why DRA works to invest in the women and girls of the Delta region. We are actively backing women in our region by supporting their small business growth and providing them with resources to be successful entrepreneurs to improve the economic climate for them and their families.

According to the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative’s recent report Unequal Lives: The State of Black Women and Families in the Rural South, “individuals and families experiencing the deepest levels of poverty are found in the most persistently poor counties… including the Mississippi Delta.” In DRA states, women live in poverty at rates much higher than men. In Mississippi and Louisiana, 24% of women live in poverty compared to 17% of men.  While those numbers are startling, they are even starker for women of color. In the South, 25.5% of African American women, 23.4% of Hispanic women, and 20.9% of Native American women live in poverty, while 12.1% of white women experience similar conditions. 

Chris Masingill, federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, announced in the meeting a new $250,000 investment in JAG that will support between 10 and 12 new JAG schools in five states in the Delta region. The new schools will begin the program in the 2016-17 school year and will serve an additional 350-450 youth. This marks DRA’s fifth investment in JAG. All told, DRA funds have resulted in 38 schools launching JAG for the first time, with a total of 3,000 students served.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials today joined 15 national and regional philanthropic partners to announce a new initiative to bolster the supply chain for local food systems around ten key U.S. cities. The project, dubbed ‘Food LINC’, will connect demand for local food in ten urban areas with supply from farmers and ranchers, strengthening each region’s local food business sector and also increasing consumer access to healthy, local food. The announcement was made at the Wallace Center’s National Food Hub Conference in Atlanta.

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Five entrepreneurs from the Delta region won awards yesterday at the Delta Entrepreneur Showcase, an event sponsored by the Delta Regional Authority as part of the 8th annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. From the field of nineteen, Spencer Jones, Founder and CEO of LineGard Med of Little Rock, Arkansas, won the grand prize of $10,000. SweetBio from Memphis, Tennessee took home $2,500 and second place, and Tina McCord, Founder of ZUNI Learning Tree from Little Rock, was 2nd runner-up and awarded $1,500. Joel Halpern of Musistic and Sandeep Pednekar of Renewable Energies, Inc., both from Memphis, won audience favorite awards.

NEW ORLEANS, La.—Thirty-four entrepreneurs and representatives from entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) will be participating in special segments of next week’s New Orleans Entrepreneur Week as part of the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Entrepreneurship Network Fellowship.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Feather, the online marketplace developed to provide better care for seniors and a member of the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Entrepreneurship Network Fellowship program, recently received an investment of $250,000 from Hayseed Ventures, a venture capital firm based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

We often talk about the three main goals of the Delta Regional Authority as being to create jobs, build communities, and improve lives. I can proudly say that, again, in 2015, the DRA did just that.

As we continue to work together to move the Delta region forward, I want to take a moment to remind us all of some of the achievements of the past year–outlined in our 2015 Year in Review–and what we will be working on in the coming year to advance our goals for the Delta region.

One of the many things that distinguishes the Delta as a unique place is the diverse group of people who have made, and are making, meaningful and lasting contributions. This month we celebrate the contributions and successes of our African American community and the leadership role it has in moving our region forward.

Check out these testimonials of Delta leaders from around the region. Throughout February we will be posting these videos at dra.gov/blackhistorymonth, on our facebook page, and on twitter. You can submit your own 60-90 second video to news@dra.gov.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Obama administration has announced that five Delta communities are among the 27 national Local Foods, Local Places awardees for 2016. Through the federal Local Foods, Local Places Initiative designated communities will receive technical support to identify successful strategies for integrating local food into their community development efforts and create economic opportunities for local farmers and food entrepreneurs, revitalize main streets, and increase access to healthy food.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing more than $7 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, infrastructure, and job creation in southern Illinois’ Delta region, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Jim Schultz announced today.

Literary greats have often described the New Year as a blank book, with many pages yet to be written, but in a region like ours we know history lives on with us, and for the DRA our past work lays a strong foundation for a great year ahead.

As we look back on an exciting and busy year, the Delta Regional Authority remains committed to spreading the good word of the Delta region and working hard for the future of our communities, families, and businesses. 2015 has seen the DRA expand our investments, create new programs, advance policy initiatives, and strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of our operations. 

“The Delta Regional Authority is excited to see that the budget bill has been passed by Congress and signed by President Obama. This budget represents a vote of confidence from Congressional leaders both from the Delta region as well as across the country who recognize the hard work the DRA has done and continues to do to strengthen opportunities for Delta communities and their local economies.

Oftentimes we long for the “good ole days,” and while there are things for which I am nostalgic, I do not miss the days when people in our region did not have access to quality, affordable health insurance.

Gone are the days when you have to take any job you can find “just for the insurance.” Gone are the days when small business owners and entrepreneurs have to pray they or their families don’t have any health issues or accidents for fear of a trip to the emergency room. The Affordable Care Act has made running your small business, moving your company’s manufacturing operations, and protecting your family while pursuing your dreams not only possible but a smart move.

JACKSON, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing more than $15 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in Mississippi’s Delta region, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Governor Phil Bryant announced today.

“The DRA is excited to announce another year of investing into the people, small businesses, and infrastructure that make Mississippi a great place to create jobs, grow businesses, and raise a family,” Chairman Masingill said. “These investments strategically leverage funding for projects that will help to address the infrastructure, training, and public service needs of our Delta communities while driving economic development and growing small businesses and entrepreneurs.”

The seven new investments, including workforce training and infrastructure improvements that support economic development, leverage $1.1 million in DRA resources into $14 million in total public and private investment for Mississippi’s Delta communities, their residents, and their economies.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Delta Regional Authority continued its partnership with Harvard University’s the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to offer its second continuing education training opportunity exclusively to the Delta Leadership Network. The program, designed and led by Harvard faculty, focuses on cultivating “authentic leadership” to move Delta communities forward.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – Thirty-six entrepreneurs and support organizations from the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions have received a Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellowship and will participate in a series of intensive technical assistance trainings and New Orleans Entrepreneur Week—Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced today.

The Delta Regional Authority is thankful for our outstanding and devoted partners across the region. Our local development districts, economic developers, elected officials, non-profit organizations, and small businesses are dedicated to building and creating a better place for the people of the Delta region. We are thankful to be a part of their work and to be able to serve the Delta region.

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Delta Challenge pitch competition series has identified three more Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellows at its pitch competition Saturday, November 14, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced. The competition-hosted by INNOV8 Acadiana as part of its Technology and Entrepreneurial Summit-saw entrepreneurs from across Louisiana pitch their ideas for a fellowship with the Delta Entrepreneurship Network.

Today we honor and thank the men and women who have served our country. We work closely each year with our military troops and reservists in providing quality health care to Delta communities through the Innovative Readiness Training medical missions. Many of the local elected officials and community leaders with whom we work have served on behalf of our country and are strong partners for us. We salute them and appreciate their tireless commitment to this country and the Delta region.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing more than $10 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in Louisiana’s Delta region, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced today.

The thirteen new investments, including workforce training and infrastructure improvements that support economic development, leverage $1.6 million in DRA resources into $10 million in total public and private investment for Louisiana’s Delta communities, their residents, and their economies.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Delta Challenge pitch competition series has identified four more Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellows at its pitch competition Thursday, November 5, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced. The competition-hosted by The Venture Center-saw entrepreneurs from across central and east Arkansas pitch their ideas for a fellowship with the Delta Entrepreneurship Network.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing more than $10 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families, and local communities by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in southeast Missouri’s Delta region, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Governor Jay Nixon announced today.

The five new investments, including renovation of a manufacturing training center, expansion of entrepreneurship support services, and infrastructure improvements that support economic development, leverage nearly $900,000 in DRA resources into more than $10 million in total public and private investment for southeast Missouri’s Delta communities, their residents, and their economies.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority is partnering with the Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors to provide technical assistance to MCBM members for identifying and obtaining funding opportunities for local infrastructure needs—DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and MCBM Executive Director Silbrina Wright announced today.

Many major infrastructure needs throughout the region’s communities are related to water and sewer systems. The Connecting Our Communities to Opportunities (COCO) program will provide critical one-on-one technical assistance training for mayors and staff to successfully locate and manage funds to repair and update these systems. 71 of the 88 members of MCBM represent communities that fall within the DRA footprint. A recent study of those mayors estimates that $2 billion is needed to adequately repair and update the water and sewer infrastructure in these cities and towns.

The Delta region is a hotbed of innovation, creativity, and hard work. No one exemplifies that better than our women small business owners and entrepreneurs. We strive to give the women in our region access to the resources they need to grow their small businesses and, in turn, grow our local economies. With the help of the Small Business Administration and the Economic Development Agency, we are making that a reality. SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet and Director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Julie Kirk are outstanding examples of women leading the way and shaping policies that assist small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country.

As Women’s Small Business Month comes to an end, the Delta Regional Authority wants to thank and highlight the work of some of our female Delta entrepreneurs and small business owners. We gathered some advice and insight from DEN fellows and small business leaders from our region about their experiences of starting a small business in the Delta region. We hope you can learn from these women; we sure have!

Chris Masingill

Federal Co-Chairman

Delta Regional Authority

CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta Challenge pitch competition series has identified three more Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellows at the pitch competition Tuesday, October 28, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced. The competition saw entrepreneurs from across the Mississippi Delta region pitch their ideas for a fellowship with the Delta Entrepreneurship Network.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Delta Regional Authority has kicked off the 2015 – 2016 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy with an orientation session in Memphis, Tennessee. This year's class of 52 fellows from each of the eight Delta region states make up the eleventh class of the Executive Academy, a year-long leadership development program.

Over the course of the Executive Academy program, participants will attend six sessions across the Region and in Washington, DC, to engage in advocacy training, case study discussions, and on-the-ground field experiences of priority issue areas for the region including workforce training and education, small business and entrepreneurship, public health, transportation and infrastructure, and culture and tourism. The fellows represent community leaders in local and state government, economic development, education and healthcare, business and industry, faith-based and non-profit organizations.

SELMA, Ala. – The Delta Challenge pitch competition series has identified three more Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellows at the pitch competition Thursday, October 8, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced. The competition saw entrepreneurs from across the Alabama Black Belt region pitch their ideas for a fellowship with the Delta Entrepreneurship Network.

MURRAY, Ky. – The Delta Challenge pitch competition series has identified three more Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellows at a pitch competition Tuesday, October 6, Delta Regional Authority Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall announced. The competition featured entrepreneurs from across western Kentucky to pitch their business ideas for a fellowship with the Delta Entrepreneurship Network.

NEWBERN, Tenn. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing more than $21 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in West Tennessee’s Delta region, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd announced today.

“The DRA is excited to announce another year of investing into the people, small businesses, and infrastructure that make West Tennessee a great place to create jobs, grow business, and raise a family,” Chairman Masingill said. “These investments strategically leverage funding for projects that will help to address the infrastructure, training, and public service needs of our communities while driving economic development and growing small businesses and entrepreneurs.”

The nine new investments, including construction and expansion of training centers and incubators and infrastructure improvements that support economic development, leverage $1.3 million in DRA resources into $21 million in total public and private investment for West Tennessee’s Delta communities, their residents, and their economies.

Federal Partners Announce Dates and Locations for Economic Development and Resilience Workshops for Local Elected Officials

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – A series of 32 technical assistance trainings to help mayors, county executives, other elected officials, and economic developers strengthen local economic development and build resilient communities will kick off in October, DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced today.

"We know that natural and economic crises will strike whether we are prepared or not,” Chairman Masingill said. “These trainings will help educate our local leadership on how to better plan for proactive economic development and post-disaster business recovery, and we look forward to working with these leaders to build economically competitive and resilient communities.”

The training series Leading Economically Competitive and Resilient Communities—announced last month at the Katrina 10 commemoration events—will help empower community leaders to strengthen their local economies and prepare for natural and economic disasters through proactive disaster risk management, business and industry recovery, and collaboration among emergency management entities.

The Delta Regional Authority is partnering with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to present the workshops and will be utilizing the International Economic Development Council for curriculum and content development.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing more than $108 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in the Arkansas Delta, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Governor Asa Hutchinson announced today.

The nine new investments, including a renovation and expansion to a training center, a museum expansion, and infrastructure improvements that support economic development, leverage $1.3 million in DRA resources into $7 million in total public investment and $100 million in private investment for Arkansas’ Delta communities, their residents, and their economies.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing nearly $3 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in western Kentucky, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Governor Steve Beshear announced today.

The six new investments, including a new business incubator, the reopening of a health clinic and other investments in the region’s health and safety system, and infrastructure improvements that support economic development, leverage $1 million in DRA resources into nearly $3 million in total public investment for western Kentucky communities, their residents, and their economies.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Delta Challenge pitch competition series has identified its first four Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellows at the kick-off event Friday, September 18, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman announced. The competition featured 11 entrepreneurs from across the Mid-South to pitch their ideas for a fellowship with the Delta Entrepreneurship Network.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Delta Regional Authority and its partners are investing nearly $11.5 million in federal, state, and local resources to support small business owners and entrepreneurs, workers and their families by improving economic development, workforce training, and job creation in Alabama’s Black Belt region, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill and Governor Robert Bentley announced today.

The nine new investments, including a new business incubator, workforce training programs, and infrastructure improvements for business locations and expansion, leverage $1 million in federal resources into nearly $11.5 million in total public and private investment for Alabama Black Belt communities, their residents, and their economies. These investments are expected to help create and retain more than 1,000 jobs for local residents, develop 180 entrepreneurs and business owners, and train 100 workers.

The Delta Regional Authority launched two programs to grow the capacity of regional business owners to reach global markets and to train local leadership to incorporate disaster resiliency in their economic development strategies.

The first program series—through a DRA partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration—will bring intensive workshops to each of the eight states within the DRA footprint to train mayors, county officials, and other local leadership on economic development strategies and planning for effective economic recovery.

The second program will train regional business owners to take their products to the global marketplace. In partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service, these technical, classroom-style trainings are designed to help companies learn to export their products and navigate important business considerations such as intellectual property, contracts, international shipping, and compliance with international trade laws.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – DRA.gov will have a new resource tool that connects economic developers and local leaders to demographic and economic data to grow Delta economies, compete for federal and philanthropic funding, and attract business investments into the 252 counties and parishes of the Delta region—DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill announced today.

Today’s Delta, the research tool that was originally published as a report in April 2015, will allow regional leadership to access data on the 252 counties and parishes within the DRA footprint and compare challenges and statistics across counties, regions, and states. The tool incorporates up-to-date data on population demographics, poverty, health, education, and housing indicators.The Today's Delta online research tool can be accessed at dra.gov/todays-delta.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. – Coahoma County and Standard Industrial have received their official notice to proceed with DRA investments in an expansion of the current Standard Industrial facilities in Clarksdale at an event with Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill.

“Investing in companies like Standard Industrial that are choosing to stay in the Delta region to manufacture their products are part of DRA’s greater vision of growing local economies with local businesses,” Chairman Masingill said. “We are excited to help Standard Industrial continue to expand right here in the DRA’s hometown and look forward to seeing the job creation and economic development that this investment will bring.”

The notice to proceed allows each community partner to begin project work outlined in the DRA investment narrative.

The investment into Standard Industrial provides for a portion of the construction, including roofing improvements, office renovations, additional warehouse space to the existing structure, and truck loading area improvements. The newly expanded operations will create an additional 25 jobs for Coahoma County and surrounding communities.