The Delta Regional Authority announced names of five new Arkansas graduates of the Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy, including two from the Pine Bluff area.
"This graduating class marks the 15th year of DLI-trained regional leaders equipped to improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt," according to a Wednesday news release.
The Arkansas graduates are:
Suzzette Goldmon, Monticello -- assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff;
Gene A. White Jr., Pine Bluff -- director of advising and retention, Southeast Arkansas College;
Samantha Montgomery, Little Rock -- digital coordinator, Arkansas attorney general's office;
Andy Davis, Roland -- principal, New Water Systemsv LLC;
Susan A. Edwards, Little Rock -- program analyst, Delta Regional Authority.
"The program empowers fellows with the tools, experiences and networks to address local and regional challenges, improve decision-making and policy development, and strengthen leadership capacity and mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues," according to the release.
The five participants completed the year-long DLI Executive Academy, a leadership development program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from the authority's eight-state region.
The graduates participated in six training sessions to educate them on the economic and community development best practices employed across the Delta to catalyze innovative solutions implementable in their own community and region.
"The five new graduates of the Delta Regional Authority's Delta Leadership Institute started the term with the strength of their individual talents and calling," said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. "Over the past year, they added to their own skill sets the collective strength of their fellow graduates. Now they are equipped to accomplish more for the people of Arkansas than they could have individually and without this time together at the Delta Leadership Institute. The Delta Region is stronger for their commitment and leadership."
The institute is a program of the Delta Regional Authority in partnership with three institutions of higher education in the Delta region: Arkansas State University, the University of Louisiana Monroe, and the University of Arkansas.
Since 2005, the DLI Executive Academy has enhanced the leadership skills, policy knowledge and networks of residents in the Delta. After graduation, the Arkansas fellows become members of the Delta Leadership Network, which includes more than 500 community leaders, according to the release.
The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt. It invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. The authority's mission is to help create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives, according to the release.