Chris Caldwell Sees Success Grown in The Delta

Chris Caldwell (Jason Burt)

Chris Caldwell previously served as the director of special projects for U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. He was the campaign manager of Boozman’s 2016 re-election campaign, as well as the political director of Boozman’s 2010 Senate campaign.

Caldwell has also worked on several other campaigns, including Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s 2008 presidential bid and the 2002 Senate campaign of U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson. He assumed the role of federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority on Jan. 12, 2018, after being appointed by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Briefly state the Delta Regional Authority’s mission.
Since 2000, the DRA has been charged with improving economic development across the Mississippi River Delta region. The DRA makes strategic investments in basic public infrastructure, transportation improvements, workforce training, and business development and entrepreneurship. Our agency fosters intergovernmental coordination between federal, state and local entities and helps build the capacity of rural communities across 252 counties or parishes in eight states.

President Trump at one point proposed eliminating the DRA. What changed and how secure is the authority’s status?
Through his budgetary recommendations, the president is conducting an important exercise to take a hard look at the effectiveness of federal programs and the need for a decrease in overall government spending. The DRA has followed this example and truly evaluated where we can be more efficient and better stewards of taxpayer money.

Since my time as co-chairman, we’ve decreased our administrative expenses and are reinvesting those funds into key economic projects across the region. The DRA has received its annual appropriations from Congress since 2000, and I am confident that will not change as long as we continue to invest our dollars wisely and make the greatest economic impact in the Delta.

What does success look like in the Delta? In other words, can you share a success story or two?
Success in the Delta boils down to economic resiliency and being able to cultivate our own workforce.

One of the many I am very proud of is a recent investment in Be Pro Be Proud, an initiative of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. It is a prime example of industry-led workforce development that is making huge strides in filling the skills gap and recruiting a new generation of men and women to a skilled workforce, especially in rural areas. A key to the success of this program is the private partners in the program. Almost 40 companies have invested.

Another is the Delta I-Fund with Winrock International, a proof-of-concept accelerator. The Delta I-Fund has brought 166 entrepreneurs from across seven states through the program. It is crucial that we invest in our small businesses and entrepreneurs, as they are the real job creators. This project has created several companies, and I am excited to see the continued successes it will produce.

Can you calculate a return on investment in the Delta and if so, what has that ROI been?
When I was confirmed, one of my top priorities for the agency was to ensure we were results-driven and outcomes-focused. Much of this work involves how we evaluate projects before and after selection. With our FY 2018 investments in 90 projects, we anticipate creating and retaining 5,228 jobs, training 8,857 people and improving public infrastructure for 160,640 families. Those DRA investments were leveraged with more than $880 million of private dollars.

With continued improvements in tracking this data, we are able to tell the story of the DRA’s value and the investments that foster economic development and job creation across the Delta.