Rodney Slater
The Delta Regional Authority is partnering with the White House Rural Council to host the Rural Opportunity Investment Conference Jan. 11-12 in West Memphis and Memphis.
The conference will discuss potential partnerships among public, private and nonprofit entities that will invest in job creation, small business growth and the development of important rural infrastructure in Delta communities, according to a DRA news release.
The conference will be the third of its kind held and first to take place outside Washington. It will bring together community leaders, senior government officials, rural economic development experts and community leaders, including Arkansas native Rodney Slater, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation in the Clinton administration.
Other speakers will include Franklin McLarty of McLarty Capital Partners of Little Rock and Darrin Williams, president and CEO of Southern Bancorp of Arkadelphia.
Discussions will focus on investment areas in biofuels and energy, infrastructure, regional food systems, tourism and cultural economies, and equity and impact investing.
The conference will be based out of the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, but its first session will run Monday at Arkansas State University MidSouth in West Memphis.
The conference is open to the public. A full draft agenda is available online at DRA.gov/ROI-Delta.
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