News from the States
The Missouri Chapter of the International Community Development Society hosted its Annual Conference and brought in a new slate of Chapter Officers on January 13th and 14th in the community of Kirkwood in the St. Louis region. Topics in the conference included Setting the Rural Urban Policy Research Agenda (CDS member, Dr. Lawrence Libby, Ohio, Swank Institute on Rural Urban Policy), Fair Housing Trends (Barbara Rellman, U. S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, Region VII), Community Barriers to Health and Recreation (Drs. Elizabeth Baker and Laura Brennan Ramirez, St. Louis University, School of Public Health), Building Community through Asset Development Strategies (CDS member, Jason Gray, Southern Rural Development Initiative), and Sports Festivals' Contribution to Economic Development in Several Missouri Communities (Gary Filbert, Former Director, Show-Me STATE GAMES). Ninety-five people attended the conference. Fourteen breakout sessions addressed topics such as racial integration strategies, sharing of information across jurisdictional boundaries, working with non-profit boards, providing affordable housing in suburban communities, new trends in federal and state resource programs and social entrepreneurship. Though a blizzard blew in during the mobile learning workshop in a St. Louis neighborhood (Forest Park South East), the sidewalks melted quickly and the Missouri Department of Conservation nature center where the conference was held and then conditions cleared crisply.
Dr. Lawrence Libby,
Professor of Rural-Urban Policy,
C. William Swank Institute,
Exurban Change Project,
Ohio State University |
Barbara Rellman, Public Trust Specialist,
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Region VII,
Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity |
Jason Gray, Director of Research and Policy
Southern Rural Development Initiative |
Information contributed by:
Laura Filbert Zacher
Senior Project Manager
Economic Development Resources
200 South Hanley Road, Suite 600
St. Louis, MO 63105
tel. +1 (314) 231-4720
fax +1 (314) 727-5544
lfzacher@edr-consulting.com |
