USDA official tells conference collaboration is key to community development
March 10, 2011
CHARLESTON, SC – March 9, 2011 – On the heels of a deeprecession, economic development could be labeled “corporateresponsibility.” That responsibility is best met through strongpartnerships, a leading federal official told the 2011 conference of theNational Association of Community Development Professionals.
Catherine Woteki, U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary forresearch, education and economics, said Tuesday during the ClemsonUniversity-hosted conference that the future of Extension and communitydevelopment lies in collaboration.
The USDA supports programs that try to get research, education andExtension — the cornerstones of land-grant universities — to work asone, then partner with other institutions and the private sector tofoster work force and community development.
“We want to speed the time from research and discovery to the point of implementation,” Woteki said.
More than 200 community development agents from around the countrygathered Monday through Wednesday in downtown Charleston for thenational conference hosted by the Clemson Institute for Economic andCommunity Development.
Harry Crissy, a Clemson community development Extension agent, said thenational meeting was an opportunity for agents to share ideas andshowcase South Carolina success stories.
They include the Gussie Greene Technology Center in North Charleston,where the Clemson University Restoration Institute’s Healthy Communitiesfocus area and the Institute for Economic and Community Developmentdonated 15 computers for a computer training lab in the city’s ChicoraCherokee neighborhood.
With the help of partners that include Comcast Cable and the CharlestonLinux Users Group, the center develops work force skills and createsopportunities for neighborhood residents. Clemson and the computerscience department at the College of Charleston use the center as aclassroom to help local residents develop computer skills. There areplans to expand the program statewide.
Clemson also recently launched a New and Beginning Farmer initiative,which helps people new to agriculture run successful and productivebusinesses. Clemson leads a statewide multi-agency partnership thatsupports development of future generations of farmers in South Carolina.The program is funded by a USDA grant.
“Community and economic development creates opportunities for people,”Crissy said. “In today’s climate, this conference addressed the manychallenges we face and how they can be overcome.”
Those challenges were highlighted at the conference on Monday by leadingeconomist Matthew Martin, a senior vice president at the FederalReserve Bank of Richmond and Charlotte regional executive, who said the“great recession” was complex.
“There isn’t a single story,” he said. “Even in a smaller state like South Carolina, there isn’t one story.”
The recovery likely will be equally complex, he said.
After past downturns, recoveries had high demand for labor. As thisrecovery gets under way, unemployment is high, but there also are alarge number of job vacancies.
This could be caused by a skills miss-match where there aren’t enoughskilled workers in the right sectors, Martin said. Or it could bespacial, where people aren’t where the job vacancies are.
The problem likely is exacerbated by the real estate downturn, he said.People can’t sell their homes as quickly as they once could to move toanother area for work, or they can’t sell for the price they need to.
“In economic circles this is a pretty hot topic right now,” Martin said.
The conference also featured presentations on green jobs and effectivecommunity development strategy, and demographic forecasting andcommunity development trends. Other sessions include workshops onsuccessful collaboration, changing communities and entrepreneurship.
Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development
The Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Developmentconnects the resources of Clemson University and other agencies to theneeds of South Carolina communities. Faculty and staff conduct researchand deliver programming in the areas of leadership development,strategic planning, town charrettes, entrepreneurial training andsupport, local economic and community development planning and support,industry cluster development and economic-impact analysis.
