The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation is pleased to announce Dorthy Jackson recently completed the year-long Training Program for Emerging Leaders (TPEL), a leadership training program funded by the Austin Regional Office of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, has successfully completed the program. She was part of the third class of Emerging Leaders under this program.
“Economic Development Districts (EDDs) provide crucial support to communities, helping to spearhead local economic development plans and projects,” said Jorge Ayala, Regional Director for EDA’s Austin office. “EDA is proud to support NADO’s training program and congratulates the selected participants. We look forward to working with each of them in the future.”
The program was launched in 2014 and since that time 21 staff members from EDDs located in the EDA Austin region (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) have participated in the program. The following individuals, selected from a very competitive pool of applicants, completed the 2018 – 2019 TPEL class:
–Errin Clocker, Deputy Director, CFO, Grand Gateway Economic Development Association, Big Cabin, OK
–Kelly Davila, Director of Regional Services, South Plains Association of Governments, Lubbock, TX
–Dorthy Jackson, Regional and Economic Development Manager, Heart of Texas EDD, Waco, TX
–Raymond Mondragon, Economic Development/Government Affairs, Eastern Plains COG, Clovis, NM
–Juan Rodriguez, Director, Regional Services and Development, South Texas Development Council, Laredo, TX
They were recognized at the 2019 Southwest Region Economic Development Association (SWREDA) conference, Leveraging Local Assets, Building Regional Economies, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Friday, December 6.
The program recognizes the strong demand among EDDs in the Austin Region for professional and leadership development. Participants will attend in-person workshops held at various EDA project sites around the Austin Region. The program will include topics such as best practices in comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS), project cultivation and management, and stakeholder engagement. The goal of the program is to help EDD planners and project coordinators enhance their skills to develop and manage successful economic development projects as well as potentially become future executive directors of EDDs.
“The NADO Research Foundation would like to thank EDA for its generous support of this training program,” said Joe McKinney, Executive Director of NADO. “The participants are among the best EDD staff in the EDA Austin region, and will be well-positioned after going through this program to continue their careers as future leaders of regional development organizations.”
The curriculum included a blend of virtual training, workshops at various conferences, and on-site learning at several EDDs in the Austin region and other EDA regions across the country.
