This document discusses community economic development strategies used by USDA Rural Development. It notes challenges facing rural communities like high poverty rates. USDA Rural Development provides loans, grants and programs to support rural housing, businesses, utilities and special initiatives. It focuses on community economic development to make investments more impactful. Key strategies include training, planning, partnering, capacity building and financing to help communities improve sustainability and economic opportunity. Regional coordinators provide outreach, engagement, technical assistance and support the community economic development process.

1. Community Economic
Development
Suzette M.Agans, Rural Development Specialist
Christine Sorensen, Midwest RegionalCED Coordinator
Community Development Society Conference
July 21, 2015
USDA Rural Development

2. USDA
Rural Development
Our Mission
To increase economic
opportunity and
improve the quality of
life for all rural
Americans
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3. • Dynamic: assets and
challenges
• 85% persistent poverty
counties rural
• Rural childhood poverty at
highest point since 1986
• One out of Four rural
children live in poverty
Rural America
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4. USDA - Rural Development
•Rural Housing Programs
•Rural Business / Cooperative Programs
•Rural Utilities
•Special Initiatives-Local Foods, Bio-
economy
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5. • $206.2b loan portfolio
• $28b in loans administered through
current programs FY15
Rural Development’s
Scope
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6. • Challenges:
– budget cuts
– Fewer field staff
• Prioritize: time, resources,
strategic investment
• Focus on Community
Economic Development
Capacity & Sustainability
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7. CommunityEconomicDevelopment:
ExtendingourReachandMaximizingourImpact
Assess &
Convene
Plan &
Partner
Loans &
Grants
Capacity Building
Build Wealth
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8. Make our dollars go further
Advance strategic priorities
Providing tools to better
assist communities of
greatest need
Why CED?
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9. • Expand our reach: target
communities in greatest need
• Make more impactful
investments: help communities
realize their strategic goals
Making our Dollars Go Further
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10. Better Assist Our High Need
Communities
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11. CED: How do Communities Benefit?
• Getting more out of their local
and regional plans
• Improving their long-term
sustainability
• Moving forward, not just
hanging on
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12. CED Support Strategies:
Key Elements
• Training
• Planning and Reporting
• Staffing
• Communication
• Partnering
• Measuring Success
• Financing 12

13. The Takeaway
•CED approach: work more
effectively within communities
•Leverage partnerships
•Engage and facilitate long-term
strategic development
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14. Regional Community Economic
Development Coordinators
Midwest:
Christine Sorensen
Northeast:
Angela Callie
South:
Ellen Boukari
South:
Gregory Dale

15. Outreach/Discovery
Create awareness of RD
programs, services, and of
partner programs and
services.
Use 'ask, not tell' approach
of discovering what needs
are and how RD and/or
partners may be able to
assist.
Engagement
Capacity Building:
Provide or refer to capacity
building training and
services (organizational,
financial, leadership)
Relationship Building/Re
Technical Assistance
Provide training and
support in purpose and
mechanics of CED
processes and/or of
program application and
grant/loan management
processes
CED Process
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16. Dream
Plan
Partner
Leverage
Celebrate-Tell The
Story
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17. Regional Staff
Northeast: Angela Callie, angela.callie@wdc.usda.gov
Southeast: Ellen Boukari, ellen.boukari@wdc.usda.gov
South: Gregory Dale, gregory.dale@wdc.usda.gov
Midwest: Christine Sorenson, christine.sorensen@sd.usda.gov
West:
National Staff
Claudette Fernandez, claudette.fernandez@wdc.usda.gov
Suzette Agans, suzette.agans@wdc.usda.gov
Hiwot Gebremarian, hiwot.gebremarian@wdc.usda.gov
Farah Ahmad, farah.ahmad@wdc.usda.gov
Teala Robinson, teala.robinson@wdc.usda.gov
Bryan Zulko, bryan.zulko@wdc.usda.gov
Andres Gonzales, andres.gonzales@wdc.usda.gov
USDA Rural Development
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