The 2003 NRDP Professional Development
Conference
Congratulations and thanks to all the presenters and attendees at the 2003 NRDP Professional Development Conference. Attendees were treated to various workshops and presentations on different professional development issues and ideas. They also were treated to several pleasant and interesting performances, including a rural poetry reading and a mariachi performance. Closing the conference was an awards ceremony at Tuesday night's banquet. This banquet was made memorable by special guest presenters Congressman Allen Boyd (FL) and Senator Robert Bennett (UT), and a keynote speech by Undersecretary Thomas Dorr. The conference was held at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC. Thanks again to all those involved in making this a fun and memorable conference!
Conference Notes & Agenda
2003 NRDP Awards
Conference Pictures
2003 Awards Presented at NRDP Professional Development Conference
June 3, 2003
2003 Ron Schaffer Award
On June 3, 2003, the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) honored Mary Randolph with one of the NRDP's most prestigious marks of distinction, the Ron Shaffer Award.
The Ron Shaffer Award was established in 2000 to honor Professor Ron Shaffer, a founding member and advocate of the National Rural Development Partnership. It is given to individuals for excellence in building vibrant rural communities through collaboration and innovation. Nominations are made based on efforts to overcome barriers, to facilitate collaborations and partnerships, and to make positive impacts on communities, regions or in the state.
Mary Randolph has served rural America as the Executive Director of the Wyoming Rural Development Council (WRDC), chair of the NRDP's Executive Board, and Secretary of the Partners for Rural America. Mary Randolph received the award for the pioneer work she has done in community assessments, for her remarkable success in organizing workshops for Native American Tribes and administering and facilitating grants for reservations, and for her leadership on the national and state level. Her ability to facilitate solutions to difficult situations has presented her with several opportunities, including mediating between county and city government and assisting with the rebuilding efforts of the World Trade Center.
For more information on Mary Randolph and the Wyoming Rural Development Council, visit www.wyomingrural.org.
2003 Rural Impact Awards
FSRDC Works to Address Hunger in Florida
The Florida State Rural Development Council (FSRDC) and its partners were awarded the 2003 Rural Impact Award at the 2003 National Rural Development Partnership Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on June 3. FSRDC and the Florida Neighborhood Nutrition Network (NNN) won the award through their efforts to fight against hunger by coordinating a community-wide gleaning program for at-risk community residents. Gleaning is the process of harvesting fruits and vegetables that are either non cost-effective or missed by mechanical harvesters. These “leftovers” result in nearly 60 million tons of produce wasted in the U.S. per year, translating into enough food to feed 40 million people a day. FSRDC and NNN hired and trained six community youths to work on the project, which included coordinating efforts to get more fresh food to local food distribution centers, school children, and community residents; developing inexpensive, nourishing, and tasty recipes for the gleaned produce; and, offering cooking and nutrition classes at several distribution sites and local schools.
To date, more than 35,000 pounds of otherwise wasted produce has been harvested, and NNN was selected as one of 15 programs in the United States to receive three-year funding to coordinate a community food project as part of the USDA Community Food Security Initiative. Congressman Allen Boyd presented the RIA to Council Chair Nan Wheeler at the Awards Banquet on June 3.
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Rural Partners Network Utilized to Save Rural Hospital
Rural Partners, the Illinois State Rural Development Council, and its partners were awarded the 2003 Rural Impact Award at the 2003 National Rural Development Partnership Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on June 3. Rural Partners and local leaders won the RIA through their efforts to save a small rural hospital from closing. Franklin Hospital in Benton, IL, a rural hospital with a high incidence of Medicare and Medicaid patients, was losing money. After a purchase deal failed, the hospital was notified it would have to close its doors.
Through the discussions of several Rural Partners' members and local officials—including the Mayor of Benton, City and County officials, and officials of neighboring West Frankfort and others—the idea of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation was broached. The partners worked to ensure the hospital could qualify and receive funding for CAH status. Gap funding was needed and Rural Partners linked the project with financial resources and helped secure funding. The hospital received CAH designation, located and hired an administrator, and continues to operate in its modified form.
Today Franklin Hospital is open and providing emergency room and hospital services to the county as well as creating revenue and jobs. Through collaboration and hard work, Franklin County has achieved real success. The RIA was presented to Rural Partners at the NRDP Awards Banquet by USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr.
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ORDC Forum Works to Remove Policy Barriers for Wind Power Projects
The Oregon Rural Development Council (ORDC) was awarded the 2003 Rural Impact Award at the 2003 National Rural Development Partnership Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on June 3. Oregon Rural Development Council's January 2000 Community Forum, held in Sherman County, addressed the community's concerns about possible restrictions on wind energy production on family farms, due to noise regulations. This barrier prohibited local farmers from utilizing opportunities to become wind energy producers. ORDC members raised the issue to the Governor's Community Solutions Team, including the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Together, they pursued and sought a resolution for the noise regulation constraint. Due to the Council's actions, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality addressed Noise Regulations for Noise Sensitive Areas and Wind Power Projects. As a result, the noise sensitive areas were redefined and the road was cleared for Oregon farmers to utilize wind energy for expanding energy markets. ORDC was awarded the 2003 Rural Impact Award for their work to remove government restrictions for wind power on farms. USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr introduced ORDC and presented the Council with their Rural Impact Award at the NRDP Awards Banquet on June 3.
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URDC and Partners Work to Save Jobs Lost to Mill Closure
The Utah Rural Development Council (URDC) and its partners were awarded the 2003 Rural Impact Award at the 2003 National Rural Development Partnership Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on June 3. URDC and its partners were awarded the RIA for their success in keeping open a timber mill and saving 100 rural jobs in the mill's community. Working in conjunction with several corporations, state forestry organizations, local governments, universities, and economic development partners, URDC purchased a small diameter timber portable logging mill in November 2001. Through this enormously collaborative effort, the partners were able to save the larger mill in the community, saving 100 jobs and to helping manage the threat of catastrophic forest fires.
The URDC bought the small diameter mill with a grant through the state office of forestry then sold the mill to Skyline Forest Resources with a long term note and then worked to ensure Skyline felt secure to keep the large mill open. The small diameter mill allowed Skyline to deal with the problem of an increased smaller diameter log size in their log supply.
By purchasing the mill, URDC and its partners provided the community a means of removing small diameter timber (a large cause of forest fires) and milling it on-site. This is a cost-effective alternative to removing and shipping this material, allowing the large mill to remain open and providing 100 jobs in the community. Without this purchase these jobs would have been lost due to the closing of this mill, which has suffered from a lack of large timber, the state of the global economy, and the inefficiencies of its operation. URDC and its partners were presented the 2003 Rural Impact Award by Senator Robert Bennett of Utah.
Pictures from the Conference
Here are some photos from the 2003 NRDP Professional Development Conference. There were several interesting events and activities for participants. The gallery below is just a sampling of the numerous happenings from the Conference. Select a thumbnail to see the large version of the photo.
