The Scoop on TDA

Joining the “locals” for our meeting was Amy Lorance, our Texas Department of Agriculture Rural Economic Development Specialist with two important opportunities to discuss. First, TDA will be hosting the North Texas Economic Development Summit in Wichita Falls December 16th. Remelle Farrar will lead off as the days’ speaker, setting the theme and focusing on our KCVG work of putting legs on dreams, envisioning success and “growing” it yourself for your community’s future. The agenda and registration information are here on our blog. There’s a challenge here for us. Amy’s gone out on a limb; folks in Austin are convinced we can’t get a crowd together in our “remote” rural part of Texas to make bringing such a program as this to us worthwhile. With Commissioner Staples actually making the trip and speaking at the program, this is our chance to prove just how pro-active we are, willing to meet more than half-way any assistance available to us in our fight to insure the future of our hometowns. We want to have a great showing from Knox County, and that means you need to go with us. So, put the date on your calendar, now flip on over to that registration and sign up. Check back with us later for car pool information.

Remember I said two important opportunities? Well, here’s the biggie! TDA is launching a new program to place interns to assist local community development efforts in pilot communities, one per region. I believe in our case, Amy’s region is 35 counties. That one “community” is Knox County. What an affirmation of all your hard work! I’ll submit the paperwork before December 1st and we’ll have fresh, smart, energetic and plugged in help this summer. Be thinking about, and let me know, your ideas for how to best use our interns time and talents and let’s have a plan in place to maximize this opportunity.