Conference Recap
2024 Investing in Rural America: Building and Sustaining Momentum
Building relationships, developing the next generation of leaders and innovation.
These were among the takeaways recently shared by panelists and presenters at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s fifth annual Investing in Rural America Conference, which took place in Roanoke, Virginia, and showcased the efforts of stakeholders to build strong partnerships, develop innovative programs that address community needs, and educate and retain a talented workforce in their small towns and rural communities.
Over 250 community leaders joined us in Roanoke to learn, connect and discuss best practices for solving issues affecting our small towns and rural communities. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin opened the conference with a hope that attendees will build connections and find solutions that will help their communities “Build and Sustain Momentum,” the theme for this year’s conference.
Later, we heard from keynote speakers Ines Polonius and Martha Claire Bullen from Communities Unlimited who gave organizations a call to action: Be intentional about building relationships within a community, empower community leaders to build and sustain momentum, and engage the youth so they act as future leaders.
“A community will feel much more like you care about them if you take the time to get to know them and what they care about,” said Polonius. She also noted that organizations can come in and be the catalysts for building momentum and impact, but the localities and their leaders need to be the ones to keep it going and sustain it once the organization moves on. This is why partnership and building the next generation of leaders is key.
In the afternoon plenary we heard from Corianne Payton Scally, Ph.D., from the Urban Institute; Emily Burleson, MSW from the Partners for Rural Transformation; and Jacqueline Ponti-Lazaruk from USDA Rural Development who discussed how to make data, storytelling and measurement work for small towns.
Burleson explained the need for both quantitative and qualitative data: “When we take quantitative data and zoom into these smaller localities, there isn’t a clear picture of what is going on. When the numbers are not there, the only thing that’s left is the stories.”
Day two of the conference began with a panel led by Community Development Regional Manager Jarrod Elwell on the current federal funding landscape and how small towns can make it work for them. Sherece West-Scantlebury from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Irma Esparza Diggs from the National League of Cities and Tony Pipa from the Brookings Institution shared their thoughts on the barriers to federal funding, particularly reporting and match requirements, and how access to federal dollars can be made more accessible for rural areas.
Richmond Fed’s First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Becky Bareford helped us close the 2024 Investing in Rural America conference by highlighting the major themes: partnership, preparing the next generation of leaders, extending beyond the data to get the full context of a community, and innovative solutions to challenges facing small towns and rural communities.
In closing, Bareford said, “Those of us here from the Richmond Fed, myself included, can't wait to take back the insights and lessons learned to help inform our ongoing work with small towns and rural communities across our District — just as we hope you take what you’ve learned home to help sustain the momentum in your own communities.”
We are so grateful to the staff, panelists and attendees who helped to make the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference a success!
Highlights from Investing in Rural America
-
1 of 19 Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin made opening remarks at this year’s 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference.
-
2 of 19 Keynote speaker Ines Polonius from Communities Unlimited gave organizations a call to action: Be intentional about building relationships within a community, empower community leaders to build and sustain momentum and engage the youth so they act as future leaders.
-
3 of 19 Snapping a picture during the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference.
-
4 of 19 Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin speaking with a conference attendee at the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference.
-
5 of 19 Learning from a panel discussion at the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference.
-
6 of 19 Sonya Ravindranath Waddell, Vice President and Economist at the Richmond Fed, moderated a panel on how to make data, storytelling, and measurement work for small towns.
-
7 of 19 Emily Burleson, Senior Manager of Advocacy & Research at Partners for Rural Transformation, participated in the panel “Measuring Momentum: How to make data, storytelling, and measurement work for small towns
-
8 of 19 Taking time to network during the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference
-
9 of 19 During the conference, organizations shared posters with attendees highlighting innovative programs in rural communities.
-
10 of 19 Jason Smith, Community Development Manager at the Richmond Fed, chats with an attendee about the Rural Investment Collaborative.
-
11 of 19 Jarrod Elwell, Community Development Regional Manager at the Richmond Fed, led a panel discussion about the current state of federal funding and how small towns can make it work for them.
-
12 of 19 Sherece West-Scantlebury from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Irma Esparza Diggs from the National League of Cities and Tony Pipa from the Brookings Institution shared their thoughts on the barriers to federal funding
-
13 of 19 Sherece West-Scantlebury from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation participated in a panel on the current state of federal funding and how small towns can make it work for them.
-
14 of 19 Richmond Fed Regional Economist Laura Ullrich led a panel highlighting innovative ways in which rural community colleges are coming together to expand their reach and to redefine success
-
15 of 19 Patty Pfeiffer, President of Wayne Community College, participated in the panel “Moving Beyond Tradition to Expand the Reach of Rural Community Colleges.”
-
16 of 19 A panel discussion on the role of philanthropy in building and sustaining momentum in rural communities.
-
17 of 19 Attendees making connections during the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference.
-
18 of 19 Attendees making connections during the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference.
-
19 of 19 Richmond Fed First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Becky Bareford made closing remarks at this year’s Investing in Rural America Conference.
Speakers
Who Should Attend
Policymakers, community representatives, business executives, nonprofit leaders, investors, workforce development professionals
Agenda
-
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
08:00 amRegistration & Continental Breakfast09:00 amWelcome and Opening Remarks
Tom Barkin, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond09:10 amLegislative Perspective
09:30 amKeynote Address
Momentum: Moving to a Solutions-Based Strategy in Rural Places- Ines Polonius, CEO, Communities Unlimited, Inc.
- Martha Claire Bullen, Director of Community Sustainability, Communities Unlimited, Inc.
10:45 amBreak11:05 amBreakout Sessions
Breakout #1: Home Sweet Home: Driving Community Investment in Rural Places
Rural community members will discuss their strategies to drive community investment in the places that they call home. Drawing on their experience from their respective Community Investment Training cohort, panelists will share what they have learned and how they are implementing the strategies. The session will conclude with small group table conversations to identify example projects that may have had gaps in team skills or project framing and envision ways to fill those gaps. Speakers will include:
- Kim Ross, Founder, Mount Terra, LLC
- Jennifer Hudson, Development Director, Williamson Health & Wellness Center, Inc.
- Bernadette Peters, Economic Development Director, Town of Sylva
- Paul Wright (moderator), President, Wright Venture Services, LLC
OR
Breakout #2: Developing Leaders Throughout their Lives
Working toward longer-term goals requires sustained leadership and community support. But in rural communities that rely on a small number of leaders, these goals risk being derailed by turnover or capacity constraints among leadership. Obtaining community buy-in for local initiatives is also more challenging in places with limited opportunities to participate in decision making. This session would focus on strategies that communities can deploy to mitigate these hazards by building inclusive leadership. Participants will be challenged to shift their perception of what leaders look like and consider ways to train and engage young leaders and voices that are not currently being brought to the table. Speakers will include:
- Olaunda G. Green, Director of Leadership Training, NC Rural Center
- Dreama Gentry, President and CEO, Partners for Rural Impact
- Karl Stauber (moderator), Independent Researcher, Karl Stauber Consulting
- Jaci David, Senior Director of Strategy and Community Impact, Blandin Foundation
12:15 pmLunch01:30 pmBreakout Sessions
Breakout #1: Persisting through Pitfalls: Turning Unique Challenges into Community Assets
Some of the most difficult challenges rural communities encounter are the ones that develop slowly over time. The major employer that gradually ramps down local operations; declining demand for a local resource; cultural consequences of social injustice long past. Just as these issues themselves took time to evolve, so too will the solutions take patience and dedication to prove effective. Rural communities putting the work into major initiatives to resolve the ill-effects of economic or cultural changes know that progress is not linear: it includes hills and valleys. This session will initiate a dialogue around the process of reclaiming momentum after hitting a setback, creating space for panelists to share what they’ve done right and how they learn and course-correct from missteps along the way. Speakers will include:
- Danny Twilley, Assistant Vice President of Economic, Community and Asset Development for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, West Virginia University
- Colby Hall, Executive Director, Shaping our Appalachian Region
- Jessie Powers, Executive Director, Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia
OR
Breakout #2: Innovative Strategies to Create Available Housing
Rural communities continue to face housing availability challenges, which constrain their ability to attract new employers and residents. Just as all real estate is local, the key to unlocking housing resources looks different depending on the rural community’s characteristics. This session will invite panelists to share perspectives on housing policy interventions intended to increase supply and discuss how to tailor an approach based on local characteristics. Speakers will include:
- Taylor Bennett, Executive Director, West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation
- Grant Beck, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Next Step Network
- Jennifer Wilsie, Director of Housing, New River Valley Regional Commission
- Peter Dolkart (moderator), Community Development Regional Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
02:40 pmBreak03:00 pmAfternoon Plenary Panel
Measuring Momentum: How to make data, storytelling, and measurement work for small towns
A key ingredient to sustaining momentum is measuring and celebrating progress – and measurement is what funders require to devote dollars and keep them flowing. Yet measurement can be exceedingly burdensome for small communities, and many spend resources measuring whatever can be measured instead of what truly has impact. This session would provide practical tools and guardrails around measurement to help participants meet this hurdle more efficiently and effectively. Speakers will include:
- Corianne Payton Scally, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute
- Sonya Ravindranath Waddell (moderator), Vice President and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
- Jacqueline Ponti-Lazaruk, Chief Innovation Officer, USDA-RD Innovation Center
- Emily Burleson, Senior Manager of Advocacy & Research, Partners for Rural Transformation
04:20 pmRural Spotlights Poster Session05:00 pmReception & Rural Spotlights Poster Session -
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
08:00 amRegistration & Continental Breakfast09:00 amWelcome09:05 amMorning Plenary Panel
The Federal Funding Landscape and how Small Towns Can Make It Work for Them
Rural communities throughout the nation encounter challenges competing for federal funding and have shared that it can be hard to know exactly where to start to access the funding. There are more than 400 federal programs designed for rural communities and, recently, there has been an influx of Federal funding from Congress through the infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Funding trends continue to show that most funding goes to high-capacity communities located in coastal states while less than a fifth of available funding has gone to communities with less staffing resources and capacity, which tend to be rural.
In this session, Tony Pipa will discuss the scope of federal policy pertaining to rural, upcoming legislation, gaps, and research on what’s needed to make it work for rural. Irma Esparza Diggs will share how rural communities and small towns can access federal funds and strategies for being effective at various levels of capacity. Sherece West-Scantlebury will present how philanthropic funding can be leveraged in rural communities to complement federal resources.- Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Center for Sustainable Development, The Brookings Institution
- Irma Esparza Diggs, Senior Executive and Director of Federal Advocacy, National League of Cities (NLC)
- Sherece West-Scantlebury, President and Chief Executive Officer, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
- Jarrod Elwell (moderator), Community Development Regional Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
10:20 amBreak10:40 amBreakout Sessions
Breakout #1: Moving Beyond Tradition to Expand the Reach of Rural Community Colleges
This session will highlight innovative ways in which rural community colleges are coming together to expand their reach and to redefine success. These initiatives, such as programs to develop advanced manufacturing workers, educate teachers on available jobs in the region, and engage LatinX students, require colleges to collaborate beyond their traditional service areas. It will also highlight the work of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in the community college space via the Survey of Community College Outcomes. Speakers will include:
- Margaret Roberton, Vice President, Workforce Development / Chief of Staff, Central Carolina Community College
- Patty Pfeiffer, President, Wayne Community College
- Wesley Beddard, NCEast Alliance and retired President, Martin Community College
- Laura Ullrich (presenter and moderator), Senior Regional Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
OR
Breakout #2: The role of philanthropy in building and sustaining momentum in rural communities
While many rural communities are filled with dedicated and innovative leaders, their small size and remoteness often creates challenges when trying to bring together the people, knowledge, and funding to turn their dreams into reality. Due to their ability to provide flexible funds, bring people together across sectors and regions, and commit for the long-term, philanthropies are uniquely positioned to help rural communities and regions overcome their challenges and capitalize on their opportunities. This session will explore the work of several rural-serving philanthropies and how they have supported local efforts to enhance and sustain the capacity for positive transformational change in rural communities, including their ability to access and effectively utilize public investments. Speakers will include:
- Jerry Neal Kenney, Program Officer, Regional Capacity Building and Community Development, T.L.L. Temple Foundation
- Mary Fant Donnan, Executive Director, The Alleghany Foundation
- Melissa Levesque, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina
- Nicholas Chiumenti (presenter and moderator), Economist, USDA Rural Development
- Jen Giovannitti, President and Trustee, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
11:50 amConference Closing Remarks01:00 pmSpecial Topics Working Sessions
Requires additional registration
Community-Powered Storytelling for Economic Growth
Letterpress Communications, a mission-driven marketing firm helping small towns tell their stories, will lead participants in an interactive journey of finding your community’s or organization's unique story and how to tell that story for impact. Topics will include leveraging community partnerships, choosing your medium, amplifying your story, tracking success, and more. The session will feature an engaging panel of community case studies and proprietary storytelling tools, plus table discussions with peers for maximum learning. You’ll walk away with a clarified strategy and clear next steps to tell your community or organization's story well. Session will be led by:
- Ilsa Loeser, Founder & Principal, Letterpress Communication
- Alexandra Veatch, Creative Director, Letterpress Communications
Panelists will include:
- Ken Heath, Director, Community and Economic Development, The Town of Marion, VA
- Natalie K. Hodge, CEO, Rudy’s Girl Media
- John Provo, Executive Director, Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement
- Alfreda J. Reynolds, Director of Economic Development, County of Brunswick
