Investing in Rural America: Driving Change with Grit, Grace, and Gumption

Our News

May 29, 2025

“Grit, grace, and gumption.” These were the three words keynote Donna Gambrell used to describe the drive of leaders focused on growing their rural communities at the 2025 Investing in Rural America Conference.

Nearly 300 community leaders gathered in Roanoke, Va., to learn, connect and discuss strategies for solving issues affecting our small towns and rural communities -- like child care access, the skills gap, and housing shortages. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin opened the conference with a speech about the opportunity for growth in rural communities, “Often, progress takes a less measurable form first. Community leaders start to shape a collective vision, build trust and learn to better navigate funding streams and systems. In time, with the right conditions, that momentum starts showing up in the data.”

Later, conference attendees heard from Donna Gambrell from Appalachian Community Capital in a keynote fireside chat with Daniel Davis, group vice president in the Richmond Fed’s Research Department. Gambrell’s keynote focused on the importance of investment in rural communities, and how that investment can create change for generations. She left attendees with an important message: “Grit, grace and gumption” will lead to success in shaping the future of small towns and rural communities.

The first day also included two plenary panels focused on realigning the rural workforce and showcasing important resources that rural organizations can use to build their capacity to serve their communities. Breakout sessions covering innovative solutions for combating pandemic learning loss, strategies for attracting housing developers, expanding child care access, and using data to inform local action rounded out the day.

On day two, Carrie Cook, vice president and community affairs officer at the Richmond Fed, was joined by Bill Greenleaf from Locus, Tamarah Christian Holmes, PhD from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and Michele O’Connor from Innova Commercialization to discuss tangible strategies for sustaining impact in rural communities over the long term. The panel emphasized the importance of building relationships and finding local champions, explaining that sustainable change requires collaboration, buy in and small wins to maintain momentum.

The second day of the conference also included two final breakout sessions, one focusing on microtransit solutions in rural communities and another where panelists discussed disaster recovery and renewal.

Finally, as a special addition to this year’s conference, the Richmond Fed held a “Fed Listens” session where Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman and Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin, along with other Fed leaders, heard from rural stakeholders in an effort to better understand the unique perspectives that rural communities and small towns have regarding the economy. Some common themes shared by participants were the economic disparities seen in rural communities and the difficulties in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce due to factors like a lack of affordable housing, limited access to child care and insufficient transportation options. The replay of the livestream of this “Fed Listens” session can be found on the Richmond Fed’s YouTube page.

We are so grateful to the staff, panelists and attendees who helped to make this year’s conference possible! To learn more about the Investing in Rural America Conference, visit: www.richmondfed.org/ruralconference.