VALDOSTA – VSU’s Rural Development Institute will meet with local leaders in a summit to provide rural communities with development resources.
Release:
The Rural Development Institute is an extension of Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact, where economic and community development professionals and local leaders will meet to participate in an inaugural Summit June 7-9 at the University. Members of the Retail Strategies team are proud to be a part of the event, presenting a session titled, “Retail as a Catalyst for Economic Development.” The program will prepare Georgia’s rural communities to sustain and grow their economies.
Eight counties have been accepted to go through the rural economic development workshop and evaluation administered by Valdosta State University. The counties, all with populations of less than 50,000, are Bacon, Dawson, Lanier, Mitchell, Peach, Seminole, Twigs, and Worth. Retail Strategies was selected as the expert in retail to provide economic development resources and equip attendees with best practices.
“The Retail Strategies team is honored to participate in the inaugural Rural Development Institute Summit in partnership with VSU, supporting the selected communities to take proactive steps towards community and economic readiness,” said Mill Graves, director of business Development for Retail Strategies. “Our company has a long history of educating and assisting rural communities and we’re committed to providing rural Georgia communities the necessary resources to identify and advance their retail potential.”
The Summit will allow Retail Strategies to share available resources to rural community leaders, retail trends, and best practices in rural retail recruitment. The session will also focus on creating an implementation process and allocating resources for communitywide growth strategies.
Other participants and presenters are the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Municipal Association, current and former economic development practitioners, SBDC, regional commissions, technical colleges, and various utility providers.
About the Center for South Georgia Regional Impact
Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact connects South Georgia’s biggest questions with answers from world-class faculty researchers and more than 11,000 students ready to serve their community. Through strategic partnerships with area leaders, Valdosta State University will increase community and regional impact through leading development in and serving as a resource for Industry, Economic Development, Health Care, Arts, Education, Athletics, and other changing economic regional needs that support the growth of South Georgia and the communities our students will serve.
For more information, visit https://www.valdosta.edu/administration/advancement/sgri/rural-development-institute.php.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in recruiting businesses and strategically developing communities. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality of life amenities. With confidence, we pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team with unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of your community.
