2008

East Central Community College Participates in WAEMTownWorkshop

ECCC Workforce Developmelll is Represented at "Designing Our Future" IJ'orhhop in Louisville.

Louisvil le. MS - ECCC Workforce Development Dean, Roger Whitlockand Mi ke Ellis. Civic Lead– ership Facilitator completed the WAEMTown, Designing Our Future '' orkshop held at Lake Tiak0 ·Khata ncar Louisville, MS October 22-24, 2008. Whitlock and Ellb attended two and one-half days of interactive pre– sentations and worked wtth a team to plan a hypothettcal town. After at– tending this intensive workshop, many parttcipants have returned to

their communitie:. to emphasize the 1mportance ofplannmg to long-term economic viability. The \\ orkshop mcluded several presentations, as well as a hands-on design exercise that fo– cuses on problem-solving m a hypo– thetical town Cheryl \-forgan of the Auburn School of Architecture Ur– ban Studio gave the keynote address ''Planning to Succeed." Larry Jarrett of the Natural Resources Initiative of Northern Mississippi discussed Natu-

ral Resources and how to preserve' and capitalize on them Other present– ers discussed Cultural Resources, Histone Presef\ation. and Econom1c Development, while case studies were presented by Jan Miller of the Carthage, MS Mainstreet Program and Judy Martin (Marion. AI). Whitlock, Eilts, and 39 other Ct\ ic and community leaders found plenty of technical ad\ tee. inspiration, and practical training. The Your Town workshop format is an intensive engagement of citizen leaders and professionals. It focuses on these critical plannmg and design decisions. The workshop is htghly participatory. with lectures. case-study presentations and mter– acttve group problem solving. It is a direct response to the uncertain fu– ture ofMississippi andAlabama small towns a future increasingly threat– ened by large scale changes in our economy. population shifts. the im– pactoftelecommunications and mass merchandising. and changes tn land policy. ln the face of these forces, communities have found themselves struggling to maintain their vitahty and even their sense of identity. Whether the threat IS sudden growth or stagnation, planning and design dcctSions can often make the dtffer ence between survival and decay, between healthy prosperity and dt.:– cline. The Workshop was tar ge.ted to the WAEM:WIRED !nitta– live and based on a program that has been practiced by Your Town Ala– bama for the past ten years. The \vorkshop offers re< I hope to real communtties. People like Whitlock and I llis who care about their community's appearance and growth can begin learning more about how to protect it through Your Town Alabama. For more information about the organization. please' tsit theYour ...,.. --·-

APPEARED IN:

CARTHAGINIAN - - - ---– SCOTT COUNTY TIMES ----------------- UNION APPEAL ----------------------- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL ------- SPIRIT OF MORTON v ----~--------------