The Delta Grassroots Caucus (DGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders in the eight-state Delta region. DGC is also a founding partner of the Economic Equality Caucus,
which advocates for economic equality across the USA.

Latest Draft of Delta Conference Agenda, Sept. 21-23: Many Thanks to Sponsors

Posted on September 06, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Washington, DC Conference, Sept. 21-23, 2010 “Job Creation/Economic Recovery, Health Care and the Oil Disaster”

We have 11 Members of Congress, 10 high-level executive branch officials, a distinguished group of grassroots leaders from the Greater Delta Region and a turnout of 112 people and growing.

This is the latest draft of the schedule, which has to remain flexible because Members of Congress and national executive branch officials have hectic schedules in which hearings, votes, unexpected meetings and other meetings may require them to change the times at which they can come, and this in turn requires us to make adjustments for other speakers. However, the basic times and places listed below are set.

The early registration fee deadline has passed, so if you would like to register, please make out the $100 registration fee to “Delta Grassroots Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Grassroots Caucus

(Attention: Lee Powell)

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

OPENING SESSION: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., B-339 Rayburn House of Representatives building

Reception, 5 P.M. TO 5:25 P.M.

OPENING SPEAKERS, 5:25 p.m. to 8 p.m. 5:25 Introduction–Lee Powell, executive director, Delta Caucus

  1. Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson–5:30 TO 5:40 P.M. (Introduced by Mike Marshall, Federal Alternate Cochair, Delta Regional Authority)

  2. Mayor Barrett Harrison, Blytheville, Arkansas 5:40 TO 5l50

  3. Congressman Mike Ross–5:50 TO 6:10–

  4. Federal Cochairman of the Delta Regional Authority, Chris Masingill (President Obama’s appointee to the DRA, recently confirmed by the US Senate) 6:10 to 6:40

  1. Dr. Mario Cruz-Penate, INVITED, Pan American Health Organization, Regional Adviser for Health Systems; World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office of the Americas; the Pan American Health Organization is a strong supporter of the Community Health House Network

7 to 8 p.m.–Panel on Job Creation/Economic Recovery

  1. Alan Gumbel, Moderator and Speaker, President, Gumbel & Associates, Memphis, Tennessee, veteran Delta regional development expert

  2. Alan Branson, COO, Enterprise Corporation of the Delta/HOPE Credit Union, based in Jackson, Mississippi; active across Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana

  3. George Miles, Delta LISC, based in Greenville, Mississippi, active across Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana

  4. Mayor Glen McCord, Yellow Bluff, Alabama

SENATE SESSION Wednesday morning, Sept. 22, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Room 385 Senate Russell building

“Big Picture” Regional Economic Development Panel, 8:30 to 10 a.m.

  1. Mike Marshall, Moderator and Speaker, Alternate Federal Cochair, Delta Regional Authority (former Mayor of Sikeston, Missouri)

  2. Josh Tubbs, Marshall County Economic Development Department, western Kentucky

  3. Stephanie Vance, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship rural anti-poverty initiative, Lake Providence, Louisiana

  4. Kevin Smith, long-time Delta regional advocate, Helena-West Helena, Arkansas; former aide to US Sen. Dale Bumpers and then Governor Bill Clinton; former state senator

9:30 A.M. TO 9:50 A.M.–PRESENTATION VIA AUDIO SYSTEM FROM SENATOR BLANCHE LINCOLN, ARKANSAS, CHAIR, SENATE AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY COMMITTEE

Larry Williams, CEO, Delta Citizens Alliance, based in Greenville, Mississippi, active across Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana

Robert Dansby, CEO, Edgenics Corp., active in expansion of broadband access and community health centers in the Delta region

Dialogue–US Senators and Grassroots Leaders, 10 a.m. to noon

  1. Senator Mark Pryor, Arkansas–10 A.M. 10:15 a.m.

  2. Congressman John Boozman–10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

  3. Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi (introduced by Bill Triplett, Chief of Staff, Delta Regional Authority)–10:30 to 10:45

  4. Senator Mary Landrieu, Louisiana–10:45 to 11 a.m.

  5. Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri– 11 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

  6. Chancellor Rita Cheng, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois–11:15 a.m. to 11:30

  7. Dr. James Stapleton, Executive Director, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri–11:30 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.

  8. Larry Peterson, President, Shawnee Community College, southern Illinois–11:40 a.m. to 11:47 a.m.

USDA SESSION Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 22, 1:15 to 4:30 p.m., USDA headquarters on the Mall, Room 104-A, The Williamsburg Room, USDA Whitten Building

1:15 to 2:10 p.m.–Overview–USDA Programs for Rural, Economically Distressed Regions like the Delta; Civil rights and diversity, aid to limited resource and minority farmers, farmers’ markets

  1. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration Alma Hobbs
  2. Assistant Secretary for Administration Pearlie Reed

Delta grassroots leaders

  1. Tamidra Marable, Heifer International’s Program Manager for USA programs, Little Rock, Arkansas–farmers’ markets and nutritious produce
  2. Jose Gomez, LULAC state director for Arkansas–Hispanic issues in the Delta

2:10 3:15 p.m.–Hunger and nutrition issues in the Delta

  1. Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary Janey Thornton
  2. Food and Nutrition Services Administrator, Julie Paradis (invited)

Delta grassroots leaders

  1. Jerome Turner, USDA Delta regional Obesity Prevention Unit speaker, Marvell, Phillips County, Arkansas
  2. Ed Cooney, Executive Director, Congressional Hunger Center Charita Johnson, nonprofit Shiloh Distribution Center, west Tennessee (Invited)

Brief update from Farm Services Agency representative on disaster relief for farmers

3:15 to 4:30 p.m.–Rural Development Issues in the Delta

  1. Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Victor Vasquez

  2. David Villano and Jessica Zufolo, Rural Utilities Service–broadband expansion

  3. Joe Belden, National Housing Assistance Council, rural housing issues

  4. Paul Von Hoesen, CTechnology, Inc., Tennessee, expanding broadband access in the rural Delta (Invited)
  5. Stephen Copley, Arkansas Justice For Our Neighbors; Methodist minister active in outreach for Hispanic population in the Delta

SESSION ON REBUILDING AFTER KATRINA AND THE OIL DISASTER IN THE GULF; RENEWABLE ENERGY Thursday morning, Sept. 23, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., parish hall of the historic Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill near the US Supreme Court, 212 East Capitol

8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

8:30 to 8:45 a.m.: Congressman Charlie Melancon, Louisiana; Rep. Melancon represents the Louisiana coast and is at the forefront of rebuilding efforts after Katrina and the oil disaster; if he is in Louisiana that morning he will address the group from there over the audio system

8:45 a.m. to 9:10 a.m.–Washington, DC Leaders Who Worked on the Gulf Coast after Katrina–these speakers will talk briefly about their experiences after Katrina:

8:45 to 8:50– Deacon Katherine Miller-Holland, Director, Church and Community Ministries, Coordinator, Lutheran Disaster Response, LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES, of the National Capital Area, Washington, DC (Ms. Holland helped evacuees from Katrina who moved to the Washington, DC area)

8:50 to 8:55–Rev. Tom Knoll, pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington, DC (Rev. Knoll worked in helping victims of Katrina on the Mississippi coast)

8:55 to 9 a.m.Rev. Greg Wolfe,, Pastor, Seven Locks Baptist Church, Potomac, Maryland (Rev. Wolfe worked in helping Katrina survivors in New Orleans after Katrina)

9 a.m. to 9:05 a.m.–Robert Haslach, Katrina Response Mission Group Coordinator, St. Columba’s Episcopalian Church; lay preacher, Diocese of New Orleans.

9:10 to 9:25–Congressman Joseph Cao, Louisiana (New Orleans)

9:25 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.–Louisiana Leaders in Rebuilding after Katrina and the Oil Disaster:

  1. Children’s Defense Fund Director for Louisiana based in New Orleans–Mary Joseph;

  2. Dr. Kevin Stephens, distinguished physician and former head of the New Orleans health department before and after Katrina who won accolades for his work and Congressional testimony in responding to Katrina;

  3. Patty Riddlebarger, Entergy Corp., Director of Corporate Social Responsibiliy, New Orleans, Louisiana

  4. Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response Director, Jessica Vermilyea, New Orleans;

  5. Rev. Dwight Webster, survivor of Hurricane Katrina, senior pastor at Christian Unity Baptist Church, a large, predominantly African American church in central New Orleans; Rev. Webster will be joined by his son, Amir Webster, Howard University student from New Orleans–a young leader who plans to return to New Orleans after graduation;

Disaster Relief, Health Care and other Issues in Long-Term Rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and the Oil Disaster, 10:45 a.m. to 12:15

  1. Kay Goss, nationally recognized disaster relief expert and former Associate Director of FEMA in the Clinton administration;

  2. Congressman Marion Berry, Arkansas;

  3. Natalie Jayroe, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Acadiana, Louisiana

  4. James Lee Witt & Associates (James Lee Witt was FEMA Director in the Clinton administration), either James Lee Witt or one of his senior associates;

11 a.m.– 5. Thomas Oppel, senior assistant to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, President Obama’s chief of the Gulf Economic Recovery Plan; Mr. Oppel is Secretary Mabus’ chief assistant in charge of the Gulf Coast recovery, formerly was an aide in Mississippi when Ray Mabus was Governor of Mississippi;

  1. James Miller, Managing Director, Community Health House Network, (James Miller has held extensive meetings in Louisiana with local leaders about the Health Houses as a solution to long-term health issues caused by the oil disaster.

Some speakers may be moved to the luncheon time slot, depending on how the timing develops.

LUNCHEON–AT HALL ADJACENT TO SANCTUARY–12:15 TO 1:45 P.M.

  1. Dr. Aaron Shirley, medical doctor and civil rights movement pioneer, nonprofit Jackson Medical Mall Foundation in Mississippi, leader of the innovative Community Health House Network initiative that is being organized to deal with the health care problems generated by the oil disaster and its economic devastation for Louisiana;

  2. Ken Smith, Kenneth L. Smith Consulting, Former Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Clinton administration, renewable energy expert;

  3. Under Secretary of Energy Kristina Johnson, (Invited), or Gil Sperling, senior adviser, Department of Energy, speaking about renewable energy policy

  4. Jan Paschal, CEO, the Every Child Is Ours Foundation that worked extensively in New Orleans after Katrina (Jan Paschal was a high-ranking official in the US Dept. of Education in the Clinton administration,

  5. Former Congressman Bill Alexander, Arkansas, renewable energy advocate, Alexander & Associates;

  6. Representative from DC Central Kitchen to speak about their work helping people in New Orleans and elsewhere. Appreciation for Sponsors

APPRECIATION FOR SPONSORS Delta Grassroots Caucus Washington, DC Conference, Sept. 21-23, 2010 “Job Creation/Economic Recovery, Health Care and the Oil Disaster”

The Delta Grassroots Caucus would like to thank the following sponsors for making possible our work in promoting economic progress for the Greater Delta Region:

LEAD SPONSORS

Southeast Missouri Delta Grassroots Partners

Southeast Arkansas Delta Grassroots Partners

Nucor Yamato Steel and Nucor Steel of Arkansas, Blytheville, Arkansas

MAJOR COSPONSORS

Entergy Corporation

National Housing Assistance Council,Washington, DC

McGehee Industrial Foundation

SPONSORS

Southern Illinois University

Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center, East Prairie, Missouri

Edgenics Corp. a national company active in expanding broadband access in the Delta

Desha County Judge Mark McElroy

Dumas, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce

Delta Citizens Alliance, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana

Helena National Bank

McGehee Housing Authority

Heifer International

Boys, Girls and Adults Community Development Center, Phillips County, Arkansas

DELTA GRASSROOTS CAUCUS PARTNERS

Last but not least, we would like to thank the literally hundreds of people who made smaller contributions in the range of $50, $85 and $100 in the form of membership fees, registration fees and other contributions. For a grassroots regional coalition, we need to have a diversified, broad base of financial support from large numbers of relatively small contributions. The large number of these contributions really adds up to a major part of our budget, and we could not do our work without these donations.