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.

May 3 Delta Opening Session Starts Early at 4:30 p.m.--& Clinton Energy Policy Focus

Posted on April 26, 2012 at 01:16 PM

We will begin the Delta conference much earlier than usual, starting off with the two Second Congressional District candidates US Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR) and Herb Rule (D-AR) at 4:30 p.m. on late Thursday afternoon, May 3 at the Clinton School of Public Service, to tell us what they plan to do for economic recovery if elected. Please be there early!

We expect to have Gov. Mike Beebe, Sen. Mark Pryor, Sen. John Boozman, Rep. Griffin, Rep. Mike Ross, Rep. Rick Crawford, First District candidates Clark Hall, Scott Ellington and Gary Latanich, USDA Assistant Secretary Pearlie Reed, Alison Taylor and other senior executives from Siemens international energy corporation, Wal-Mart, President Fitzgerald Hill of Arkansas Baptist College, Dean Skip Rutherford of the Clinton School, Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall of the DRA, Speaker of the Arkansas House Robert Moore, and grassroots leaders from all eight Delta states from St. Louis to New Orleans.

A highlight of the conference each year is an audio presentatioon from President Bill Clinton. This should be especially interesting this year, because we are placing great emphasis on the renewable energy, energy retrofits, and green jobs policies President Clinton has recommended to us for many years now. We have some major announcements in that area to show we are making real progress on energy policy in our region.

Job creation/economic recovery is the over-arching theme, with child obesity and other nutrition issues, as well as the connection between economic development and education–especially literacy–being major points of emphasis at the conference.

We will have answers to our economic issues questionnaire from the Congressional candidates who will be speaking.

We also will have copies of a great column published on April 25 by Rex Nelson of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Arkansas’ largest paper) about the good news of the American Queen steamboat’s return to its travels on the Mississippi River.

We have a total of 148 RSVPs at this point, but many will be coming for only parts of the conference, so we will find a way to find space for all the influential grassroots leaders who expressed interest in attending.

For questions conctact Mark McElroy at 870-877-2426, Martha Ellen Black at 573-683-0783, or Lee Powell at 202-360-6347.

SAVE THE DATES: The Washington, DC Delta conference is Sept. 11-13, 2012. Details later.

Presidential Surrogate Debate Speakers Representing Mitt Romney and Barack Obama Campaigns, October 24, 2012, Convocation Center of Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. We will ask speakers from both campaigns to state what they plan to do to promote economic development in our vast 8-state region if elected.

The latest draft of the agenda, late registration information and the group hotel discount (which was extended and is still available) is below in this newsletter.

Late registration fees are now $150; they were $100 until after the April 20 early registration. After April 20 registration fees went up to $150.

You can either bring the checks to the conference with you or by mail. Please make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

GROUP HOTEL: Comfort Inn at the Clinton Library, Little Rock, Arkansas: Please call the hotel at (501) 687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus group to get the lower group rate of $82 a night for a standard room, for the nights of Thursday, May 3 and Friday, May 4.

THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE GROUP RATE SO IT IS STILL AVAILABLE.

Many people may only want to stay for the one night of Thursday, May 3, because the conference begins at 5 p.m. on that evening and ends the next afternoon, May 4 at about 3:45 p.m. People can check out of the hotel on the morning of May 4 in the morning and store their luggage there, and then come back and pick up the luggage that afternoon after the conference ends.

We would like to express our great appreciation for our sponsors:

LEAD SPONSORS:

NUCOR YAMATO STEEL AND NUCOR STEEL OF ARKANSAS, BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS

MAJOR CO-SPONSORS:

SIEMENS ENERGY CORPORATION

NATIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL, WASHINGTON, DC

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI DELTA GRASSROOTS PARTNERS

MCGEHEE INDUSTRIAL FOUNDATION

LINCOLN COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

SPONSORS

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY, LOUISIANA

THE INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH, MISSISSIPPI

INSPIRE HOPE INSTITUTE, LAYMON JONES, CHAIRMAN, JONESBORO, ARKANSAS

ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

DESHA COUNTY JUDGE MARK MCELROY

AVANTECH SERVICES, CLIFTON AVANT, PRESIDENT

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY (AR) ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

BLYTHEVILLE-GOSNELL REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY

COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF ARKANSAS

SOUTHERN BANCORP

HELENA NATIONAL BANK

THE CITY OF PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS

THE CITY OF DUMAS, ARKANSAS

DELTA GRASSROOTS CAUCUS PARTNERS The bedrock of our budget is based on hundreds of smaller contributions in the form of annual membership dues and registration fees of $100, $50 and $25. Thanks so much for sending these in and giving us a diversified, broad base of financial support from large numbers of relatively modest contributions.

Delta Grassroots Caucus, May 3-4, 2012

Draft of Agenda

Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock, Arkansas

Jobs/Energy/ Health/Education

OPENING SESSION: THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012, 4:30 P.M. TO 8 P.M. CLINTON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE

4:30 p.m.–Introduction–Lee Powell, Executive Director, Delta Grassroots Caucus

4:40 p.m. to 5 p.m.–Congressman Tim Griffin (R-Little Rock)

5 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.–Second Congressional District candidate Herb Rule, (D-Little Rock), attorney and former state legislator, on his positions for economic development in Arkansas and the Delta region

WELCOME–James “Skip” Rutherford, Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service

5: 20 to 5:27 p.m.–Mayor Sheldon Day, Thomasville, Alabama

5:27 to 5:40 p.m.–Oscar Castaneda, Heifer International’s Director of Programs for the USA, Canada and Latin America

5:40 to 5:50 p.m.–Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall (Sikeston, Missouri), Delta Regional Authority

5:50 to 6 p.m.–Alan Gumbel, Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association, Memphis, Tennessee (Nutrition and literacy initiatives)

6 p.m. to 6: 15 p.m.–Joe Quinn, Wal-Mart Corporate Affairs senior executive, on Wal-Mart’s activities promoting nutrition in the Delta and placing more stores in food desert areas

6:15 to 6:35 p.m.–US Senator John Boozman, Arkansas

6:35 to 6:45 p.m.– Stacy Bullock, Murray State University, western Kentucky speaker on Murray State University’s renewable energy project

6:45 to 8 p.m.–Nutrition: Preventing Child and Adult Obesity, Diabetes and other Nutrition-related Health Issues, and Help for Limited Resource Farmers

  1. Moderator and speaker: Tamidra Marable, US Domestic Programs Manager, Heifer International; manager of east Arkansas Delta activities for Heifer

  2. Georgianna Tuuri, professor of nutrition, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  3. Melissa Rice, Cape Girardeau Feeding America food bank, serving 16 southeast Missouri Delta counties

  4. Kim Sanders, Director, Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development, Southern Illinois, University, Carbondale, Illinois

FRIDAY, MAY 4, GREAT HALL OF THE CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY 8:15 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M.

8:15 a.m. to 10 a.m.–Renewable energy, energy retrofits and efficiency, green jobs

  1. Chad Nobles, Siemens Corp., Moderator

  2. Elizabeth Hood, Arkansas State University, Arkansas BioSciences Institute; Distinguished Professor, College of Agriculture and Technology

  3. David Baker, Future Fuels, biodiesel and other renewable energy initiatives company, with a plant employing 550 people in Batesville, Arkansas

9 a.m. to 9:10 a.m.–Congressman Rick Crawford, First District, Arkansas, live audio presentation on his priorities for economic development in the Delta

Energy panel resumes after Congressman Crawford presentation

9:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.–US Senator Mark Pryor, speaking about his positions on energy policy

9:30 to 9:50 a.m.–Gov. Mike Beebe (introduced by Speaker Robert Moore of the Arkansas House of Representatives; D-Arkansas City)(Confirmed but exact speaking time to be determined)

  1. Clark Wiedetz, Siemens, Inc., Director of Renewable Energy

  2. Martha Jane Murray, Clinton Foundation, Manager for Home Energy Assistance Loan (HEAL) program

Steve Patterson, Arkansas Advanced Energy Association

10 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.–State Representative Clark Hall, Phillips County, Arkansas; Candidate for First Congressional District, Arkansas, explaining his plan for job creation/economic recovery in the east Arkansas Delta

10:20 A.M. TO 12:30 p.m.–President Clinton, Congressman Mike Ross, Gov. Mike Beebe

10:20 to 10:50 a.m.–President Bill Clinton (Live presentation over the Clinton Library audio system)(Invited)

11:10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.–Scott Ellington, prosecutor, Jonesboro, Arkansas; First District Congressional District

11:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.–Congressman Mike Ross

11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.–Additional time to be used if needed for energy policy speakers

LUNCHEON–12:30 TO 1:30 P.M.

Media announcements on ongoing constructive initiatives in the Delta

  1. Alison Taylor, Siemens Corporation Vice President for Sustainability; Chief Sustainability Officer for Siemens in the United States, Canada and Latin America

  2. USDA Assistant Secretary for Administration Pearlie Reed, Washington, DC

  3. President Fitzgerald Hill, Arkansas Baptist College (Introduced by Spencer Lucker, Clinton School of Public Service graduate student and an intern at the Delta Regional Authority)

PANEL ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT–FOCUS ON LITERACY–1:30 P.M. TO 2:50 P.M.

  1. President Fitzgerald Hill, Arkansas Baptist College, speaker and moderator

  2. Student or professor at Arkansas Baptist College with ties to the Delta and success story regarding literacy

  3. Jennifer Oglesby Holman, executive director, Arkansas Literacy Councils

  4. Deborah Duncan Owens, professor of reading, Arkansas State University

  5. Obadiah Simmons, Grambling State University, Louisiana

  6. Save the Children–Shannon Maxwell, Deputy Director, Save the Children program for the state of Mississippi

2:50 to 3 p.m.–Presentation of Inspire Hope Institute Award to Johnnie Bolin, former State Representative, long-time executive director of the Arkansas Good Roads Transportation Council; presented jointly by the Delta Grassroots Caucus and the Inspire Hope Institute based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Chair, Laymon Jones, in appreciation of Johnnie Bolin’s many years of distinguished public service to the economic development of Arkansas and the Greater Delta Region.

3 P.M. TO 3:20 P.M.–Health Care Issues Presentation by Albert Nylander of Delta State University and John Green of Ole Miss

Albert Nylander, Delta State University, Cleveland, Mississippi, Dean of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, professor of sociology and community development

John Green, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, Director, Center for Population Studies; Director, Institute for Community-Based Research; professor of sociology

3:20 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.–I-69 and Transportation Infrastructure presentation by Josh Tubbs, western Kentucky, Marshall County Economic Development Dept.–update on progress on I-69 Corridor and other infrastructure issues

Gary Latanich, First Congressional District Candidate and Professor of Economics, Arkansas State University, 3:30 to 3:50 p.m.