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.

Registration, Group Hotel, Agenda, Directions; Oct. 17-18 Delta Event, Memphis

Posted on October 06, 2013 at 12:42 PM

We are presenting the basic information about the Oct. 17-18, 2013 Delta Grassroots Caucus conference in Memphis below: basic schedule, registration, a rough draft of the agenda that inevitably will have a few last-minute changes, and the group hotel and directions.

This is a two-day jam-packed conference so there is a substantial amount of information here:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Basic Schedule

II. Registration information

III. Group hotel

IV. Latest draft of the Oct. 17-18 agenda

V. Directions to the Memphis Agricenter

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE OPENING SESSION SPEAKERS START PROMPTLY AT 4:30 P.M., AND THE OPENING SESSION IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONFERENCE.

Basic Schedule

Opening session is Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Memphis Agricenter.

The Friday, Oct. 18 session is from 8:30 a.m. to about 3 p.m. at the Agricenter.

REGISTRATION:

You register by sending in the registration fees, which are $125 for those who have not paid the annual membership dues and $100 for those who have.

The only ways to register are to mail in the registration dues to the address below, which is what we request, or for those who only learned of this conference very late, we can receive the check at the front desk at the conference, but we greatly prefer to have them mailed in before the conference.

There is no link to register on the website or elsewhere.

Please make out the $100 check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to our office in the Washington, DC area:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, Maryland 20601

The early registration deadline passed on Oct. 4, 2013, except for those who learned of the conference late and did not know about the deadline. Late registration fees are now $150. It complicates matters to receive large numbers of registrations late in the process, so the higher late fee is an incentive to get the fees in on time. It slows down the conference if long lines of people are registering at the front desk when we are getting the program started, and bills start coming due before the conference starts.

Group hotel is the Courtyard by Marriott at Memphis-Germantown

To get the group discount hotel rate, call the Courtyard by Marriott at Memphis-Germantown at (901) 751-0230 and say you are with the Delta Caucus. There are king rooms for $104 and doubles for $109.

Many people will want to stay just for the night of Oct. 17, check out the morning of Oct. 18. The conference is scheduled to end about 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18.

Memphis cultural, historical and musical attractions: Some people who have not seen the major attractions in Memphis may want to stay on for Friday, Oct. 18. Memphis offers such attractions as the Beale Street blues and jazz halls such as B.B. King’s place, Graceland, and others.

The National Civil Rights Museum is open on Saturday morning, Oct. 19, for those who wanted to stay on Friday night, Oct. 18. For many of us the greatest attraction is the National Civil Rights Museum, which has great exhibits and videos about the history of the civil rights movement and is based at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

Delta Grassroots Caucus Conference Agenda

“Jobs, Nutrition and the Farm Bill, Health Care”

Memphis, Tennessee Agricenter International

October 17-18, 2013

Informal Gathering, 3:45 to 4:15 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott Group Hotel Bar, led by Arkansas Rep. Mark McElroy, Delta Caucus Vice Chairman

INFORMATION TABLES AT MEMPHIS AGRICENTER ON DELTA REGIONAL PROJECTS:

Betty Dobson, The Historic Hotel Metropolitan and other Delta Heritage Tourism Attractions of the Upper Town Heritage Foundation, Paducah, Kentucky

Jon Chadwell, Newport Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Blue Bridge Project and other Notable Activities in the Newport area

Greg Maxted, Executive Director of the Harahan Bridge Project across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee to West Memphis, Arkansas

Annette Dove, TOPPS nonprofit in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, working on education, nutrition, job training, and mentoring and tutoring of youth

Society of St. Andrew—the importance of gleaning and food recovery in the fight against hunger in the Delta

Pamela Marshall, Memphis Area Association of Governments

OPENING SESSION, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013, 4:30 to 7:45 p.m., Memphis Agricenter Banquet Room

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

Delta Heritage Tourism

  1. Betty Dobson, Director, Upper Town Heritage Foundation in Paducah, Kentucky—4:37 to 4:45 p.m.

  2. Greg Maxted, Executive Director, Harahan Bridge Project over the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee to West Memphis, Arkansas; projected includes tourism, transportation and health activities, 4:45 to 4:52 p.m..

  3. President Beverly Robertson, National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, 4:52 p.m.to 5:02 p.m.

  4. Shelley Ritter, Director, Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, Mississippi, 5:02 to 5:12 p.m.

Pamela Marshall, Memphis Area Association of Governments—5:12 to 5:20

Daphene McFerren, Executive Director, the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis—5:20 to 5:30 p.m.

Hunger, nutrition and health:

  1. Marlon Henderson, CEO, Sharemeister, Inc., explaining the “Delta Caucus Nutrition Challenge” Fundraising Initiative for the Pine Bluff, AR, TOPPS nonprofit and MIFA nonprofit in Memphis on the Sharemeister social giving platform—5:30 to 5:35 p.m.

  2. Annette Dove, Executive Director, TOPPS nonprofit organization, Pine Bluff, AR: 5:35 to 5:45 p.m.

  3. Alan Gumbel, Memphis Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), Director of Performance and Quality Improvement, 5:45 to 5:53

  4. Melissa Rice McGowan, Feeding America Southeast Missouri Food Bank, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 5:53 p.m. to 6:03 p.m

  5. Albert Nylander, Director, McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement—6:03 to 6:11 p.m.

.(INVITED) Chelsea Clinton of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation is invited to speak about the Clinton Foundation’s domestic policy activities in job creation, child nutrition, women’s issues, renewable energy/energy efficiency and green jobs, all of which are beneficial in the Delta and across the country. (Ms. Clinton travels around the country and the globe in her work for the Foundation and is super-busy, so if she is able to speak she is likely to confirm late in the process.

We will need to modify the schedule if Chelsea Clinton is able to speak.

Jobs, Infrastructure and Regional Economic Development: 6:10 or 6:25 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. (or 6:25 or 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 or 7:40 p.m.

  1. Mayor Bill Luckett, Clarksdale, Mississippi—Jobs, Nutrition, Health—to 6:11 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.

  2. Randy Henderson, Nucor Yamato Steel and Nucor Steel of Arkansas, Blytheville, Arkansas, 6:20 to 6:28 p.m.

  3. Lane Kidd, President, Arkansas Trucking Association, on the federal highway bill and other transportation issues–6:28 to 6:38 p.m.

  4. John Charles Wilson, President, Memphis Agri-Center–Renewable energy and small farmers’ programs; 6:38 p.m. to 6:48 p.m.

  5. Steve Bares, President, Memphis BioWorks Foundation, 6:48 p.m. to 6:56 p.m.

  6. Srikant Gir, Co-Director of the University of Memphis BioFuels Institute, 6:56 p.m. to 7:04 p.m.

FRIDAY SESSION, OCT. 18, 2013, 8:30 A.M. TO 3:30 P.M.

Memphis Agricenter Banquet Room

PLEASE CONTINUE READING ON LINK BELOW

8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. –Panel–SNAP nutrition and health care—(These will be scheduled over the course of Friday morning and we will have to be flexible about the exact times)

  1. Kim Sanders, Southern Illinois University Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development, on implementation of the federal health care reform law

  2. Dianne Williams, Chief Program Officer, Arkansas Foodbank (serving 33 Arkansas counties)

  3. Jeff Wood, Tyson Foods, Community Relations Director, on the SNAP nutrition program

  4. Billy Senter on Independent Payments Advisory Board and other issues for federal health care reform law

  5. Senchel Matthews, Heifer International, based in Memphis, on “Seeds of Change” project in the east Arkasnsas Delta

  6. Mayor Robert Myer, New Roads, Louisiana–hunger and nutrition issues

9:30 a.m.–US Senator Mark Pryor

10 A.M. – Former Congressman Mike Ross, Candidate for Governor of Arkansas

10:45 A.M.—Congressman Tom Cotton, (R-AR)

11:30 a.m.–Former Congressman Asa Hutchinson, Candidate for Governor of Arkansas

LUNCHEON: Noon to 1: 20 p.m.

Media statement on SNAP and the farm bill and health care, Caucus Director Lee Powell and Caucus Vice Chairman, Rep. Mark McElroy

President Glen Fenter, Mid-South Community College, West Memphis–or mid to late morning

Mayor A. C. Wharton, Jr. Memphis, Tennessee–introduced by Minnie Bommer, veteran Delta regional advocate and the first African American woman elected to the Covington, Tennessee City Council)

Congressman Steve Cohen, Memphis, Tennessee

1:20 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.–Big picture panel on regional community and economic development

  1. Bob Nash, Speaker and Moderator, President of Bob Nash & Associates, formerly Director of Presidential Personnel at the White House, earlier USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, Clinton administration

  2. Steve Jones, Southern Bancorp Community Partners, Senior Vice President/Director of Programs, based in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas and active in many communities across the Delta; and DRA Alternate for Gov. Mike Beebe

  3. Loretta Daniel, Murray State University, Director of Regional Business and Innovation Center, western Kentucky

  4. J. William McFarland, Special Assistant to the President, University of West Alabama

  5. Jeff Jones, Century Link, Manager of Market Development for broadband expansion programs in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas

  6. Jerry Smith, Delta Center for Economic Development

Delta Grassroots Caucus Conference Sponsors

“Jobs, Nutrition and the Farm Bill, Health Care”

Memphis, Tennessee Agricenter International, Oct. 17-18, 2013

LEAD SPONSORS

Fed Ex Express, Memphis, Tennessee

Nucor Yamato Steel and Nucor Steel

MAJOR CO-SPONSORS

University of Mississippi McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement, Oxford, Mississippi

Arkansas Trucking Association

Heifer International

Housing Assistance Council, Washington, DC

Mississippi County AR Economic Opportunity Commission

SPONSORS

J. William McFarland, Jr., Special Assistant to the President, University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama

West Tennessee Delta Partners

Southeast Missouri Delta Partners

Rep. Mark McElroy, southeast Arkansas

McGehee Industrial Foundation

East Arkansas Enterprise Community

BGACDC Agency, Phillips County, Arkansas

The City of Earle, Arkansas

Delta Caucus Grassroots Caucus Partners

Last but not least, we would like to thank the hundreds of people who made contributions in the range of $125, $100, $50 or $25 in the form of annual membership dues, 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 modest 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.

Directions to Memphis Agricenter International from four different directions

From Nashville, Tennessee:

Travel I-40 west, exit Germantown Road (exit 16A). Go south on Germantown Road approximately 5 miles. You will go under the overpass at Walnut Grove Road, turn right at the stop light at Timbercreek. This is the entrance…Agricenter Expo Center is the large grayish white building, Show Place Arena is the large yellowish building on your left immediately past the Butcher Shop Restaurant.

From Little Rock, Arkansas:

Travel I-40 east across the bridge into downtown Memphis, follow I-40 to I-240 east. Take Walnut Grove (exit 13) heading east. Go east on Walnut Grove approximately 2 ½ miles. Turn right into the Agricenter entrance… Agricenter Expo Center is the large grayish white building on the right past the Ducks Unlimited entrance, Show Place Arena is the large yellowish building on your left past the Farmer’s Market (Red Barn).

From Jackson, Mississippi:

Travel I-55 north towards Memphis. Follow signs to I-240 east (exit 6A). Follow I-240 east until you reach Walnut Grove (exit 13) heading east. Go east on Walnut Grove approximately 2 ½ miles. Turn right into the Agricenter entrance… Agricenter Expo Center is the large grayish white building on the right past the Ducks Unlimited entrance, Show Place Arena is the large yellowish building on your left past the Farmer’s Market (Red Barn).

From St. Louis, Missouri:

Travel I-55 south towards Arkansas. When freeway forks, keep left to Memphis. Follow to I-40 to I-240 east. Take Walnut Grove (exit 13) heading east. Go east on Walnut Grove approximately 2 ½ miles. Turn right into the Agricenter entrance… Agricenter Expo Center is the large grayish white building on the right past the Ducks Unlimited entrance, Show Place Arena is the large yellowish building on your left past the Farmer’s Market (Red Barn).