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.

Times for key speakers at June 12-13 Delta Conference at Clinton Library

Posted on May 27, 2014 at 05:46 PM

We have a jam-packed agenda for the June 12-13 Delta conference, 125 RSVPs and growing daily, and detailed information is below in this post. We would like to give a condensed version of the schedule. As always some of the speakers had to make last-minute changes.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12 OPENING, 4:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Clinton Library Great Hall

THIS IS A CRUCIAL, SUBSTANTIVE SESSION. THERE IS NO RECEPTION DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS.

4:15 to 5:20 p.m.–Introduction and women and children’s issues panel (SPEAKERS LISTED BELOW IN THIS MESSAGE)

5:20 TO 5:50 p.m.–GOVERNOR MIKE BEEBE OF ARKANSAS

Note: Gov. Beebe had to change his time from Friday to 5:20 p.m. at the Thursday opening session

6 P.M.–CONGRESMAN TOM COTTON (CANDIDATE FOR US SENATE)

6:30 P.M.–MAYOR PATRICK HENRY HAYS(CANDIDATE FOR US HOUSE)

7 P.M. TO 7:45 P.M.–Women and children’s issues speakers

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 SESSION–8:15 A.M. TO 3 P.M., CLINTON LIBRARY GREAT HALL

8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m.–Billy McFarland, Alabama Black Belt Delta Caucus Coordinator; Jessica Vermilyea, disaster relief expert from New Orleans; Mayor Thelma Collins of Itta Bena, Mississippi (more information below on these speakers)

9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.–JAMES LEE WITT, DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR FOURTH DISTRICT US HOUSE, DIRECTOR OF FEMA FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

9:30 A.M. TO 10 A.M.–MAYOR JACKIE MCPHERSON OF HEBER SPRINGS, AR, DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR FIRST DISTRICT US HOUSE

10 A.M. TO 10:30 A.M.–ASA HUTCHINSON, REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS

10:30 A.M. TO 11 A.M.–MIKE ROSS, DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS

11 A.M. TO 11:30 A.M.–CONGRESSMAN RICK CRAWFORD OF THE FIRST DISTRICT US HOUSE (REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR RE-ELECTION)

LUNCHEON–NOON TO 1:30 P.M.

Sen. Charlie Cole Chaffin, Educator, Distinguished Woman Leader in Arkansas and former Democratic nominee for statewide office in Arkansas (Lt. Gov.)

Annette Dove, Executive Director, TOPPS nonprofit organization in Pine Bluff, Arkansas (Recipient of Delta Nonprofit Leadership Award)

12:40 TO 1:05 P.M., FRENCH HILL, REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR THE SECOND DISTRICT US HOUSE

1:05 P.M. TO 1:30 P.M.–STATE REP. BRUCE WESTERMAN, REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR FOURTH DISTRICT US HOUSE

1:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.–“Big Picture” Regional Community and Economic Development Panel (more information below)

The group hotel deadline is this Friday, May 30, 2014, close of business, to get the group hotel discount down to $82 at the Comfort Inn Presidential for the night of June 12. Please call the hotel at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus group to get the discount.

The Delta Grassroots Caucus June 12-13 conference is only two weeks away. If you have not sent in registration checks and made group hotel reservations, please do so ASAP.

The group hotel is conveniently located close to the Clinton Library Great Hall. If you miss the deadline, your hotel rate will go up to about $120, a difference of about $40.

Most people only stay one hotel night to cut costs, but the group rate is also available for those who want to stay on Friday, June 13 as well.

Registration is still open for the June 12-13 Delta conference at the Clinton Library Great Hall, although we have 120 RSVPs right now, the number grows daily and space is limited. We always have a number of people who RSVP late in the process. If the space runs out it will have to be determined on a first come-first served basis. Registration information is below.

We will have speakers on women and children’s issues in the Delta due to the alarmingly high poverty rates of single mothers heading households and children in our region, a panel on “big picture” regional economic development, and all the candidates for the hotly contested gubernatorial, US Senate, and US House of Representatives in Arkansas.

Gov. Mike Beebe has spoken for eight years in a row, he is invited as always and we look forward to hearing from him in his last presentation to the Delta Caucus as governor on the private option health care plan and other key regional issues.

President Bill Clinton has spoken six of the last seven years either by a live call-in or last year when he was there in person for over an hour, although he confirms late in the process due to his super-hectic schedule. He is invited again this year.

We will apply the late registration fees flexibly and will not ask for the higher late fees for new partners, those who did not know of the early registration deadline on May 16, or those who indicated earlier that they were definitely planning to come. The higher late registration fees are $150.

Regular registration is $125 for those who have paid their annual membership dues and $100 for those who have paid their annual membership dues $25.

Again, for new partners, those who did not know of the deadline earlier, or those who RSVP’ed earlier, we will not charge the higher late fees.

Please make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

YOU REGISTER BY SENDING IN THE REGISTRATION FEES AND THERE IS NO REGISTRATION FORM TO REDUCE UNNECESSARY PAPERWORK.

You can RSVP by sending an email to LeePowell@delta.comcastbiz.net and stating that you are definitely coming to the conference on June 12-13, 2014 and you register by sending in the registration fees.

The conference is two weeks away away so please respond as to whether you will be coming to this event.

AGAIN, BOTH SESSIONS ARE AT THE CLINTON LIBRARY GREAT HALL THIS YEAR.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

  1. Registration

  2. Speakers

  3. Schedule

  4. Group hotel

  5. Very rough draft of Agenda for June 12-13 Delta conference and tentative list of sponsors (there are always last-minute changes due to the busy schedules of the speakers)

REGISTRATION

Please RSVP by email and then you complete your registration by mailing in the registration fees.

Early registration is $100 for those who have paid their annual membership dues of $25.

Early registration is $125 for those who have not paid their annual membership dues.

Please make out the checks to “Delta Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Caucus 5030 Purslane Place Waldorf, MD 20601

SPEAKERS

Expected speakers include grassroots leaders speaking about women and children’s issues, job creation, health care, and infrastructure improvements from all eight states.

The gubernatorial and Congressional races in Arkansas have an impact on not only the regional but the national level, so the issues they address are similar in all eight states.

–We will have the two nominees in the US Senate race, Sen. Mark Pryor and, Rep. Tom Cotton;

–Republican gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson and Democratic nominee Mike Ross;

–US Rep. Rick Crawford and the Democratic challenger, Mayor Jackie McPherson of Heber Springs;

–former FEMA Director and current Fourth District Democratic nominee James Lee Witt and Republican nominee Rep. Bruce Westerman;

–Second District Republican nominee French Hill (invited) and Democratic nominee Patrick Henry Hays;

Supporting That Bookstore in Blytheville, AR: We will provide information tables for several notable organizations, including That Bookstore in Blytheville, a famous bookstore now owned by Chris Crawley where John Grisham got his start as an author, among many other accomplishments.

BASIC SCHEDULE

OPENING SESSION: THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 12, 2014 FROM 4:15 P.M. TO 7:45 P.M. AT THE CLINTON LIBRARY GREAT HALL

Note: The opening session begins with important, substantive speakers promptly at 4:15 p.m. This is NOT a reception.

We needed to start 15 minutes earlier because the program is so jam-packed.

FRIDAY SESSION, JUNE 13, 2014, FROM 8:15 A.M. TO 3:15 P.M. AT THE CLINTON LIBRARY GREAT HALL

GROUP HOTEL

The group hotel discount rate deadline comes up on May 27. If you make reservations by then the rate is $82, whereas if you do so afterward the hotel says the rate will be more like $120, so that is a savings of about $40. We want to help people save money where we can and also get the numbers estimated beforehand.

The group hotel is the Comfort Inn Presidential in downtown Little Rock. Please call the hotel at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus group.

The group rate is for June 12 and some people also stay for June 13, but in most cases you really only need to stay the one hotel night of June 12 and that is another way to reduce expenses.

In addition to hearing from the Congressional and gubernatorial candidates on what they plan to do to promote community and economic development in the Delta if elected, we want to devote time to grassroots leaders like yourself to focus on key issues that are top priorities for both the Delta Grassroots Caucus as well as the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation:

–job creation and economic progress for impoverished areas,

–women’s issues–particularly for single mothers and lower-income women, nutrition–including childhood and youth nutrition, and

–renewable energy, energy efficiency and the Climate Change Initiative.

Other key issues include transportation and infrastructure investments to create jobs and improve our deteriorating infrastructure, health care for under-served areas, broadband expansion, Delta heritage tourism, USDA-related issues, and other key regional initiatives.

That was great last year that President Clinton came and spent over an hour with us in person. This year we plan to ask either President Clinton or Secretary Hillary Clinton to give a live audio and/or video presentation at the conference, as President Clinton has done frequently in the past.

We also look forward to hearing Gov. Mike Beebe’s valedictory presentation to the Delta Caucus as governor. He has spoken to our group for nine straight years and is highly thought of in our coalition.

We can’t remember when we have seen so many hotly contested election campaigns in Arkansas that are very important for the Delta.

Both sessions are important, and last year the opening session actually received more attention on Thursday evening from the media and the attendance, although that was because President Clinton was there in person for over an hour. This is NOT a reception but is a substantive session starting with speakers promptly at 4:15 and continuing to about 7:45 p.m.

Very Rough Draft of Agenda for June 12-13 Delta Conference at the

Clinton Presidential Library Great Hall

There are always late changes to the agenda as speakers have changes in their schedules.

ALSO–PLEASE MAKE OUT ANY CORRECTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE IN YOUR JOB TITLES

OPENING SESSION

Thursday, June 12, 2014, 4:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Clinton Presidential Library Great Hall

Most of the political candidates’ presentations are moderated by Caucus Director Lee Powell and Rex Nelson, President of Arkansas Independent Colleges and Universities

4:15 p.m.-Introduction

4:30 to 6 p.m.-Women Leaders in the Greater Delta Region

  Moderator, Kay Goss, former Associate Director of FEMA and internationally recognized emergency relief expert

  Beatrice Shelby, executive director, Boys, Girls and Adults Community Development Corp., Phillips County, Arkansas

  Annette Dove, executive director, TOPPS nonprofit organization in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

  Ruby Bright, executive director, Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis, Tennessee

  Charlie Cole Chaffin, educator, former state senator during Gov. Bill Clinton's administration in Arkansas, former Democratic nominee for governor

  Betty Dobson, executive director of the Paducah, Kentucky, Upper Town Heritage Foundation and the famous Hotel Metropolitan

6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.-Rep. Tom Cotton, candidate for the US Senate

6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.-Patrick Henry Hays, candidate for Second Congressional District

7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.-Women and Children’s Issues in the Greater Delta Region

  Janis Kearney, former White House aide for President Clinton, distinguished author of a biography of famous civil rights leader Daisy Bates, and founding publisher of Writing Our World Publishing, Little Rock

  Millie Atkins, CenturyLink, Monroe, Louisiana, manager for expanding access to broadband in the Greater Delta Region

  Martha Ellen Black, executive director, Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center, southeast Missouri

FRIDAY SESSION

Friday, June 13, 2014, 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Clinton Presidential Library Great Hall

8:20 a.m. to 9 a.m.

J. William McFarland, Delta Caucus Alabama Black Belt Co-Coordinator, Workforce Training

Blanche Hunt, Vice President of Community Relations at Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville, Arkansas

 Jessica Vermilyea of New Orleans, Louisiana State Director for Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response-leader in recovery after Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill

Mayor Thelma Collins, Itta Bena, Mississippi 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.-James Lee Witt, Fourth District candidate, former Director of FEMA in the Clinton administration

9:30 a.m.–Mayor Jackie McPherson of Heber Springs, Democratic nominee, First Congressional District

SESSION WITH GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES

10 a.m.-Asa Hutchinson, Republican nominee for Governor of Arkansas

10:30 a.m.-Mike Ross, Democratic nominee for Governor of Arkansas

SESSION WITH US SENATE CANDIDATES 11 a.m. to noon

11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.–Congressman Rick Crawford

US SEN. MARK PRYOR (confirmed) 11:30 a.m. to noon

NOON to 1:20 p.m.

Gov. Mike Beebe, introduced by Rep. Mark McElroy, Tillar, Arkansas

President Bill Clinton, speaking by live audio call-in (invited)

12:40 to 1:05 p.m.–French Hill, Second District US House of Representatives Republican nominee

1:05 p.m. to State Rep. Bruce Westerman, Fourth District US House of Representatives Republican nominee

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.-“Big Picture” Panel on Regional Economic Development

  1. Transportation speaker-Josh Tubbs, Marshall County Economic Development Director in western Kentucky (invited)

  2. Delio Calzolari, Southern Illinois University Paul Simon Public Policy Institute

  3. Randy Henderson, Nucor Yamato Steel, Blytheville, Arkansas

  4. Heifer International (invited)

  5. Dr. Mildred Barnes Griggs, Seeds of Change east Arkansas Delta project

  6. Karama Neal, Director, Southern Bancorp Community Partners

  7. CITY YEAR SPEAKER (invited)

The Food Trust

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Alan Gumbel, Workforce Investment Network, Memphis, Tennessee

SPONSORS

LEAD SPONSOR

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

MAJOR CO-SPONSORS

Housing Assistance Council, Washington, DC

Southern Bancorp

Mississippi County AR Economic Opportunity Commission

Kay Goss, Author, Mr. Chairman: The Life and Legacy of Wilbur D. Mills, and Chair, the University of Arkansas J. William Fulbright College Fundraising Campaign for 2020

McGehee Industrial Foundation

Heifer International Seeds of Change Initiative

Hope Enterprise Corporation, based in Jackson, Mississippi, active across the region

SPONSORS

First State Bank & Trust, Caruthersville, Missouri

University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama

Sen. Charlie Cole Chaffin

Dumas AR Chamber of Commerce

AvanTech Services LLC, Marion, Arkansas

Harvey Joe Sanner, American Agriculture Movement of Arkansas

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas

Rep. Mark McElroy