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.

Venue Change to Comfort Inn Presidential; & List of Grassroots Participants as of Oct. 9, 2023

Posted on October 09, 2023 at 12:41 PM

We have an important logistical change for the Nov. 16-17, 2023 Delta Caucus meeting in Little Rock:

All the sessions will be held at the group hotel, Comfort Inn Presidential, Dean/MacArthur Room.

The opening session is from about 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Comfort Inn Presidential on Thursday evening, Nov. 16, 2023 at the Dean/MacArthur Room.

After the substantive session is over, we can bring dinner (each person pays their own way, of course) from the hotel restaurant just a few steps away into the Dean/MacArthur Room and continue with informal networking during dinner.

The Friday session is from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dean/MacArthur Room on Nov. 17, 2023.

The address of the Comfort Inn Presidential is 707 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72202

(NOTE: We are holding all sessions at the Comfort Inn Presidential because the Arkansas Capitol Rotunda is occupied with preparations for the Christmas season; and we are holding an in-person conference for the first time in a few years so it has been slow in getting a turnout. So the somewhat smaller, more flexible Comfort Inn Presidential is more suitable than the Clinton Library Great Hall.)

We are still working on getting more RSVPs. Please relay this invitation to anyone you think might be interested and invite them to be there.

After we have finished the substantive session going up to 7 p.m. or so we can bring food in from the hotel restaurant (each person paying for their dinner) to have a comfortable place to eat and for further networking.

KEY ISSUES:

We will cover a range of key issues, starting with job creation at good wages, education and workforce development as the essential requirement for obtaining and retaining good jobs, Delta Heritage tourism, health care, hunger and nutrition, transportation, other infrastructure, and support for the Delta Regional Authority.

GROUP HOTEL

To get the group discount rate of $129 for the night of Nov. 16, 2023, call the Comfort Inn & Suites Presidential in Little Rock at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus group.

FEDERAL AND STATE SPEAKERS TO BE INVITED:

We plan to invite President Bill Clinton, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US Sen. John Boozman, Congressman Rick Crawford, Congressman French Hill, Congressman Bruce Westerman, state legislators, mayors and other elected officials, nonprofits, community-minded business leaders, experts in transportation, health care, hunger and nutrition, job creation, Delta Heritage tourism and related regional issues.

Elected officials tend to RSVP much later in the process. We will keep you posted.

REGISTRATION FEES:

You register by paying the registration fees:

GROUP DISCOUNT: If you can bring a group of three or more we will reduce registration from $100 down to $40 each, and for a group of five or more down to $20 each.

The easiest way to register is to go on the website at mdgc.us and go to the Paypal link that says “Donate.”

If you prefer to pay by check, make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to our office in the Washington, DC area:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

Preliminary List of Grassroots Delta Caucus participants as of Oct. 7, 2023

This is in addition to the invitations we will make to President Clinton, state officials and Members of Congress noted above. Officials at their level tend to RSVP late in the process.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS

–Lee Powell Caucus Director

–Harvey Joe Sanner, President, American Ag Movement of Arkansas, Des Arc

–Michelle Monse, King Foundation, Arkansas and Texas

–Brian Schweiger, National Parks Service, Central High School Historic Site in Little Rock

–Ali Noland, lawyer who filed suit against Arkansas LEARNS ACT

–Ernie Dumas, former senior editor at the old Arkansas Gazette, later editor at Arkansas Times

PHILLIPS COUNTY ARKANSAS

Beatrice Shelby, Director, BGACDC nonprofit, Phillips County Arkansas, and several of her colleagues

EAST ARKANSAS

–John Fogleman, speaking about the Sultana Museum, Marion Arkansas

–Director of Sultana Museum Melody Walker

–Mayor Jaylen Smith of Earle, Arkansas

–Shane Broadway, Arkansas State University Vice President for University Relations; sbroadway@asusystem.edu

–Johnny Pettis, small farmer, in-door, year-round produce grower, hydropontics; johnnylpettis@aol.com

–Mayor Tamiko Butler of Eudora, Arkansas on in-door produce project with black mayors in Arkansas

–Mayor Ora Stevens Marianna, Arkansas

–Fredric Smith, East Arkansas Enterprise Community, Forrest City, Arkansas;

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY ARKANSAS

–Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson

–Mayor of Blytheville Melisa Logan

–Barrett Harrison, Arkansas Aeroplex

–Vice President Blanche Hunt, Arkansas Northeastern College;

–President Chris Heigel, Arkansas Northeastern College

ALABAMA

–Billy McFarland, nonprofit TSP Police Support League

–Former Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. of Alabama

MISSISSIPPI

–Wilson Golden, Mississippi native now based in Georgia, Clinton administration appointee

LOUISIANA

–Herb Simmons, professor at Grambling, lawyer, and author

MISSOURI

Mike Marshall, Sikeston, Missouri, former DRA Alternate Federal Co-Chair

Heather Collier, Southeast Missouri Food Bank

Joel Evans, CEO, Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation, Sikeston Missouri;

TENNESSEE

Angela Scott, Engagement Coordinator, Memphis Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), Memphis, Tennessee

WASHINGTON, DC AREA

Caroline Thorpe Powell, senior USDA official

We hope you can join us for the Delta Regional Conference on Nov. 16-17, 2023. Thanks—Lee Powell, Delta Caucus (202) 360-6347