Join us on for episode 58 of the CDI Podcast as our CCED 2022 spring intern Dalton Thompson and UCA student Gabrielle Harvey speak with Arkansas Lt. Governor Tim Griffin! Lt. Governor Griffin shares his background, vision, and scope of work. Learn more by listening to his story on the CDI Podcast.

Health is a critical component of a strong community and economic development ecosystem. On this week's CDI Podcast, we deep dive into why creating healthy communities is important with Robert Furrey, Associate Vice President of Hospital Operations at Baptist Health Medical Center - Conway. Robert also shares his thoughts on HOW we can support our citizens on their health journey.

On the latest episode of the #CDIPodcast, we are joined by Zachary Mannheimer of Atlas Community Studios and Alquist 3D to learn about his career, a holistic approach to community and economic development, and the future of affordable housing development with 3D printed homes. Fun Fact: Zachary is a certified Arkansas Traveler through the State of Arkansas!

Why should community leaders focus on mental health as an important economic issue? According to a study published by PharmacoEconomics, latest estimates show that the incremental economic burden of adults with major depressive disorders (MDD) was $326 billion in 2018, 38 percent higher than in 2010. On this week's CDI Podcast, we explore why supporting mental health should be a crucial piece of every leader's community and economic development plans.

Since its inception in 2016, the Arkansas Coding Academy (ARCA) has provided information technology training to individuals looking to learn new technical skills. On this week's CDI Podcast episode, ARCA Director Alison Wish shares how ARCA supports its students and the workforce demands in our state in a unique way.

On this episode of the CDI Podcast, we're joined by Dr. Ryan Watley, CEO of Go Forward Pine Bluff, to learn about their progress on community and economic development initiatives in Pine Bluff including their downtown streetscape and upcoming 6th Avenue Project.

On this episode of the CDI Podcast, we are joined by CCED Graduate Assistant, Greta Hacker, as she interviews UCA Professor and Director of the UCA Public Administration Program, Dr. Kim Hoffman. We will hear about Dr. Hoffman's career, her thoughts on civics education, and the value of public service in our communities.

Joe Borgstrom's 20+ year career in community and economic development has been focused on helping communities develop into their best selves, build their future, and tell their stories. Joe's company, Place + Main Advisors, understands the importance of a multi layered development approach, at neighborhood, downtown, citywide and regional levels. Tune into this week's CDI Podcast as we explore the amazing work that Joe and Place + Main Advisor's are a part of.

On this episode of the CDI Podcast, we're joined by Senator Joyce Elliott to discuss her new civic engagement organization, Get Loud, Arkansas, that aims to register new voters, engage low propensity voters, and mobilize all Eligible voters to utilize the power of their vote to shape the future of Arkansas. We discuss Senator Elliott's career, the goals of this effort, and how you can get involved in the process.

It's the season 3 premiere! Listen in on our conversation with University of Central Arkansas Chief of Staff and Bill Miller Award winner Amy Whitehead! We discuss the UCA Extension services group and UCA's role in community and economic development in the state of Arkansas.

You thought Season 2 of the CDI Podcast was over? Not quite! We have one more "bonus episode" to share with our listeners featuring Dr. Michael Yoder. Dr. Yoder speaks with us about the knowledge he imparted in the new edition of the Community Development Handbook (our core curriculum at the Community Development Institute) and gives us a sneak peak into the content of his latest book.

When Dr. Steven Collier created ARcare, a nonprofit, federally qualified health center (FQHC) with discounted rates, he shared the mandate to serve “the least, the last, and the lost." ARcare focuses on providing healthcare to all, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. On this final episode of season 2 of the CDI Podcast, Director of the ARcare Foundation David Orr and Vice President of Operations Representative Aaron Pilkington share ARcare's mission, vision, and why they believe health is a crucial piece of community and economic development.

On this episode of the CDI Podcast, we're joined by CEO Dee Brown and Chief Business Offer Grandon Gray of The P3 Group. The P3 Group specializes in business, community, and urban development through the creation of Public-Private Partnerships. We talk about their careers, their work in Arkansas and beyond, and how they've woven in community development into their business model. You can find out more about The P3 Group here: thep3groupinc.com/

March 2021 marked the 10 Year Anniversary of the Fort Smith Regional Alliance! To mark the occasion, Drake Smith and Ken Warden join us on the podcast. We discuss the various projects coming out of the Ft. Smith Regional Alliance and the bright future of the Ft. Smith region.

What do you know about the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)? As our team was considering who would be best to discuss this topic, there was only one answer: Martie North with Simmons Bank. Martie serves as the senior vice president and director of community development and the Community Reinvestment Act at Simmons. On this week's CDI Podcast, we speak with Martie about the CRA, Simmons Bank, and why it is important for community leaders to build relationships with their local bankers.

Retail is a foundational piece of the economic ecosystem in our communities, and oftentimes even a place to begin to build your local economy. But if you want to get serious about retail development and recruitment, where do you start? Join us on the CDI Podcast as experts with Retail Strategies, Clay Craft and Jenn Gregory, share insider knowledge on retail and small business development at the local level.

On this episode of the CDI Podcast, we talk with Dr. Joe Thompson of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI)! We talk about the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of our communities in Arkansas, and what our community leaders can do to recognize and limit Zipcode Risk. Learn more about ACHI here: https://achi.net/

In its simplest terms, diversity means the richness and wide spectrum of humanity that is reflected all around us, and inclusion means identifying, understanding, and appreciating that richness and placing ourselves in it every day with the goal to listen, learn, and lean in. This definition reflects one of many beautiful insights and lessons that Wendy Holbrook and Charlotte Strickland of the University of Central Arkansas share on this episode of the CDI Podcast. Join us for this episode as we explore diversity and inclusion together.

This week's episode features Sasha Grist, Executive Director of the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District. We talk about her unique career path, her passion for community development, and how CDI set her up for success!

On this episode of the CDI Podcast, we speak with Monieca West about her career in the community and economic development field, her work at the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and the knowledge and awareness she would like to impart on community leaders across the state.