11-2 Ark-of-the-Ouachita PDF Print E-mail

Ark-of-the-Ouachita to help chart course for economic development  

 

Camden News 11-2-09

By DONNA COLLINS Staff Writer

    

     In an effort to set a course for the city’s future, Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development is sponsoring a two-night event with the goal of identifying what industry representatives, business owners and residents want in community and economic development.
   OPED board members discussed the event during their regular monthly meeting Wednesday. "We want to begin the process that invites evaluation of our own way of doing things," OPED executive director Norm MacNeill said Wednesday.
   The community assessment meetings are set for 6:30 p.m., Nov. 9 and 10, at the Ross Center. MacNeill said participants should plan to attend both sessions. Advertising for the event asks residents to "get on board the Ark-of-the-Ouachita before it sets sail."
   Facilitators for the event are Freeman McKindra, president of McKindra Development Institute, Inc., in Little Rock, and Dianne Williams, of Dianne Williams Consulting in Greenbriar.

Questions to be answered include:     

   • Where are we as a community and what is our current reality?
   • What are our strengths and at what have we been successful?
   • Where do we want to be as a community and how could things be different in our future?
   • What would it take to get there?
   OPED board member Camden Mayor Chris Claybaker said his concern is how to get people across the community to get involved.
   Board member Mike Cash said getting residents involved in community development is a good idea, but sustaining community involvement has been a problem of past programs. Board member Mike Murphree also expressed concern about participation. He said the Camden Area Chamber of Commerce tried to spur similar community interest following the closing of General Dynamics and the loss of hundreds of jobs. He said such programs begin with a big bang but end with little fruition.
   MacNeill said any plan needs to be simple and narrowly defined. He added that "success would sustain interest." MacNeill said it would also take hard work and a lot of effort to get the word out about the meetings.