Rural Community Action Assembly Looks at Outdoor and Small-Town Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development

The Outdoor and Small-Town Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development assembly being held on Thursday, November 19 from 9:30 a.m.–12:00 noon is the final offering in a three-part series. It will examine the roles that peer learning networks, intermediaries, and community development finance institutions play in leveraging regional and local tourism for small business development and an equitable rural recovery.

Ta Enos, Founder and CEO at the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., the nonprofit that manages the Wilds Cooperative of PA, will be a panelist for this assembly.

The agenda includes:

• Welcoming remarks: Kyle Kopko, Director, Center for Rural Pennsylvania
• Panel on Outdoor and Small-Town Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development
  • Ta Enos, CEO, PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship
  • Cheryl Hargrove, President, Hargrove International
  • Meredith Hill, Director of Conservation Landscapes, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
  • Moderator: Julie Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Downtown Center
• Small Group Breakout Discussion
• Resource Chat on Outdoor and Small-Town Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development
  • David Kahley, President and CEO, The Progress Fund
  • Jamie Bennett, Executive Director, ArtPlace America
  • Moderator: Valerie Case, Sales Manager, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
• Closing remarks: Micah Gursky, Executive Director, Tamaqua Area Community Partnership

This Rural Community Action Assembly series focuses on actionable research and programmatic models to promote a strong and equitable recovery from the impacts of the pandemic on rural communities. This series is cohosted by the Philadelphia Fed’s Community Development and Regional Outreach Department, Penn State’s Center for Economic and Community Development, and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

Participation is free, but registration is required and attendance is limited. A video recording and presentations will be shared publicly afterward. Registration for the assembly will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 17. Participants will have opportunities to engage with their peers, and all attendees will be encouraged to contribute to the conversation.

View a video recording and slides from the first two assemblies.

• COVID-19 and Its Implications for Workforce Investments and Employers in Rural Communities: The assembly explored the job training needs in the state’s rural communities and how job training can be an investment in an equitable recovery.
• Place-Based Partnerships for Capital and Regional Investment Strategies: This assembly featured an in-depth discussion of cross-sector collaborations among community foundations, community banks, hospitals and health systems, and colleges and universities focused leveraging local assets to make investments into small businesses, broadband infrastructure, and other economic development projects.

For more information about this series, contact Nathaniel Borek at na*************@******rb.org.