rdi-logo.png

 

Rural
Development
Institute
Helping Georgia’s Rural
Communities Thrive

 

 

 

Mayors, legislators, and elected leaders of every city, town, and village on the Earth must realize that every decision they make should consider the impact, first and foremost, on new jobs.” — Jim Clifton, The Coming Jobs War
 


•The Rural Development Institute is a partnership with the Valdosta State University Centerfor South Georgia Regional Impact, economic and community development professionals,and local leaders who want to enhance and improve their communities.

•The program will prepare Georgia’s rural communities to sustain and grow their economies.

•Community teams will consist of five to six members with representatives from their CityCouncil, County Commission, Economic Development, and other local leadership.

•Team members will complete a community readiness index to identify their opportunitiesand challenges.

•Each team will work with mentors to identify customized strategies for recruitment andretention, downtown development, retail, local leadership, and community development.

•The Center for South Georgia Regional Impact at Valdosta State University will useuniversity resources and community advisors to implement at least one project in eachcommunity at no additional cost.


Applications Due: APRIL 11, 2025

Summit: JUNE 10 - 12

Tuition: $2,500 per community

Email: darrellmoore@valdosta.edu


The quality of the presenters, the array of topics and the entire flow equaled any training I received in my 37 years in corporate training (Xerox). In addition, the on-site support in the following months is unprecedented in any similar training I have ever attended.” — Cindy Pullen, Lakeland/Lanier County Chamber of Commerce

“I made it very clear to the board that this is the most impactful training that I’ve had as a county commissioner or in any professional position.” — Dr. B. Keith Jones, Mitchell County
 
 

Apply Now

 

The Rural Development Institute is a partnership with
Valdosta State University's Center for South Georgia Regional Impact, economic and community development professionals, university students, and local leaders who want to take active, applied steps to enhance their communities.
The program will prepare Georgia’s rural communities to
sustain and grow their economies.

 

 
Link to our block of reserved rooms, Holiday Inn Valdosta

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q. How is rural defined? 
A. 50,000 or less

Q. What is the purpose of the summit? 
A. Work with community leadership teams to discuss multiple strategies for community and economic development. The sessions will not be lecture based, but should include resources available for each topic, a best practices presentation and Q&A, with time for each team to work with their mentor and discuss what they learned and how they can implement programs that will result in a positive change in their community. Each community will have 5-6 participants and with mandatory development authority, city and county representation. 

Q. When participants leave the class, what problems will they be able to solve?
A. The final session will be an opportunity for each team and their mentor to reflect and discuss what they have heard over the past three days. Each community will identify workable steps for implementation and application and prioritize projects that are realistic and attainable. 

Q. What is the Readiness Index?
A. It will include six categories (recruitment, education, infrastructure, leadership, demographics and quality of life) and the result should provide a road map for where the community has opportunities for growth.   We have created a Qualtrix survey for the communities to utilize and tabulate the results. 

 

In the news

Learn more about the Rural Development Institute 'Strengthening "Family" in Rural Georgia' (Click to Read)