Delta Regional Authority Opens Applications for 2024 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy
Clarksdale, MS – The Delta Regional Authority’s (DRA) 2024 Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy application period is now open. DLI is an extensive, nine-month leadership development program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. Approximately 30 fellows are selected through a competitive application process led by DRA’s eight state governors and DRA’s federal co-chairman.
Since 2005, the DLI Executive Academy has provided leadership development to more than 700 community leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to improve economic competitiveness and social viability throughout the Delta region. DRA created the program to empower a corps of leaders with the tools, experiences, and networks to address local and regional economic development challenges.
Six in-person sessions are led by local, regional, and national experts and cover policy areas and skills related to public infrastructure, regional transportation systems, workforce development, coalition-building, and other fields necessary to facilitate economic development in the Delta. As a result, DLI Executive Academy fellows graduate with enhanced decision-making skills, policy development know-how, strengthened leadership capacity, and a mutual understanding of regional, state, and local culture and issues.
Applicants for the 2024 DLI Executive Academy must live or work in the 252 counties and parishes that encompass DRA’s region, as designated by the U.S. Congress. The DLI Executive Academy seeks applicants in traditional or non-traditional leadership roles within organizations, businesses, or communities. DLI Executive Academy fellows must have previously worked on community-based projects that support economic and community development efforts on the local, regional, or state level.
2023-2024 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy Schedule
Session I: October 30 – November 2, 2023 | New Orleans, Louisiana
Session II: January 22 – 25, 2024 | Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Session III: March 4 – 7, 2024 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Session IV: May 13 – 16, 2024 | Carbondale, Illinois
Session V: July 15 – 18, 2024 | Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Session VI: September 9 – 12, 2024 | Jackson, Mississippi
Those interested can apply through July 26, 2023, at Delta Leadership Institute - Delta Regional Authority (dra.gov).
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About the Delta Regional Authority
The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
