Rep. David Standridge, chairman of the House Rural Caucus, said the creation of a statewide rural development manager position has been a priority of the caucus. He believes Commerce, the state’s lead economic development agency, is the proper home for this specialist.

“Rural Alabama obviously has its challenges as well as its unique opportunities in economic development,” Standridge said. “One problem is that a lot of rural counties and small towns don’t have the resources for an economic development specialist or a professional.

“They need a go-to person who can get them answers and help them navigate the economic development process.”

‘CATALYST’ FOR SUCCESS

The creation of the rural development manager position stems from talks involving Sec. Canfield; Rep. Standridge; Rep. Randall Shedd, chairman of the House Urban and Rural Development Committee; and the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA), whose membership numbers 500 professionals. Discussion were also held with State Sen. Bobby Singleton on issues in Alabama’s Black Belt.

“Our goal is to bring rural Alabama up without bringing urban Alabama down,” Rep. Shedd said.

According to a job description, the rural development manager will provide technical assistance to rural communities under consideration for economic development projects, as well as provide ongoing assistance and training for rural communities seeking to become more competitive for economic development projects.

“Economic development in rural communities faces specific challenges that are not present in urban or suburban settings, and an advocate for those communities could provide a catalyst for more economic success in those areas,” said Jim Searcy, the EDAA’s executive director.

“Alabama is primarily a rural state, and an effort to grow all parts of Alabama should be applauded. This action by Governor Ivey’s administration is an indication of Alabama’s leadership commitment to the entire state. EDAA is committed to moving Alabama forward, and this is another step in achieving that goal.”

RURAL RESOURCES

The creation of the first-ever rural development manager position in Commerce’s Business Development Division is another major step in a broader effort to attract new investment and spur job creation in rural areas across the state.

In mid-2015, Alabama began offering enhanced incentives for companies locating qualified projects in rural or “Targeted Counties.” Since then, 16 projects in these counties have received incentives through the provision.

In 2018, four projects in these counties qualified for enhanced support under the Alabama Jobs Act, resulting in $620 million in new capital investment and 600 new jobs, according to Commerce data. Those figures make it the program’s strongest year.

“We’ve been focused on rural development, and that’s why we developed the ‘Targeted County’ approach in the Alabama Jobs Act, which gave us an opportunity to provide our most rural counties with enhanced incentives for attracting projects,” Sec. Canfield said.

“But our longer-term commitment has always been to focus more attention and provide additional resources to stimulate rural development. The creation of the rural development manager position will move that effort forward,” he added.