Community/Economic Development Conference highlights best practices, impact of federal policy on county development strategies

More than 175 county officials attended the Annual Community and Economic Development Conference co-sponsored by the National Association for County Community and Economic Development (NACCED), NACo and Dade County, Fla., Sept. 14-17 in Miami.

Workshops focused on issues such as welfare reform, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's new management reform plan, creating the right economic development strategy, leveraging resources for economic development, brownfields redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization strategies and small business development.

During the opening plenary session, NACo First Vice President C. Vernon Gray spoke about his commitment to economic development issues and the leadership he intends to provide on this issue while on NACo's executive committee.

NACCED members also elected officers at the conference. The officers are: Arleeta Terrell of Jefferson Parish, La., president; Tom Laurin of San Bernardino County, Calif., vice-president; Randy Patterson of Lancaster County, Pa., secretary/treasurer; Chris Hardnett-Morris of DeKalb County, Ga., NACCED's representative on the NACo board; Patricia Ward of Tarrant County, Texas, NACCED's immediate past president; and Dan Domis of Hamilton County, Ohio, NACCED past president.

The following community/economic development directors were elected to NACCED's board of directors: Virginia Edwards of Monmouth County, N.J.; Terry Gonzalez of Los Angeles County, Calif.; W.D. Morris of Orange County, Fla.; Peter Munrue of Clark County, Wash.; Walter D. Webdale of Fairfax County, Va.; Jeff Bertrand of Essex County, N.J.; Lance Crawford of Greenville County, S.C.; Irene Hart of Sedgwick County, Kan.; Suzanne Hayes of Cook County, Ill.; and Philip Smith of DuPage County, Ill.

NACCED bestowed its most prestigious award, the Roy D. Hoover Award, to Al Linden. Linden was planning director for Union County, N.J. from 1965 to 1993, where he administered the CDBG program from its inception. After retiring from this position, he joined a consulting firm and has assisted many counties in preparing consolidated plans and applications for federal funding of housing and community development programs.

During the conference, counties with innovative, effective and exemplary programs were recognized through NACCED's "Awards of Excellence" program. Recipients included:

Community Development Award

• Clark County (Nev.) Community Resources Management Division for constructing the Yvonne Atkinson Gates Early Childhood Development Center, which is a first class early childhood development center, located in one of the county's most impoverished neighborhoods.
• Fairfax County (Va.) Department of Housing and Community Development for its Consolidated Plan Citizen Participation and Funding Process, which provides a framework for encouraging broad community involvement; strengthening the coordination of funding objectives, priorities and allocations; and focusing on results and accountability of funded organizations and programs.
  

HOME Award
Cook County (Ill.) Department of Planning and Development for its Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) program, a new model for housing physically and developmentally disabled persons. Unlike a typical group home, a CILA home is "staffed" by a live-in family unit, and the number of tenants usually does not exceed three disabled persons. The program provides a considerably more affordable and flexible alternative for housing persons with disabilities.

Economic Development Award
Pima County (Ariz.) Community Services Department for the Micro Industry Credit Rural Organization (MICRO), a county-wide program designed to assist low-income residents start home-based businesses. MICRO provides loan funds to start a business and technical assistance to help the borrower keep the business thriving.

Affordable Housing Award

• DuPage County (Ill.) Development Department for its Canticle Place, the first housing built in the county for people living with AIDS and their families.
• Los Angeles County (Calif.) Community Development Commission and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services for the nine-unit Margarita Mendez Apartments, which provide the first transitional housing and support services facility for emancipated foster youth in the state of California. During their stay, youth are provided an array of services, including educational and employment opportunities, to help them make successful transitions to self-sufficiency.
• West Perrine Community Development Corporation, Metro-Dade County (Fla.) Office of Community and Economic Development and the Metro-Dade Housing Agency for the Dixie Heights Gardens Affordable Homeownership Project that constructed eight homebuyer units for very low income families who had been displaced by Hurricane Andrew.

(Sarah Davidson is NACCED's community and economic development director.)