Regional Rural Development Centers Strengthening the capacity of local citizens to be key players in guiding the future of their rural communities The USDA’s four Regional Rural Development Centers play a unique national role in the USDA’s service to rural America. Each center links the research and extension capacity of land-grant universities with local decision-makers to address cutting-edge regional and overarching national issues. They build partnerships with citizens, community organizations, politicians, local and state government officials, and private entrepreneurs to encourage locally led and sustainable development. They serve as leaders and primary facilitators of rural development research, education, and policy dialogues to help families, communities, farms and ranches, and businesses attain prosperity and security. The centers were established by the Rural Development Act of 1972. The first was established for the North Central region at Iowa State University; subsequent centers were established for the Northeast region at Pennsylvania State University, the Southern region at Mississippi State University, and the Western region at Oregon State University, now at Utah State University. Each center is administered by a joint agreement between USDA and a host institution operating for the extension services and the experiment stations in the region. Core funding comes from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and the regions’ land-grant universities. Increasingly, other federal and state agencies, private foundations, and public interests contribute funding. A board of directors for each center is composed of administrators and faculty from the institutions, a representative of CSREES, and representatives from public and private agencies and foundations.

Information Available

on rural development policy and implementation; information on regional and national poverty levels; reports on training opportunities offered by the federal government and nonprofit organizations; calendars listing rural development conferences and other events; news about funding opportunities; and regional and national links to other resources for rural community development.

Contact Lionel J. (Bo) Beaulieu, Director Southern Rural Development Center Box 9656 410 Bost Extension Bldg. Mississippi State, MS 39762 Phone: (662) 325-3207; Fax: (662) 325-8915 Website: http://srdc.msstate.edu/ E-mail: [email protected] Stephen J. Goetz, Director Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development The Pennsylvania State University 7 Armsby Building University Park, PA 16802-5602 Phone: 814/863-4656; Fax: 814/863-0586 Website: http://www.cas.nercrd.psu.edu/ E-mail: [email protected] Cornelia Butler Flora, Director North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Iowa State University 107 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011-1050 Phone: (515) 294-8321; Fax: (515) 294-3180 Website: www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu E-mail: [email protected]

Each of the rural development centers offers a variety of publications, newsletters, and reports

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Dr. John Allen, Director Western Rural Development Center Utah State University 8335 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-8335 Phone: (435) 797-9732; Fax: (435) 797-9733 Website: http://extension.usu.edu/wrdc E-mail: [email protected]

For additional information: Sally Maggard, National Program Leader Economic and Community Systems CSREES-USDA 1400 Independence Ave., NW, Stop 2215 Washington, DC 20250-2215 Phone: (202) 720-0741 E-mail: [email protected]

Internet Website addresses for each rural development center are listed in the contact information section.

Building Better Rural Places

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