Editor’s Note: “The Economic Development Side” originally appears in the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce’s weekly member e-newsletter. It is written by Rhonda Dishner, the Economic Development Alliance’s executive assistant.
No two cities or towns are alike. That’s because every community — large or small — has its own distinctive set of resources and challenges. Each one is ultimately defined, however, by how it uses its resources and addresses its challenges.
In this election week of an election month in an election year, there is a lot of “For” and “Against” on people’s minds. They are “For” this or that candidate. They are “Against” this or that issue on the ballot. But everyone in a community should be “For” economic development — all the time.
Economic development is more than just rhetoric. It’s putting into action identified plans for community improvement. Ideally, it’s also folks working together on those plans to make them realities to benefit everyone.
Economic development and community development could be considered two sides of the same coin.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Most cities of any size have a chamber of commerce, which typically does the community development work of furthering the interests of local businesses and promoting quality of life ingredients. Arkansas has about 130 local chambers listed in the 2015 World Chamber of Commerce Directory. Pine Bluff, of course, has had an active chamber of commerce for 105 years.
Fewer communities in the state have a dedicated economic development organization (whether public or private) focused on the multiple components of a business and industry location and expansion program. Pine Bluff’s Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County (the Alliance) is one of only 23 EDC’s listed for Arkansas in the same world directory.
Fewer still are the communities in Arkansas with an organization that is charged with both its community and economic development work. But, again, Pine Bluff is on the list because the Alliance, by design and definition, is a private alliance of community and economic development efforts for Jefferson County.
Even the Alliance’s building, at 510 Main Street in downtown Pine Bluff, was built with this dual purpose in mind. Its long, main hallways roughly divide the building into a Community Development (Chamber) Side and an Economic Development Side, although there is cross-over to accomplish the primary, shared objective of promoting Pine Bluff and Jefferson County.
A keen observer may have just realized the nexus of this column’s title. Though it’s originally published online each Monday in the Pine Bluff Chamber’s weekly eNewsletter, this column is related to activities on “The Economic Development Side” of the building!