UA College of Continuing Studies to Coordinate the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Leadership Institute

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies is coordinating the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Leadership Institute, a year-long program designed to improve the decisions made by leaders across the delta region.

The program begins Sept. 20 at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus, and it will continue with six three-day sessions held at various locations throughout the delta region, with a graduation at UA in summer 2007.

The Delta Leadership Institute focuses on preparing emerging regional leaders to meet the growing challenges of the 21st century. Working in teams, participants will encounter real world problems and seek to collaborate to encourage change. This year’s focus will center on health care and economic development.

The program is designed for delta region city officials, mayors, leading business owners and upper management employees. The Delta Leadership Institute will be comprised of a variety of lectures, seminars and workshops which focus on regionalization, issues management, leadership capacities and leadership and change. These sessions will include many nationally-recognized presenters, experts in the delta region and University of Alabama faculty and administrators.

“This partnership will advance the delta region by molding strong, informed and strategic leaders,” said Dr. Carolyn Dahl, dean of the UA College of Continuing Studies.

The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership that serves 240 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The federal co-chairman of the DRA is Pete Johnson of Clarksdale, Miss., who was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2001. Johnson and the governors of the eight states make up the organization’s board.

UA’s College of Continuing Studies delivers educational opportunities to non-traditional students through workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, certification training and other professional development programs.

The College provides degree opportunities through off-campus programs and also weekend, evening and distance education programs.