Arkansas Community & Economic Development Alliance
What is ACEDA?
The Arkansas Community & Economic Development Alliance is an informal network with representatives from government agencies and organizations supporting Arkansas communities, regions, nonprofits, businesses and other organizations. There is no fee to join and representatives from any organization serving Arkansas can participate.
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service is proud to be a founding member of ACEDA. It exists because no single organization can do it all. We all need to work together to make a positive difference in Arkansas.
What we do:
- Link local governments, organizations and businesses in Arkansas to technical assistance, potential funding opportunities and other resources they need.
- Provide networking opportunities for ACEDA partners through quarterly meetings.
- Share information about our programs and services with each other.
- Partner on projects to better meet state and local needs.
The group meets quarterly to discuss projects in need of assistance. Representatives from partner organizations also communicate with each other by phone and email regarding projects in need of immediate assistance.
Browse the ACEDA Resource Guide to learn about agencies working to serve Arkansas.
Join the mailing list.
Get invites to quarterly meetings, videos and transcripts, and resources shared by ACEDA members by subscribing to the email list. Looking for partners or collaboration on a project? Send it to the the 170+ and growing mailing list.
Host the next meeting.
Each meeting offers virtual and in-person attendance to accommodate members statewide. Host the next quarterly meeting and showcase your building and services. Meetings typical run from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. As a host, you are not required to be the featured speaker. Contact Hunter Goodman at hgoodman@uada.edu to learn more.
Be a featured speaker.
Each quarterly meeting has a featured speaker that provides information related to community and economic development. Past speakers have represented nonprofits, state and federal government agencies, community-based organizations, and higher education institutions. Speakers typically present for 15-20 minutes with time for Q&A. As the featured speaker, you are not required to be a host. Send inquiries to hgoodman@uada.edu.
How can you contact us for help?
If you have a project and needs assistance, contact hgoodman@uada.edu or complete a Needs Assessment form and return it to aado@arkansaseconomicregions.org.
2026 Meetings
Join the ACEDA email list to get the most up to date meeting information.
April 10, 2026 – Northwest Arkansas Community Development Pipeline
Featured Speakers:
- Tabatha Duvall, Assistant Director
Center of Community & Economic Development, University of Central Arkansas
tduvall4@uca.edu
Resources:
January 20, 2026 – Leadership and Community Development
Featured Speakers:
- Ryan Biles, Director of Development & Placemaking, Thrive, Inc.
Previous Meetings, 2021–2025
October 31, 2025 – Arkansas Rural Profile and Labor Market Observatory
Featured Speakers:
- Dr. Frank Seo, Assistant Professor - Rural Development
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
fseo@uada.edu - Luke Pullo, Program Associate - Rural Development
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
lpullo@uada.edu - Rodrigo Ramirez-Perez, Research Analyst
Heartland Forward
July 9, 2025 – Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association
Featured Speaker:
- Tomekia Moore, Executive Director, AR Community Action Agencies Association
April 16, 2025 – Legal Clinics for Nonprofits, Entrepreneurs, and Communities
Moderator:
- Dr. Hunter P. Goodman, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service
Panelists:
- Peter Norman, Assistant Professor and Director, Community and Rural Enterprise Development Clinic, University of Arkansas, School of Law
- Rachel Sullivant, Managing Director of Entrepreneurial Law Project, University of Arkansas
- Doug Cortez, Assistant Professor and Director, Business Innovations Legal Clinic, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law
Program Links:
- Community and Rural Enterprise Development (CRED) Clinic – University of Arkansas: School of Law
- Entrepreneurial Law Project – University of Arkansas: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Business Innovations Legal Clinic – UA Little Rock: William H. Bowen School of Law
January 29, 2025 – Librarians as Partners for Community Development
Featured Speakers:
- Kariah Brust, Agriculture Librarian
University of Arkansas Mullins Library
kariahb@uark.edu - Tammy Kirk, Librarian – USDA National Agriculture Library
Agriculture Research Service, National Agricultural Library (NAL)
tammy.kirk@usda.gov
Resources:
- University of Arkansas, Mullins Library Presentation
- USDA National Agriculture Library and Rural Information Center Presentation
- ScholarWorks@UARK: ScholarWorks@UARK highlights a growing collection of faculty publications, presentations, student work and teaching materials. The University of Arkansas is committed to disseminating its research and scholarship as widely as possible.
- Resource Sharing & Interlibrary Loan: Resource Sharing | University of Arkansas Libraries
- Subject Librarian List: Subject Librarians | University of Arkansas Libraries
October 16, 2024 – Investing in Rural Prosperity: A Forum on Braiding and Blending Federal and Private Funds
Featured Speakers:
- Samantha Evans, Outreach Regional Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- Daniel Paul Davis, Vice President and Community Affairs Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- Hunter P. Goodman, Assistant Professor, UADA-Extension
- Martha Claire Bullen, Director of Community Sustainability, Communities Unlimited
- Michael Rivera, Director Nuestra Casa, Communities Unlimited
- Tineciaa Harris, Strategic Partnerships Program Coordinator, Delta Regional Authority
- Christel Taylor, Director of Workforce and Downtown Development, Newport Economic Development Commission & Newport Area Chamber of Commerce
- Darryl Treat, Executive Director, Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce
- Matt Twyford, Director of Community Development, Arkansas Economic Development Commission
- David Blick, Director of Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Little Rock Field Office
July 17, 2024 – Economic Development Administration (EDA) Overview and Community Partners
Featured Speakers:
- April Campbell, Economic Development Representative, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Austin Regional Office
- Renee Dycus, Executive Director, Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District
- Dwayne Pratt, Executive Director, West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District
- Rodney Larsen, Executive Director, Central Arkansas Planning and Development District
Resources:
April 10, 2024
Featured Speaker
- Brandon Horvath, Consulting Manager, Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center
January 17, 2024
Featured Speaker:
- Mike Malone, Vice Chancellor for Economic Development, University of Arkansas
October 11, 2023
Featured Speaker:
- Janea Jamison, Regional Advocate-Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy
July 12, 2023
Featured Speaker
- Glen Howie, Arkansas State Broadband Director
April 12, 2023
Featured Speakers:
- Matt Twyford, Community Development Director - Arkansas Economic Development Commission
- Clint O’Neal, Executive Director - Arkansas Economic Development Commission
January 18, 2023
Featured Speakers:
- Cory Anderson, Chief Innovation Office - Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
- Tim Smith, Program Director - USDA Rural Development
October 12, 2022 – Arkansas Business Navigator
Featured Speaker:
- Brandon L. Mathews, Program Associate – Economic Development, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension
July 13, 2022
Featured Speaker:
- Kristen Dane, Project Officer and SCORP Planner – Outdoor Recreation Grants Program, Division of Arkansas State Parks
April 13, 2022
Featured Speaker:
- Samantha Evans, Community Development Advisor – Workforce Development, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
January 12, 2022
Featured Speakers:
- Julie Trivitt, Senior Economist
- Katie Milligan, Program Manager of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with Heartland Forward
October 13, 2021
Featured Speaker:
- Derek Lewis II, President, Derek Lewis Foundation & Chair, Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative (ABPC)
July 14, 2021
Featured Speaker:
- Hazelle Whited, Regional Program Coordinator-CREATE BRIDGES, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service
April 14, 2021
Featured Speaker:
- Tiffany Henry, Director of Entrepreneurial Communities, The Conductor
January 13, 2021
Featured Speaker:
- Kim Reed, AmeriCorps Program Manager for EngageAR