Rumblings of “action” and “momentum” echoed throughout the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce as groups collaboratively discussed ways to transform strategic planning into immediate action during the 2019 Breakthrough Solutions Pre-Conference Workshop.

The pre-conference workshop, "Creating Connected Communities: A Hands-On Workshop for ARCO in Action,” took place on June 25 and featured the three-county Arkansas Coalition for the Ouachitas. This region, known as ARCO for short, includes Montgomery, Polk, and Scott counties. As the pilot community, local ARCO leaders, in collaboration with Breakthrough Solutions Partners, worked to coordinate community conversations and working groups aimed at creating action-oriented strategies that could be applied to the ARCO region.

“Most counties in Arkansas are losing population and so there is tremendous need for community leaders to come together to engage citizens, plan for the future, and take action," said Mark Peterson, Professor of Community and Economic Development. “In this time of rapid change, it’s critical to take action, make things happen and build momentum towards positive community and economic development."

Prior to the pre-conference, Breakthrough Solutions partners and staff toured each community before facilitating a conversation with community leaders/stakeholders aimed at identifying the assets, opportunities and potential areas for the region to grow. These partners included, Roby Robertson from UA Little Rock, Phil Plyer from Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Tandee White from Entergy Arkansas.

by Mark Peterson and Emily Smith- July 25, 2019