Rural Matters

In this fourth episode of our five-part series on the future of investing in rural prosperity, produced in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Michael chats with the following experts on achieving rural prosperity in America: Chrystel Cornelius, President and CEO of the Oweesta Corporation; Nikki Foster, Program Officer at the Northwest Area Foundation; Jonelle Yearout, Executive Director of the Nimiipuu Community Development Fund; and Stacia Morfin, Owner of Nez Perce Tourism and Traditional Gift Shop.

Together, they discuss efforts in advancing rural and, specifically, Native prosperity, increased investment in Native community growth, the value of partnerships in working toward rural and Native prosperity, and much more. This episode, and the entire five-part series, is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. For more information, visit www.stlouisfed.org.

This episode's guests can be reached at their respective email addresses, as follows: Chrystel Cornelius: [email protected] Nikki Foster: [email protected] Jonelle Yearout: [email protected] Stacia Morfin: [email protected]

Congratulations to Chrystel Cornelius for being honored as a Heinz Award winner in the Economy category! Each year, the Heinz Awards recognize individuals making contributions to the arts, the economy, and the environment. Cornelius is one of this year's six awardees and is being recognized "for her work to return wealth and financial independence to Native lands and people, addressing centuries of disenfranchisement that have led to profound socioeconomic disparities for Native communities." To read more about Cornelius' accomplishment, visit www.heinzawards.org/pages/chrystel-cornelius.

The views stated by podcast guests do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors.

In this episode, Michael chats with Mike Lowers, Senior Customer Success Manager, Central U.S., and Kristin Martinez, Clinical Director, SLP and OT, both of Presence, a digital therapy provider founded in 2009. They discuss school-based teletherapy and how new initiatives and approaches to teletherapy are fostering greater engagement, efficiency, and well-being across the rural school landscape. This episode is sponsored by Presence, presencelearning.com.

In this third episode of our five-part series on the future of investing in rural prosperity, produced in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Michael chats with the following experts on achieving rural prosperity in America: Kaying Hang, Senior Vice President of Programs and Partnerships at the Sierra Health Foundation and The Center at Sierra Health Foundation; Tom Collishaw, CEO of Self-Help Enterprises; Jesus Martinez, Director of the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative; and Susana De Anda, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Community Water Center.

They discuss overcoming challenges in rural affordable housing and infrastructure, building collaborative partnerships, philanthropic efforts, serving immigrants, legislative issues, and much more. This episode, and the entire five-part series, is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. For more information, visit www.stlouisfed.org.

The views stated by podcast guests do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors.

In this second installment of our five-part series on the future of investing in rural prosperity, produced in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Michael chats with the following experts on investing rural prosperity in America: Noel Poyo, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Economic Development at the Treasury Department; Christiana McFarland, Director of the Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy (CISP) at SRI International; and Daniel Paul Davis, Vice President and Community Affairs Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

They discuss inclusive development in various types of rural communities, regional collaboration and economic connectivity, advancing shared prosperity in rural America, and much more. This episode, and the entire five-part series, is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. For more information, visit www.stlouisfed.org.

The views stated by podcast guests do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors.

In this first episode of a new five-part series on the future of investing in rural prosperity, produced in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Michael chats with the following experts on achieving rural prosperity in America: Linda Lobao, Professor Emeritus in Rural Sociology and Distinguished Professor in Food, Agriculture, and Environment Sciences at The Ohio State University; Daniel Lichter, Ferris Family Professor Emeritus of Life Course Studies in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University; and Jose Enrique Garcilazo, Head of Regional and Rural Unit at the Center for Entrepreneurships, SMEs, Regions, and Cities at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

They discuss the role of local governments in achieving rural prosperity, how new immigrant groups may provide a demographic and economic lifeline to depopulating rural areas, the changing racial and ethnic composition of rural America, and the reception of local people and the business community to changing rural demographics. This episode, and the entire five-part series, is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. For more information, visit www.stlouisfed.org.

Visit bit.ly/3tIelpx to read Lichter's article, "Opportunity and Place: Latino Children and America's Future," published in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

The views expressed by the podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, or the Federal Reserve System.

In the final installment of our six-part series on continuing rural postsecondary education and workforce development, produced in collaboration with and supported by the Ascendium Education Group, Michael chats with two education leaders who are doing some amazing work with rural colleges: Jeb Puryear, the Suzanne and Dave Peterson Endowed Professor of Gifted Education at the University of Montana and a former secondary science teacher and program coordinator who primarily studies creativity, talent development mechanisms, and programmatic inequities in educational settings; and Jonathan Plucker, the Julian C. Stanley Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University and a former elementary school science teacher who studies education policy, creativity, and advanced learning in both K–12 and higher education settings.

Puryear and Plucker discuss place-based education and how it relates to rural education. They dive into the importance of data, the student shift from rural to urban settings, and how rural education programs can help to improve outcomes. Plus, they outline several examples of successful programs (e.g. Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State and The Nebraska Writing Project at the University of Nebraska). This episode, and the entire six-part series, is sponsored by the Ascendium Education Group, whose philanthropy aims to remove systemic barriers faced by certain learners, specifically first-generation students, incarcerated adults, veterans, students of color, and rural community members. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org.

In this sixth and final installment of our excellent series, Living in Rural America —2022 and Beyond, produced in collaboration with and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michelle discusses the future of rural with three outstanding guests: Dee Davis, Founder and President of the Center for Rural Strategies; David Lipsetz, President and CEO of the Housing Assistance Council (HAC); and Valerie Lefler. Founder and Executive Director of Feonix — Mobility Rising.

Davis discusses the best options for small towns facing economic challenges, the political divide between urban and rural communities and its effect on democratic institutions, and the impact of divergent media in the rural space. Lipsetz talks about the impact of housing issues on health, wealth, and education in rural communities, and how his organization is helping rural communities take advantage of opportunities in this space. Lefler discusses transportation barriers faced by rural communities, the connection between rural healthcare and mobility challenges, and how Feonix is working to provide solutions in these areas. This episode and the entire six-part series is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation., the nation's largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. For more information on RWJF, visit rwjf.org or on Twitter @rwjf.

In Part V of our six-part series on continuing rural postsecondary education and workforce development, produced in collaboration with and supported by the Ascendium Education Group.

Michelle chats with three education leaders who are doing some amazing work with rural colleges: Cindy Lopez, Executive Director of Network Engagement at Achieving the Dream, who oversees designated ATD Network services, such as multiyear transformation initiatives for unique groups of colleges that includes minority-serving institutions and regional groups, as well as ATD's Building Rural Resiliency for the Future of Work project; Meredith Hatch, Director of Network Relations at Achieving the Dream, who provides leadership to identify and scale promising practices for use across the ATD Network of 300+colleges as well as serving as program manager for Building Resiliency in Rural Communities for the Future of Work project; and Monica Clark, deputy director for the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research.

Lopez and Hatch discuss how ATD helps colleges build digital skills capacity and supports for low-income rural community college students to enter and have success in earning credentials that prepare them for high-quality jobs, and the importance of equity in college transformation. Clark describes the mission of her organization, the importance of data, the lessons learned from the Rural College Leaders program, and how the Belk Center is building on work that is already happening in North Carolina and nationally to support rural institutions.

This episode and the entire six-part series is sponsored by the Ascendium Education Group, whose philanthropy aims to remove systemic barriers faced by certain learners, specifically first-generation students, incarcerated adults, veterans, students of color, and rural community members. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org

Synopsis: In Part V of our six-part series, Living in Rural America, produced in collaboration with and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michelle discusses Rural Economic & Cultural Success Stories: Lesson Learned from Thriving Communities, with Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Capello, the two authors of the landmark book, 100% Community, Ensuring 10 Vital Services for Surviving and Thriving and Matt Probst, medical director of El Centro Family Health and a driving force behind the 100% San Miguel (New Mexico) County Initiative.

Probst discusses how he is helping to lead an effort to combat the current wildfires in New Mexico, the worst in state history. He also details the five activities that all communities should maintain to survive and the five necessary activities to thrive in any community. The panel also talks about the history of 100 Percent Community, which started before the pandemic; how their organization addresses a variety of rural issues; what makes their organization unique; and its processes for enabling success in communities.

This episode and the entire six-part series is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. For more information on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, visit rjwf.org

In this episode, the fourth in our six-part series, Living in Rural America, produced in collaboration with and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michelle chats with Mil Duncan, Professor Emerita in Sociology at the University of New Hampshire and Senior Fellow at the Meridian Institute. Her work focuses on opportunity and social change in rural communities. Duncan was the founding director of the Carsey Institute at UNH and is the author of Worlds Apart: Poverty and Politics in Rural America. Duncan discusses her research about equity and opportunity in rural America, the historical roots of deep poverty in rural places, and the role of politics as a potential equity change agent. This episode and the entire six-part series is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. For more information on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, visit rjwf.org