Past Conference
Investing in Rural America 2022: Capacity Building
The Richmond Fed hosted its third annual Investing in Rural America conference in March 2022, both in person and virtually. The one-day event featured discussions with national experts, community leaders and Richmond Fed economists who shared their perspectives on key topics related to capacity building in rural communities and small towns, such as workforce development, small businesses and entrepreneurship, rural development hubs and demographic changes.
Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin shared his assessment of where challenges and opportunities lie for rural communities, now that a wealth of federal dollars have been allocated to help these areas become economically sound.
"Billions of dollars are being made available for small towns across the country, but getting access to this funding is hard,” Barkin said. “Communities need help building their capacity and they need it now. What can those of us who want to make a difference do to reduce those barriers?”
Interested in the content presented at the conference? Recordings of all sessions from the 2022 Investing in Rural America conference can be accessed on YouTube.
Speakers, Panelists and Moderators
Zurilma Anuel
Kartik B. Athreya
Nate Barber
Tom Barkin
Brandy Bynum Dawson
Shonterria Charleston
Jerry Cutts
Chris Estes
Kathy Glazer
Sarah Grymes
Thomas Hall
Tiffany Hollin-Wright
Jaime Laughter
Ann Battle Macheras
Kim Phinney
Molly Pyle
Priscila Santos
Erica Sims
Jason W. Smith
Travis Staton
Rebecca Tippett
Stephanie Tyree
Laura Dawson Ullrich
Sonya Ravindranath Waddell
Kristen Westover
Dr. Van C. Wilson
Alan Wood
Who Should Attend
Policymakers, community representatives, business executives, nonprofit leaders, investors, workforce development professionals
Agenda
All live stream events are marked with an *.
A recording of all conference sessions, both in-person and virtual, will be available on this page the week after the conference.
-
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
05:00 pm
Welcome Reception
-
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
08:00 am
Registration & Continental Breakfast
09:00 amWelcome*
09:15 amOpening remarks*
Tom Barkin
President, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond09:45 amMorning plenary*
The Changing Demographics of Rural AmericaRebecca Tippett
Director of Carolina Demography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill10:30 amBreak*
Move to Breakout Sessions
10:45 amMorning Breakout Sessions
Panel Discussion: Investing in the Rural Workforce of the Future*
- Leaders in education and workforce development will discuss strategies for building a strong rural workforce pipeline and facilitating transitions from high school to post-secondary education and training for in-demand careers. The panelists will provide insight into the essential roles that community colleges and student-centered programs can play in educating students on career pathways and workforce opportunities available in rural communities and small towns.
OR
Panel Discussion: Investing in Housing: Developing Strategies to House the Rural Workforce
- In this panel discussion, rural leaders will examine the topic of workforce housing and why it is a priority for rural communities seeking to attract and retain employers and their workers. Panelists will offer strategies for rural community leaders to identify opportunities for improving the housing stock in their communities. The panelists will discuss how partnerships between nonprofits, lenders, and community organizations can lead to the development of quality, affordable housing for the rural workforce.
11:45 amLunch
01:00 pmAfternoon plenary panel:
Building the Capacity of Rural Development Hubs and Intermediaries*
- Rural development hubs (hubs) approach wealth-building and community wellbeing by taking an integrated approach to address a region’s systems that either advance or impede prosperity. In this plenary panel, the audience will hear directly from hubs that are making it happen. These tangible examples from local, rural communities will help small towns and rural communities think about next steps for capacity building whether starting from scratch or expanding the reach of an existing hub. The speakers will explore how communities can invest in system-level changes, competencies needed to serve as a hub, and how multiple sectors can take shared action towards a common goal.
02:00 pmBreak*
Move to Breakout Sessions
02:15 pmAfternoon Breakout Sessions
Panel discussion: Investing in Locally-Driven Economic Opportunity: Supporting Rural Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses*
- In this session, panelists will discuss strategies for rural communities to turn local assets and ideas into economic opportunity. Leaders from organizations serving rural communities will discuss initiatives aimed at supporting small businesses and empowering entrepreneurs. The panelists will share how increasing access to capital and infrastructure, providing training and technical assistance, and building local and regional partnerships can expand a rural community’s capacity to support entrepreneurship and small businesses development.
OR
Panel discussion: Investing in Rural Early Care and Education
- In this panel discussion, experts representing national, state, and local perspectives will discuss how rural communities can develop and leverage the resources required to develop a thriving early care and education (ECE) ecosystem. Panelists will offer insight into strategies and innovative partnerships that have empowered rural communities to overcome common barriers to providing affordable and sustainable ECE programs. They will also discuss the critical role of ECE in workforce participation, and how employers and policymakers can engage with providers to support ECE initiatives in their communities.
03:15 pmClosing Remarks*
03:30 pmAdjourn*
