Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community Selection

I.   TOPIC          Southeast Oklahoma Enterprise Community Project

II.  LOCATION  Southeast Oklahoma

III. SUBJECT        Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community Selection

IV.  SUMMARY

     The Southeast Oklahoma Enterprise Community Project represents a first in terms of an
     inter-governmental, public and private solving partnership. The process began with the
     federal release of the Empowerment/Enterprise Community national competition and
     ended with the area's formal designation by USDA as an Enterprise Community.
     
     Over a period of weeks the leadership of the Little Dixie Community Action Agency, in
     concert with the Sub-State Planning District (SSPD) serving the area, brought together
     the general public, units of government, state agencies and other service providers to
     redefine the nature, cause, and extent of various problems preventing the area from
     achieving sustained community development.
     
     These groups, with the direct assistance of Little Dixie CAA, identified the root causes of
     a wide array of social and economic obstacles. In addition, they devised and are now
     implementing innovative solutions of a purely local design to correct the area's
     community development deficiencies. Particularly note worthy is Little Dixie's success in
     bringing together all the participating Enterprise Community entities, which is a first for
     the area.
     
V.     SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE

     Under the leadership of the CAA, brought together the general public, units of local
     government, state agencies and other service providers to define the nature, cause, and
     extent of various problems preventing the area from achieving sustained community
     development. This was first for the area.
     
VI.    CONTACT

     Bob Yandell, Executive Director
     Little Dixie Community Action Agency
     (A Community Action Agency)
     502 West Duke Street
     Hugo, Oklahoma 74743
     405-326-6441
     FAX: 405-326-6655
     VII.   CASE STUDY

The Problem: The opportunity existed for the area to be designated as an Empowerment
Zone/Enterprise Community. However, the general public, inter-governmental agencies, public
and private entities had not worked together previously on a local plan to achieve sustained
community development.

The Approach Adopted: Over a period of weeks the leadership of the Little Dixie
Community Action Agency, in concert with the Sub-State Planning District (SSPD) serving the
area, brought together the general public, units of government, state agencies and other service
providers to redefine the nature, cause, and extent of various problems preventing the area from
achieving sustained community development.

How They Implemented The Approach: These groups, with the direct assistance of Little
Dixie CAA, identified the root causes of a wide array of social and economic obstacles. In
addition, they devised and are now implementing innovative solutions of a purely local design to
correct the area's community development deficiencies. Particularly note worthy is Little Dixie's
success in bringing together all the participating Enterprise Community entities, which is a first
for the area.

Results: The locally designed EC strategies for community revitalization include the
development of entrepreneurship programs, revolving loan funds for small micro-business
enterprises, child care assistance, education programs, telecommunications networks and waste
management and environmental protection projects. Particularly noteworthy is Little Dixie's
success in bringing together all the participating EC entities, which is a first for the area. Where
there had previously been issues of territory surrounding relationships between service providers
there is now partnership and shared goals. A sense of community has been restored and
responsibility and accountability are quickly becoming the hallmarks of this sustained
community development effort.

VIII.  KEY WORDS

     Community Action Agency
     Community Development
     Economic Development
     Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community
     EZ/EC
     Oklahoma
     


ref:   ok-ez-ec.doc