Four locals graduate from Delta Leadership Institute

The Delta Regional Authority is congratulating four new Illinois graduates, all from Jackson County, of the Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy.

The four completed the year-long DLI Executive Academy, a leadership development program that brings together public, private and nonprofit sector leaders from DRA's eight-state region.

The program empowers fellows with the tools, experiences and networks to address local and regional challenges, improve decision-making and policy development, and strengthen leadership capacity and mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues.

"The Delta Leadership Institute is a dynamic tool within DRA to promote the economic advancement of the Delta," said DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Caldwell. "DLI's diverse curriculum provides the next generation of economic and community development leaders with the tools needed to create change within their communities. I congratulate the DLI graduates and challenge you to use this new skillset to shape the development a more resilient Delta economy."

The local graduates are:

• Deborah Barnett of Carbondale, director, business incubator programs and associate director, SIU Research Park

• Lauren Bonner of Carbondale, Senate aid, Office of U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin

• Jamie Green of Carbondale, president, Murphysboro Main Street

• Brooke Guthman of Murphysboro, member services manager, Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association

The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt. DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development.