About UCED

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Black Belt Treasures in Camden, AL: one of many projects UCED has been involved with.

The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UCED) provides technical assistance and applied research to economically distressed areas in the State of Alabama to enhance local economic development efforts that diversify the State’s economy and ensures positive growth. The Center was established in 1987 in partnership with Federal and State agencies and has successfully continued to provide the direction and leadership to Alabama counties enabling them to expand and develop their economic growth. Nisa Miranda was appointed Director in 1995 and has more than 28 years of experience in providing business assistance to communities, industries and private-public agencies in Alabama. The Center is located in 201 Bidgood Hall on The University of Alabama campus.

Over the past 22 years UCED has provided community-based strategic planning predominately to the economically distressed areas in the State with the chief purpose of enhancing local economic development efforts. The Center is successful in addressing all aspects of community preparedness that allows communities to compete in today’s global economy. By creating the environment for economic development opportunities and growth, these Alabama communities, organizations and private firms are better positioned to support new and existing business as well as attract new investments and jobs.

The mission and focus of the work are critical to improve sustainable economic growth in Alabama’s rural communities. The Center administers technical assistance and applied research in economic development efforts by developing and structuring programs that build local capacity; increase the elected and civic leadership base; increase tourism/recreation and entertainment; and provide a well-educated and prepared workforce. UCED is the focal point to leverage University resources and partners with a specific focus on the community development process and to encourage substantial capacity building at the local level. UCED staff provides the leadership and skills necessary to guide dedicated community leaders to partner with each other while working cohesively to create a stronger economy for their community.

These efforts have consistently helped to provide diversification of the State’s economy and created on-going positive growth. UCED’s work has simultaneously brought area leaders together which helped to create long-term community alliances for sustainable progress in towns all over the state while maintaining the sense of the small town existence.

UCED’s assistance varies depending on the needs of the community. Some typical services include engaging citizens in a community/regional asset-based strategic planning process to identify their needs and develop a plan that enables them to reach viable solutions; facilitating discussions and developing plans for downtown revitalization; supporting community efforts to promote tourism and recreation; facilitating town meetings; providing leadership development training; preparing feasibility studies; and assisting with industry related investments. UCED staff continuously assist in defining community needs and goals and provide support as solutions to achieve them are developed.

Assistance

The Center is successful in addressing all aspects of community preparedness to allow communities to compete in today’s global economy. By creating the environment for economic development opportunities and growth, communities, organizations and private firms are better positioned to support business and attract new investments and jobs in Alabama. The mission and focus of the work are critical to improve sustainable economic growth in our rural communities. The Center administers technical assistance in economic development efforts by developing and structuring programs that build local capacity; increase the elected and civic leadership base; increase tourism/recreation and entertainment; and provide a well-educated and prepared workforce. UCED is the focal point to leverage University resources and partners with a specific focus on the community development process and capacity building at the local level.

Leadership

Nisa Miranda was appointed Director in 1995 and has over 28 years of experience in providing business assistance to communities, industries and private-public agencies in Alabama. The director reports directly to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Typical Services

  • Facilitate community/regional asset-based strategic planning
  • Promote/enhance/cultivate community forestry programs
  • Assist with downtown revitalization
  • Support efforts to promote tourism/recreation
  • Prepare feasibility studies
  • Assist with industry related investments
  • Facilitate town meetings
  • Provide adult/youth leadership development

Lower Cahaba Heritage and Outdoor Recreation (Bibb County)

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The focus of this project has been to develop a plan of action for the enhancement of tourism opportunities within Bibb County, Alabama.  The project is on-going, however the result will be to build a consolidated effort to utilize and promote the tourism resources afforded by the County.  The project brings together the natural resources in four counties: Hale, Bibb, Perry, and Dallas.  The Cahaba River, the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge and the Talladega National Forest Oakmulgee District are three of the major features of the project and are a prominent asset which will assist in organizing the local organizations and resources and link these to complimentary natural resources in the surrounding counties.

Signage in Centreville, Alabama highlighting the natural and recreational opportunities.

In addition, an overview of the existing forest product sector will be reviewed to determine possible opportunities for existing industry as well as investment potential in industries relating to the abundant forests in the area.  Bibb County has a small industrial base due to the fact that a major portion of the land area is part of the Talladega National Forest, which is under control of the Federal government, therefore the amount of lumber that is available locally for commercial use is limited.  The project will focus on other available assets that can provide a sustainable economic basis for economic development for the County.  The overall plan is to develop a strategic plan for tourism and recreation for Bibb County.


Alabama Outdoor Resource Directory

The University Center for Economic Development will be exerting continuous efforts to compile descriptive listings of Agencies, Offices, Foundations, Grants, Interest Groups, Programs, and Sites which pertain to Alabama’s Natural Resources.

Download a .pdf of our current Outdoor Resource Directory

You can use these listings to:

  • Contact the appropriate officials
  • Research grants for which your organization is eligible
  • Seek out new partner organizations
  • Advertise events to related groups

Keep checking back for more information as our research efforts continue!
Soon we hope to provide these listings through an easy internet search.

Start Recycling

Recycling programs can be established anywhere. Additionally, with good management practices and sound business considerations, they can turn waste into revenue and produce local jobs which cannot be outsourced. However, every community has different opportunities and needs. By following this guide, you will gather the necessary information to custom-fit a program for the specific opportunities and challenges that face your own community.

Get started today with our Recycling Community Development Guide
(You may also download this guide as a Word Document



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State of the Alabama Workforce

(Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Office of Workforce Development)

The report contained state of the workforce reports for Alabama and each of the state’s local workforce investment areas and workforce regional advisory council areas.  For the purposes of the report, the substate workforce investment areas are referred to as workforce investment advisory areas (WIAAs).  The reports analyze supply, demand, and other issues regarding the workforce for the state and each WIAA, using available metrics of workforce characteristics.  Follow-up reports have been performed, and a special report on the Alabama counties impacted by Hurricane Katrina was also performed.

Forest-Based Economic Development Opportunities in the West Alabama-East Mississippi Region

Another arm of the West-Alabama East Mississippi WIRED Initiative was a report entitled Forest-Based Economic Development Opportunities in the West Alabama-East Mississippi Region.  A study was conducted to identify opportunities for economic development within their geographic area of interest, which includes thirty-six contiguous counties lying in West Alabama and East Mississippi (WAEM). More specifically, the study focused on opportunities that could arise from the substantial forest resource base and forest industries located within that geographic area. While the severe economic recession of recent years has been particularly devastating to forest products markets, the region’s strong asset base, both for timber and manufacturing capacity, is seen as a formidable platform for future growth within the WAEM region.

The resulting report described the findings of the study effort, delineated potential areas of opportunity for forest-based economic development, and made recommendations for facilitating the realization of those opportunities within the WAEM region.

The Montgomery Institute: West Alabama-East Mississippi WIRED Initiative

The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UCED) and The Montgomery Institute (TMI) partnered to provide planning services, technical assistance and training to elected officials, community leaders and WIRED Community College staff from communities and small towns in the West Alabama and East Mississippi WIRED Region (WAEM).  UCED managed the project, provided mentoring to the technical assistance delivered by WIRED staff, and served as the primary point of contact during the contract period.  The deliverables resulting from this project include the following:

  • Three WAEM Mayor Network Events
  • Six Mississippi WAEM charrettes
  • Seven Alabama WAEM charrettes
  • Two WAEM YourTown workshops
  • Orientation and Training of WAEM WIRED staff through YourTown workshop, inclusion in STDI and WAEM charrettes, mentoring on assigned follow up of implementation projects

The three main objectives of the project included:

  1. Provide training and expert support in the delivery of the assets-based illustrative master planning process and methodology that has been developed through YourTown Alabama and the Auburn Urban Studio Small Town Design Initiative (STDI) Program.
  2. Identify implementation support needed in WIRED communities, and provide training, mentoring support and guidance to WIRED Community College staff in their technical assistance efforts; and
  3. Provide training and support to create a WAEM Mayor network.

Wilcox County Initiative

The Wilcox County Commission and the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission recognize that Wilcox County has a wealth of natural resources, a strong forest products industry base and a capable workforce, all ingredients for an economic development plan that identifies opportunities and recommends action to support a diverse and sustainable economy.

The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UACED) is performing a study to assess the current assets and economic condition of Wilcox County, collect input from its citizens, identify opportunities both for business and industry and outdoor recreation/tourism, and propose strategies and actions which will provide guidance for investments and programming to exploit the County’s potential.

Project Details and Elements

More specifically, the study will accomplish the following:

  1. Provide an assessment of Wilcox County’s current approach to economic development and recommendations for supporting the marketing and development of the County
  2. Identify and research business and industrial sectors that are a good fit for the County’s assets, in order to position the County for participation in future growth sectors (Green manufacturing and services, as an example)
  3. Provide a detailed County Profile, which will include demographics and information on population, housing, industry/business, and workforce, to be used in marketing the County
  4. Identify potential sites for business and industry
  5. Analyze the current retail market, to identify potential gaps and opportunities for new businesses
  6. Devise a plan to enhance and expand outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the County, to serve its citizens, and to encourage tourism into the County, thus expanding economic growth
  7. Develop site specific design and recommendations for improving amenities and services at various City and County controlled properties, in order to support expanded outdoor recreational opportunities

Develop recommendations and an action plan to assist City and County decision making in investments and improvements of amenities, facilities and programming.

Building a Competitive Region in Southwest Alabama

The overall goal of this project was to take steps towards “Building a Competitive Region in Southwest Alabama.” The work of the University Center for Economic Development (UCED) team addressed all counties in the Alabama-Tombigbee Resource Conservation & Development (ALA-TOM RC&D) Region (Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Washington, and Wilcox). Each county was analyzed by population trends, education levels, unemployment, and underemployment. The nine rural counties that comprise the ALA-TOM RC&D Region were determined to be homogeneous on all four of these indicators. First, population trends were analyzed by comparing census data for each county from the 1990 census, the 2000 census, and 2008 projections. Each county declined in population during the decade with the average declining more than 6 percent while the state grew by 7.2 percent and the nation by 10.2 percent. Second, education levels for each county were compared for adults 25 years and over. Over 32 percent of adults in the region have less than a high school diploma. Only 36 percent of adults in the region have a high school diploma, with only 30 percent in Perry and Wilcox counties. Only 9.5 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to over 24 percent nationally. Third, unemployment data were compared to state and national levels. The deep recession affected everyone. The unemployment rate rose for the State of Alabama from 5.0 percent to 8.8 percent from May 2008 to May 2009. During the same period for the nation, the rise was from 5.8 to 8.8 percent. But for the ALA-TOM RC&D Region, the unemployed rose from an already high 8.8 percent to 15.1 in May 2009 and continued to rise to almost 20 percent for the Region at the zenith. Four, underemployment for each county and the Region was also analyzed. For the entire ALA-TOM RC&D Region, the underemployment rate was over 20 percent, making the available workforce more than double the unemployed . From this overview, the need for greater effort toward economic development from both internal and external resources cannot be overstated.

This daunting review of current and declining status for each county merely confirmed the strong need for short-term tactics, long-term economic strategies, pilot projects, rural models, and practical examples of success. Following this logic, three initiatives were developed toward the goal of economic preparedness.

Initiatives aimed toward this goal include activities in the following categories:

  1. Enhancing Regional, County, and City Planning Efforts;
  2. Establishing or Improving Economic Development Mechanisms; and
  3. Augmenting Workforce Development and Preparedness Activities.

Details of specific initiatives in each of these categories are described in subsequent sections.  These descriptions include the goal or desired outcome for each activity and the planning activities for each.  Included in these descriptions are details of meetings, collaborations, and partnerships formed as well as the outcomes and successes from each activity, the current state of the initiative, and anticipated future developments.  A bulleted summary of the project accomplishments are:

Accomplished Goals:

  1. 1. Enhancing Regional, County, and City Planning Efforts
  • Establish The Montgomery Institute, Alabama Office
    • City of Monroeville Annexation of Certain Monroe County Properties
    • Input to Monroeville City Five-Year Plan
    • Model for Health Screening for Children in 5 Southwest Alabama Counties
    • Collaboration with the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission
    • Multi-year Plans/Vision for the City of Linden AL
  1. 2. Establishing or Improving Economic Development Mechanisms
  • Establish an Economic Development Authority in Monroeville and Monroe County as a Model for Rural Communities
  • Collaboration with the Coastal Gateway Economic Regional EDA
  • Multi-County Partnerships
  1. 3. Augmenting workforce development and preparedness activities
  • Extend WIRED grant to support training for citizens in 16 rural west Alabama Counties
    • Plan for Enriching Training for Pulp and Paper Employees in the Region

On-line Economic Development Initiative

Through a partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, Auburn University Montgomery, and University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research, the On-line Economic Development Initiative improves economic development decision-making in Appalachian Alabama by assembling, organizing, and maintaining a collection of socio-economic data relevant to industrial recruiters, site selection managers, and other economic development professionals. The Internet-accessible data is available for each county within the ARC service area of Alabama.

This project is crucial in developing a truly integrated system of exchange information vital for economic development.  Local economic developers often do not have access to key information needed to support grant applications that could assist in locating new businesses.  Many of these data are available through Alabama’s universities and state agencies.  However, these data are often difficult to access without substantial expertise in working with the complex formats used in the databases.  The On-line Economic Development Initiative centralizes this data in a user-friendly format through a web-based interface providing “one-stop shopping” to developers.

http://choosealabama.net/

AmeriCorps VISTA

Thirty-seven million Americans live in poverty. Through AmeriCorps VISTA, you can make a tangible difference. And, you’ll find the fulfillment that comes from using your knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances turn their dreams into reality.

AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years.

What VISTA Members Do

VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more. With passion, commitment, and hard work, you’ll create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. > Learn more

The Benefits of VISTA Service

By serving through VISTA, you’ll gain new skills, friends, and experiences—plus you’ll get the satisfaction that comes from helping others. During your service, you’ll also receive a modest living allowance, health care, and other benefits. And, upon completing your service, you can choose to receive either an education award worth $4,725 to pay for college, or $1,200 in cash. > Learn more

A Proud History of Service

Did you know that President John F. Kennedy came up with the idea for VISTA? Or that the 170,000 VISTAs who have served since 1965 have played a key role in establishing many of the best-known anti-poverty programs, including Head Start, Upward Bound, and the credit union system? > Learn more

Become a VISTA Sponsor

Public, private, and faith-based nonprofit organizations—as well as local, state and federal organizations—can benefit greatly from linking up with AmeriCorps VISTA. Applications for members are handled by Corporation State Offices. Project sponsors are not required to provide a financial match but must be able to direct the project, supervise the members, and provide necessary administrative support to complete the goals and objectives of the project. > Learn more

Contact Us

For more information, call our toll-free line at 800-942-2677 ( TTY: 800-833-3722). Or, you can email your questions to questions@americorps.org.