On Wednesday, March 16 from 8 to 3 pm, an Asset Development Summit, “Moving From Talk to Action: Resource and Community Forum,” was held in the Jacob Conference Center in Ewing Hall on Delta State campus.

The next Asset Development Summit will be held in the Fall 2016 semester.

David Tanner, administrative assistant and Delta Dollars Program coordinator, said the functions was “a forum where speakers and participants bring awareness to issues some residents of Mississippi face, such as education, healthcare, and financial stability.”

The speakers were Paheadra Robinson who is the executive director for the Center for Asset Development, William R. Emmons who is the senior economic adviser, assistant vice president, and economist for Center for Household Financial Stability, and Jessica Shappley who is the senior policy analyst for Hope Policy Institute.

Linda Stringfellow, director and moderator, said, “The purpose of ‘Moving From Talk to Action: Resource and Community Forum’ is to highlight resources and programs to assist Mississippi stakeholders to make the move from talk to action to tackle current issues affecting the quality of life for Mississippi residents.”

The panel was on initiatives and what can be done about the issues. Stringfellow said each panelist provided insight on the major lessons learned from their work and “what recommendations would they offer to individuals and organizations regarding (a) substantive issues in need of attention and (b) strategies and tactics for more effective development?”

“Each of the panelist perspectives set the tone for lunch discussions to start the first steps from talk to action that will tackle current issues affecting the quality of life for Mississippi residents,” Stringfellow added.

“The field of intentional change at the community level entails a range of frameworks, strategies, and techniques with the goal of improving the quality of life and wellbeing,” Stringfellow said. “The Mississippi Delta has a rich tradition of community development initiatives, and there is much to be learned from forums such as this. We are looking forward to using the information provided during the lunch discussions to plan the next ‘Moving From Talk to Action’ forum in the Delta.”