The extensive, nine-month executive leadership program will select 30 leaders from public, private, and nonprofit sectors for the 2022 class.
CLARKSDALE, MS – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) today opened the application for the 2022 Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy. DLI is an extensive, nine-month executive leadership program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. Chosen through a competitive application process, the 2022 Executive Academy class will include approximately 30 fellows from each of the eight DRA states.
Since 2005, the DLI Executive Academy has provided leadership development to more than 600 community leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to strengthen skills development, information sharing, regional collaboration, and improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Delta. The leadership program empowers fellows with the tools, experiences, and networks needed to address local and regional challenges.
“Each year, the Delta Leadership Institute brings together a diverse group of elected officials, business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, nonprofit professionals, and other community leaders interested in improving the economic competitiveness of their city, state, and the Delta region,” said DRA Spokeswoman Shawna Blair. “DLI graduates not only develop strategic tools necessary to enact local change, but also expand their networks for a broader sense of issues and solutions facing the region.”
Sessions led by local, regional, and national experts cover policy areas such as infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health, and other fields necessary to facilitate economic growth in the Delta. As a result, DLI fellows graduate with improved decision-making skills, policy development know-how, strengthened leadership capacity, and a mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues.
Those interested can apply through September 30, 2021 at dra.gov/leadership. The 2022 DLI Executive Academy schedule is listed below.
2022 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy Schedule
Session I: January 24-27, 2022 | Selma, Alabama
Session II: March 7-10, 2022 | Cleveland, Mississippi
Session III: April 25-28, 2022 | New Orleans, Louisiana
Session IV: June 13-16, 2022 | Washington, D.C.
Session V: July 25-28, 2022 | Carbondale, Illinois
Session VI: September 12-15, 2022 | Memphis, Tennessee
DLI partners with Arkansas State University, the University of Louisiana Monroe, and the University of Arkansas to support and educate leaders committed to helping create jobs, build their communities, and improve the lives of their neighbors. Upon graduation, DLI fellows become members of the Delta Leadership Network (DLN), which provides peer-to-peer engagement opportunities for continued leadership development, information sharing, and collaboration with other leaders dedicated to the future of the Delta region.