SEDA bids for TVA planning evaluation funds

Shoals Economic Development Authority officials are trying to land one of three grants from a TVA program designed to help communities evaluate their economic development resources and plan for the future.

The Valley Targeted and Prepared Community Program involves a strategic planning process for communities. The program, which is known as TaP, is designed by Boyette Levy, a consulting firm in Atlanta.

Three communities from within the Tennessee Valley Authority's seven-state region will be selected to participate in the upcoming year.

There will be little or no cost for the selected communities, with TVA's economic development wing paying expenses.

SEDA officials are preparing an application on behalf of the area, with the three entities scheduled to be selected in late October.

"This is a great and rare opportunity for the Shoals to continue building on the momentum we currently enjoy," said Macke Mauldin, SEDA's board chairman. "With the assistance of professional strategic planners, we will be able to put in place long-range plans for the continued success of our community."

Mauldin said TVA has put together a visionary plan that could produce positive results in the communities chosen for the program.

The consulting firm will evaluate all aspects of the chosen communities' economic development structure. The firm will do a community leadership audit and evaluate each community's strengths and weaknesses as well as core competencies.

"With the expansion of SCA Tissue, North American Lighting reaching its employment level and National Alabama coming in next year, we're at a crossroads," said Susie Heird, vice president of SEDA. "It would be helpful to have an outside view of what we have and where we need to go."

Heird said the SEDA staff is gathering support letters from various organizations in the area "to hopefully show TVA and the consulting firm that this is a communitywide effort."

The united efforts of government and community leaders have been hailed as key components in the Shoals' landing numerous industrial development projects during the past five years. The largest among the group is National Alabama, a railcar manufacturer, which will employ 1,800.

"To make this successful, if we're fortunate enough to be selected, it will take the entire community getting involved," Heird said. "That would make it a plan of many instead of a plan of few."

SEDA officials said the selection of the three communities will involve demonstration of committed leadership, economic development funding availability, current and planned business recruitment activities, established industrial recruiting resources, education quality and improvement plan, and business retention efforts.

"We need to proactive instead of reactive in the way our community moves forward from here," Mauldin said. "We've hit the home run with the recent successes our elected officials and SEDA have had in the past few years. We need to talk about how we fill the gaps.

"This program would give us a good start."