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MARTIN, Tenn. – Alisha Melton, the executive director for the Office of Research, Outreach and Economic Development at the University of Tennessee at Martin, has been selected as a 2024 Fellow for the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy. Melton is a native of Dresden.
Established in 2000, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) supports economic development projects in 252 counties and parishes in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. It seeks to broaden access to economic opportunities for people and businesses in the region through innovative ideas and strategies designed to strengthen regional collaboration and achieve long-term economic development.
In doing so, that would strengthen regional collaboration and achieve long-term economic development.
Melton was one of 29 people selected as fellows for the DRA Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy, an extensive nine-month leadership development program that brings together public, private and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions.
“Participating in the academy provides an opportunity to develop as a leader while learning how other communities have successfully adapted and grown,” Melton said. “My goal is to become a part of this amazing network of community leaders and experts in order to better serve West Tennessee with ideas, resources, and collaborations.”
The 2024 DLI Executive Academy fellows were selected through a competitive application process led by DRA’s eight state governors and federal co-chairman.
“The Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy is an essential instrument for nurturing community placemaking and capacity building in the Delta region,” said Federal Co-Chairman Dr. Corey Wiggins. “This program will give this dedicated and diverse group of leaders the tools they need to drive change within and outside their communities and accelerate prosperity across the region.”
The fellows will participate in six in-person sessions led by local, regional and national experts and cover policy areas and skills related to public infrastructure, regional transportation systems, workforce development, coalition-building and other fields necessary to facilitate economic development in the Delta.
As a result, DLI Executive Academy fellows graduate with enhanced decision-making skills, policy development know-how, strengthened leadership capacity and a mutual understanding of regional, state and local culture and issues.
Since 2005, the DLI Executive Academy has provided leadership development to more than 700 community leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to improve economic competitiveness and social viability throughout the Delta region. DRA created the program to empower a corps of leaders with the tools, experiences, and networks to address local and regional economic development challenges.
Melton, a native of Dresden, is the executive director of the Office of Research, Outreach and Economic Development, which is responsible for oversight and compliance of research and sponsored programs, coordination of university outreach including non-degree programs, and UT Martin’s economic development initiatives.
The office promotes the university’s regional development initiatives and seeks to increase internal funding and income-generation opportunities through grants. The office also coordinates the university’s BlueOval City Response Team and the UT Martin-City of Martin Town and Gown Association.