Leadership Initiative

The Mid South Delta Leadership program (MSDL) is building a network of diverse leaders who will help work across economic, social, and racial divides to shape policies and strategies for education and economic development in the Delta Region in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This program is based upon the successful Delta Emerging Leaders program, an 18-county leadership development program operating in the Mississippi Delta. To read about MSDL current events, program participants, and future plans, please access the dropdown menu to the right.

Mid South Delta Leaders Program

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation/Mid South Delta Initiative awarded a $1.2 million grant to Delta State University, Arkansas State University, and Grambling State University to implement the Mid South Delta Leaders Program (MSDL), a tri-state Delta leadership development program.

The program helps participants gain a better understanding of national and global trends in terms of how these trends influence the quality of life and economic and community development in the Delta. This program has a tri-state regional mission that brings together a diverse group of citizens to enhance the quality of life through human resource development, community development and economic development.

Ultimately, this leadership development program serves as a forum to share ideas, encourage participants to bring their strengths to collaborative efforts and bring together persons of diverse backgrounds in a variety of programs and experiences, in a non-traditional learning process.

Mid South Delta Leaders Curriculum

Three, 18-month classes include three-day learning retreats, study travel tours to each of the three state capitals, a Delta Heritage Tour, and issue-based teams.

Forty-five class members, 15 from each state, are participating in a curriculum that is designed to improve the leadership, management and communication skills of its participants. Class members of MSDL represent a wide variety of sectors, including higher education, K-12 education, government, non-profit, for-profit businesses, self-employment and community volunteers. This, in turn, ensures the inclusion of stakeholders; particularly those traditionally under-represented in community and economic development efforts.

The MSDL curriculum has planned long-term effects that will extend beyond the 18-month structured program. MSDL takes action by uniting men and women of diverse backgrounds who have the desire to work collectively for the benefit of the entire tri-state Delta. MSDL is playing a strategic role in shaping the future of the Delta by creating a regional vision for leadership development that encourages a comprehensive collaborative approach to enhancing the skills of individuals and communities.

This program is a partnership between Delta State University, serving as the lead partner and fiscal agent; the Arkansas State University Center for Regional and Community Development in Jonesboro, Arkansas; and, Grambling State University in Louisiana.

For more information, contact Christy Montesi at 662-846-4336, Delta State University, P.O. Box to 3304, Cleveland, MS 38733, cmontesi@deltastate.edu.

If you are interested in the genesis of the Mid South Delta Leadership Program, click here to view our Leadership Archives.