Pre-Summit Planning Conference Solicits Ideas for Gulf Coast Development Plan

 

The Gulf Coast Regional Equity to Achieve Prosperity (REAP) Summit has been moved to August 2011 and a Pre-Summit Planning Conference has been scheduled for Friday March 18th at the Hope Center on the campus of Pensacola’s Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church, 201 West Leonard St. in Pensacola, Florida. The purpose of the change in dates for the summit is to generate a higher level of conference registrations and sponsorships during the months prior to the August date.   Additionally, organizers will be soliciting ideas and strategies, at the March 18th Pre-Summit Planning Conference, that will create a marketing buzz focusing on new jobs, business opportunities, and the economic impact of regional relationship building.

 

The Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission, and the Ibis Foundation, serving as proactive lead conveners for the Gulf Coast REAP Summit, believes that community-based groups, business leaders, and government agencies have a real interest in developing relationships with Gulf Coast stakeholders excited about rebounding from the Gulf Coast oil spill, and a depressed economy.  The rescheduled summit allows for a longer term marketing campaign that builds on the potential of a competitive Gulf Coast with a renewed vision for change and inclusion.  This campaign coupled with new regional development projects, strengthens the potential for impactful joint ventures, contract opportunities, new financing, and community development initiatives.

 

REAP Summit regional sponsorship commitments include the following pacesetting leadership organizations: Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission, the Ibis Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of an investment banking boutique, Ibis Partners, LLC,  which recently created a presence in Pensacola, Florida,  New Orleans developer/contractor, Dousette and Associated Contractors, Inc., Gulf Power Company, a Southern Company subsidiary that provides electricity and energy services in Northwest Florida, Studer Group, a national health care leadership training and services company based in Pensacola, the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, Hixardt Technologies, Inc., a growing telecommunications leader located in Pensacola, Florida, the University of West Florida,  Gulf Coast Community Bank, the Merrill Land Company, a Pensacola restaurant development leader, Union Baptist Church World Changing Ministries in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a faith-based community development ministry managing a federal credit union and a 501(c)(3) development corporation, WRNE a Pensacola, Florida urban radio station, the Pensacola Voice Newspaper, Unity in the Family, Inc., a Pensacola community based youth and family services ministry, and the Belmont-DeVilliers Neighborhood Association, a Pensacola historical urban business district/neighborhood association.  Summit organizers pledge innovative high profile sponsorship branding leading up to the August 2011 event.

 

Summit Planning Conference is scheduled with presenters, an innovation strategist, and a strategic planning roundtable of regional organizations from New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile, Ft. Walton Beach, and Pensacola, Florida.  Ms. Bentina Terry, Gulf Power, Vice President External Affairs and Corporate Services and Community Maritime Park Associates (CMPA) Board Member will be the keynote presenter. Her topic will be on “Trends of Public-Private Partnerships Creating Economic Impact: Pensacola’s Maritime Park as a Demonstration Project”.  Rev. Dr. Sylvester Hunter, Pastor, Union Baptist Church World Changing Ministries in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will speak on “Trends of Faith-Based Community Development Corporations and Community Development Credit Unions as Demonstration Projects for the Gulf Coast”. Tom Drysdale, a Corporate Partnerships Advisor, will speak on “Trends in Corporate Shared Benefits Programs for Economic Development and Wealth Creation: The Xtra Plan as a Demonstration Wealth-Building Initiative”.

All three presentations are being offered to show the various ideas and concepts which could be included in the final blueprint document to be adopted at the rescheduled August REAP Summit event. Ideas are the key for this summit planning process.  Summit organizers stress the role of Dr. Howard Rasheed, Founder of the Institute for Innovation; CEO of Idea Accelerator Technologies, who will present and facilitate the summit planning process that will lead to a Blueprint for Gulf Coast recovery and redevelopment.  Dr. Rasheed is the co-inventor of the Idea Accelerator, a web-based software application for ideation and brainstorming.  The October 2010 issue of Black Enterprise spotlighted Rasheed and his work with the Brazilian government in South America. His work in Brazil is an effort to determine how and where the government should distribute investments with businesses in the solar technology industry.
 
Dr. Rasheed believes that time must be invested in planning for the future.  Thus, his involvement in the Pre-REAP Summit Planning Conference, providing the services of his North Carolina-based Institute for Innovation, Inc. Business executives hire focus groups, market analysts, and financial consultants to grow their companies and/or launch new products.  The North Carolina-based PhD has developed idea management software that takes the data on trend analysis and other factors and provides non-profit organizations, businesses, and any organized group a systematic approach to a process that can create new products, maximize technology, and generate new programs or business profits.  Incidentally, Dr. Rasheed was on the faculty of the University of West Florida and a leader on minority business development at the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber in the 1990s.

 

Policy makers, government agencies, non-profits, chambers of commerce, community development corporations, construction contractors, neighborhood associations, faith-based organizations, educators and workforce development specialists are all invited to participate in the March 18th summit planning event representing their respective organizations.

 

For additional information on the March 18th Pre-Summit Planning Conference, sponsorships, REAP Summit August 2011 workshop panels, summit marketing events or speaking presentations, contact Tony R. McCray, Jr., Executive Director of the Ibis Community Development Corporation at (866) 206-8439.