Press Release

Florida’s Great Northwest Receives USDA Rural Community Development Grant Award

Destin, Fla. – (January 28, 2008) Florida’s Great Northwest is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $234,643 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) grant on December 17, 2007. The grant is one of two that were awarded in the State of Florida this cycle, both of which are the first RCDI grants awarded in the State.

The RCDI grant will be used to conduct a thorough analysis of infrastructure in rural counties in Northwest Florida, using International Economic Development Council (IEDC) standards. The analysis will also identify resources for training programs to address any deficiencies identified by the study. The information will be integrated into a database on Florida’s Great Northwest’s website as well as each rural county’s website, providing comprehensive information on available buildings and sites to market the rural region of Northwest Florida to prospective businesses. The nine rural counties impacted by this grant award include Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Washington, and Walton.

Florida’s Great Northwest Chairman Fred Leopold stated, “This grant will allow Northwest Florida’s rural communities to be more competitive on project activities that have the possibility of resulting in the expansion or relocation of businesses to the region.”

“This federal funding will help to provide economic opportunities for our area and enhance the ability of our local communities to thrive and prosper, especially under tough economic conditions,” said Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL).  “By promoting regional development, we can help to encourage new jobs, attract new investments, and bring new folks to our area.  This grant is great news for North Florida.”

Florida’s Great Northwest is a regional economic development organization serving 16 counties in Northwest Florida from Pensacola through Tallahassee. Its primary mission is the creation of high-wage, high-skill jobs, branding and marketing, as well as support of the local economic development organizations in the region.