The Nov. 14 meeting of the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development featured four speakers who focused on educational and economic opportunities available for Eureka Springs and Carroll County.
Chair Sandy Martin introduced Linda Tamayo, Operations Coordinator for the Carroll County Center for Northark College. She announced their campus has been officially approved as a satellite campus, which means a student can earn a degree there.
Tamayo said they recently expanded their space to create an interactive classroom in which students in Berryville can attend a class taught by a teacher at the Harrison campus. She listed their seven degree programs which included Nursing Assistant, Associate of Science in Business and Computer Support Technician Technical Certificate. Also on campus are adult education classes in GED prep and citizenship and community education classes such as web design, conversational Spanish, and English as a Second Language.
Tamayo said she intends to set up an advisory committee to guide them in tailoring their programming to the needs of students, and they have scholarship opportunities available. All the classes at the Carroll County Center are listed on their website.
Also from Northark College was David Zirkle, Construction Technology instructor, who said his students have built tiny homes, up to 1300 square feet, which are mobile, totally electric so they could go solar, and were totally designed by the students.
Two of his former students formed their own company designing and building tiny homes. Another is repairing termite damage in the I-49 corridor.
Eureka Springs School Supt. Bryan Pruitt said that ESHS designed its construction tech program after the one at Northark, although it was difficult for students to participate with Zirkle due to distance. Zirkle replied it would be worth investigating to see if they could set up construction tech classes in Berryville.
Pruitt also mentioned there has “tremendous interest” among students in his new agriculture program at ESHS. Not only are students growing vegetables for school lunches, they are learning life skills. One student who had not planned to attend college changed his mind after participating in the greenhouse program and has applied to the University of Arkansas.
Mayor Butch Berry said he was grateful Zirkle took an interest in Carroll County and in helping local students, and this area would be needing more carpenters, electricians and plumbers.
Martin noted they could learn much from Zirkle if the city pursues its own small home factory, which would include trade school and adult education aspects.
Third to address the task force was Tim Wooldridge of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, which was created to make resources available for local projects. He said ADFA can issue bonds but they need willing partners, and it could be a local entrepreneur or the city.
A focus at this time for ADFA is promoting home ownership by, for example, providing down payment assistance. He said Gov. Asa Hutchinson has scheduled a conference Feb. 5 in Little Rock on “building wealth for Arkansas through home ownership.”
Wooldridge acknowledged locals for thinking regionally in economic development planning.
Also in attendance was Catherine Baker, Community and Economic Development Coordinator for the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, who wanted the group to know about programs offered through her office. It is their mission to afford local governments and citizens a regional forum to identify issues and opportunities, and provide leadership in planning and implementing programs to improve the quality of life in our district.
Baker said she had heard of a couple issues mentioned during the meeting she could help with.
Martin noted the task force members needed to hear this information, and she would set up follow-up meetings.