The Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, or NWAEDD, based in Harrison, has received the 2024 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations, known as NADO, for its 2023 Northwest Arkansas Wellness Innovative Readiness Training, or IRT, project.
In partnership with the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the Department of Defense, NWAEDD planned and worked with Yellville and Mountain Home communities to bring the IRT to the region. The IRT, held in July 2023, was a medical mission located in Yellville to provide area residents with no-cost healthcare. Services included optometry, health exams, dental, veterinary care and public health education.
The mission also offered real-world military training to members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Air Force National Guard. Personnel were stationed in Mountain Home on the campus of Mountain Home Junior High School throughout the mission. NWAEED Community Development Coordinator Tina Cole initiated the effort and led the two-year planning and development process at the local level. The project successfully served approximately 1,500 patients and provided training for 185 military members.
NADO is a membership-based association comprised of regional development organizations. The association promotes programs and policies to strengthen local government, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program seeks to recognize regional development organizations and their partners for improving their regions’ and local communities’ economic and community competitiveness.
NADO President Chris Brown says, “NADO’s Impact Awards program offers an opportunity each year to celebrate our members’ meaningful contributions in the regions they serve. This year’s awardees demonstrate the broad spectrum of services regional development organizations provide. We thank our members for continuing to do this important work that helps build strong, vibrant, and resilient communities.”
The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck, who served as NADO’s first executive director for 24 years to champion regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.
For more information, call Tina Cole at 870-741-3678 or email tcole@nwaedd.org.
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