Audrain County has been selected as one of 10 rural counties to be a part of the National Association of Counties (NACo) new Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility (RLEM), a national program with teams …
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Audrain County has been selected as one of 10 rural counties to be a part of the National Association of Counties (NACo) new Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility (RLEM), a national program with teams of county elected officials and non-elected county leaders to pursue effective strategies to improve economic mobility conditions that move individuals and families out of poverty. Audrain County Associate Commissioner Leslie Meyer and ERC Fellow/Mexico Sustainability Project Director Tracey Clark Jeffries represent the team from Audrain County. Team participants will engage in virtual and in-person learning opportunities, receive technical assistance for program implementation and utilize a $50,000 subgrant to incorporate data and evidence-based policies into local government decision-making.
“It is very exciting for Audrain County to have this opportunity,” Leslie Meyer said. “The goal is to improve economic mobility for all residents in the county and this training is vital for us to be able to do that. We are very thankful that the National Association of Counties has programs like this available to counties.”
"I am so proud to be participating in the National Association of Counties Rural Economic Mobility Program,” Tracey Clark Jeffries said. “ We look forward to bonding with our cohort and engaging in programs that will provide us with the tools and resources needed to drive sustainable growth, empower our communities, address economic inequities, and improve the standard of living for all our residents."
The Mexico Sustainability Project began in 2018 as a project of the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce’s effort to stabilize and build a stronger workforce. “We quickly realized the instability of our workforce was rooted in poverty. The support of the ERC, Audrain County and this grant through NACO will help ensure efforts to stabilize families across Audrain County, through the Workforce Stability and Getting Ahead frameworks continue” noted Dana Keller, director of the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce.
The inaugural RLEM counties are:
Based on NACo’s signature peer learning model, team members will explore economic mobility strategies and support one another in customizing and implementing strategies in their home jurisdictions. NACo is supported by The Cedric Group in delivering the curriculum, learnings and planning for this initiative.
“The unique circumstances of rural counties – in this case counties with populations less than 50,000 – make it invaluable for local leaders in these communities to have an opportunity to connect and exchange around solutions to drive economic mobility,” said NACo President Mary Jo McGuire. “We look forward to sharing best practices from this group’s work for the benefit of all counties.”
The Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility program represents a continuation of NACo’s Counties for Economic Mobility initiative, which previously included the Economic Mobility Leadership Network. With only 50 percent of today’s children going on to earn more income than their parents did, compared to 90 percent in 1945, the initiative is grounded in the importance of leveraging county responsibilities like social service delivery to drive economic mobility and improve economic conditions for residents.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. www.naco.org
