Hollie Elliott
Executive Director
Dallas County Economic Development Group
115 S Maple Street
PO Box 301
Buffalo, MO 65622
Phone 417-345-2701 or 417-319-4880
Fax 417-345-2700
Email: hollie@dallascounty.works
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Hollie Elliott Executive Director Dallas County Economic Development Group 115 S Maple Street PO Box 301 Buffalo, MO 65622 Phone 417-345-2701 or 417-319-4880 Fax 417-345-2700 Email: hollie@dallascounty.works |
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News Release
**Please note inclusion of public survey link for publication**
Date: Dec. 5, 2017
Subject: Community Foundation of the Ozarks announces Buffalo as Growth in the Rural Ozarks program participant
Contact: Matt Lemmon, CFO, (417) 864-6199 or mlemmon@cfozarks.org
Buffalo is one of two Missouri communities selected to participate in the second phase of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ Growth in the Rural Ozarks (GRO) economic development program.
Buffalo, along with Aurora, make up the second round of GRO participants. The two-year initiative is co-funded by local community partners and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. It is supported by local government, schools and other stakeholders, as well as the Dallas County Community Foundation, the CFO affiliate foundation based in Buffalo. GRO programming is aimed at promoting job creation, entrepreneurship and economic and workforce development in the rural Ozarks.
Marshfield, Salem and Sarcoxie are currently wrapping up their second year as the inaugural three-year GRO cohort.
To help gather data about Buffalo, Dallas County and the perceptions of the community by its residents, GRO Buffalo organizers ask citizens and stakeholders take a few minutes to fill out a quick survey, which can be found online at www.cfozarks.org/GRO.
Local stakeholders are required to contribute $10,000 annually for the duration of the two-year planning and implementation process. Innovation Economy Partners, led by Hrishue Mahalaha, will work with local stakeholders to develop the plan.
“The Community Foundation of the Ozarks' GRO 2.0 program will be an integral part of the economic development activities currently taking place in Buffalo and Dallas County,” said Bill Monday, Dallas County Community Foundation board president. “Under the leadership of Mayor Brandon Kanell, City Council members, Commissioner Kevin Sharpe, the Dallas County Commissioners, Dr. Tim Ryan and the Dallas County R-1 School District, and Hollie Elliott, Executive Director of the Dallas County Economic Development Group, and its members, the GRO Program will allow the community to develop a long-term strategic action plan for the growth and development of Buffalo and Dallas County.”
GRO is facilitated by Cleveland-based Innovation Economy Partners. Mahalaha, IEP’s Managing Partner, will assist each town through monthly visits to identify, implement and sustain effective strategies for economic growth.
“We are thrilled to expand the GRO program to Buffalo and Aurora starting January 2018. Both of these communities are well positioned with local leadership teams in place to make the program quite successful,” Mahalaha said. “Thanks to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and USDA Rural Development, we are on the brink of establishing a truly scalable and impactful economic development program for the Ozarks and beyond.”
The Dallas County Community Foundation is one of the 49 affiliate foundations of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. It serves the Buffalo and Dallas County areas through asset and resource development, philanthropic leadership and community grantmaking. The DCCF holds assets of more than $380,000 as of Sept. 30, 2017.
425 E. Trafficway
Springfield, MO, 65806
(417) 864-6199
Fax (417) 864-8344
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