The Arizona Rural Development Council is excited to provide an opportunity for skill-building, networking, resource development, building relationships and educating each other about the needs and services in rural Arizona during the 2015 Rural Policy Forum. With over 40 speakers scheduled, attendees will have extensive opportunities to learn what is working in rural towns across our great state. Meet our two keynote speakers here and visit the Rural Policy Forum agenda to see who else is coming to Clarkdale.
Barbara Wyckoff, Principal at Dynamica Consulting, will lead a talk on the exploration of alternative 
economic development strategies, building on many of practices that are working today and linking community assets to market demand for lasting livelihoods. She will be presenting real examples from around the country showing both how to and the benefits of linking rural places to broader regions will be presented.
Barbara Wyckoff has over 30 years of experience promoting rural community economic development across the US. She has worked to bring together the private sector, nonprofits, indigenous communities, government agencies, investors and others to implement innovative solutions. Wyckoff’s experiences include linking rural community assets to market demand, investing in community wealth, expanding community participatory processes and developing creative leadership. She has worked extensively with the WealthWorks Community, coaching rural communities and organizations on how to build resilient, regional economies where all forms of capital stick to place.
Clark Anderson is the executive director of Community Builders, a nonprofit organization that works with local partners and civic leaders to create stronger and more prosperous communities in the American West. Anderson will be giving a riveting speech on how Community Builders, formerly an initiative of the Sonoran Institute, provides training, research and assistance to help communities address local planning and development issues, including transportation, housing, neighborhood revitalization and economic development.
Previously, Anderson directed the Sonoran Institute’s work in the Rocky Mountain region, helping communities align community planning, economic development and natural resource management goals. Anderson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Colorado and a Master’s Degree in geography from the University of California, Davis.
