By Shannon Lukens.
Moffat County Commissioner Melody Villard has been chosen to participate in the National Association of Counties’ Commitment Coalition. It’s called Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities. It’s a network of 20 coal community leaders from local, regional, and state government, in nonprofit and private sectors.
Here is the press release from Moffat County; March 1, 2023.
Local Leader selected for Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities Initiative
Through a nationally competitive application process, Commissioner Melody Villard has been selected to participate in the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Commitment Coalition. The BRECC Commitment Coalition is a new network of 20 coal community leaders from local, regional and state government as well as the nonprofit and private sectors.
“As we face a loss of nearly half of our property tax revenue, for Moffat County to carry out the services and the most basic needs of our residents, we must find ways to quickly implement ideas, actions and out-of-the-box thinking for future success. My goal would be to focus on actions that can be taken with the most immediate and long-lasting impact on stabilization and future growth.” Commissioner Villard shared as her goals within the application.
Over the next two years, Coalition members will work together to deepen their knowledge of economic resilience and diversification through discussions with national subject matter experts as well as visits to Coalition members’ home communities. Commissioner Villard will be reporting back on these experiences through BRECC’s national and local storytelling activities.
NACo is a national membership organization that represents the needs and interests of counties from across the United States. Through programming like BRECC, NACo supports county leaders to continue serving and creating opportunities for their county residents.
“Coal communities play a vital role in our nation’s economic prosperity” said Matt Chase, NACo’s CEO and executive director. “We are committed to helping coal communities increase the resilience and strength of their economies by leveraging NACo’s close relationships with local and federal stakeholders.”
BRECC is a Community of Practice initiative supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. BRECC’s programming will build local capacity to pursue a wide range of economic revitalizations strategies, including workforce retention and development, infrastructure and alternative energy, placemaking and outdoor recreation, entrepreneurial ecosystems and business development, and sustainability and funding planning.
In addition to the Commitment Coalition leadership network, BRECC programming includes the BRECC National Network, which convenes interested stakeholders from around the country to learn more about strategies for supporting their coal communities through economic transitions and coal power plant closures. BRECC’s Action Challenge supports teams of local leaders and community members with individualized coaching to develop action plans that respond to local needs and priorities.
“The U.S. Economic Development Administration is committed to supporting coal communities currently facing and experiencing transition,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “Through the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities initiative, we’re delighted to recognize and support the 20 local leaders and eight community teams who were selected to participate in the Commitment Coalition and Action Challenge. They represent the innovative,
entrepreneurial leadership that is needed to help coal communities across America build and access new opportunities for growth in the years ahead.”
To view all Commitment Coalition members and learn more about the BRECC initiative, visit www.naco.org/BRECC.
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.
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