Rural Economic Development Institute (REDI)
The Rural Center undertakes a number of efforts to ensure that rural communities are equipped with skilled, committed, and informed leaders.
Since its inception, the Rural Center has recognized the vital importance of local leadership to the success of our state’s rural areas. The Center’s flagship leadership program, the Rural Economic Development Institute (REDI), has trained nearly 1,200 rural leaders. REDI offers participants collaborative leadership skills and rural development strategies to help them return home and make meaningful impact in their communities. In addition, graduates of the program become part of a larger alumni network of leaders. They also have the opportunity to participate in advanced training and continuing education.
REDI 2019 dates are: April 2-4, May 7-9, and June 4-6.
REDI Graduation 2017
“REDI taught me that being a leader has less to do with titles and more to do with modeling the way, encouraging the heart, enabling others to act, and inspiring a shared vision, which anyone within an organization or community can do, without an official title or stereotypical position of leadership.
Professionally, I have been asked by many communities to be a “change agent,” and, more often than not, one will find that people are afraid of change, but there are ways to ameliorate the stress associated with such. REDI equipped me with a diverse toolset to handle those efforts.”
Elton Daniels
Innovative Rural Leadership: Kathryn Jenkins and Megan Reyes
REDI was probably the best program I've ever been in. -Kathryn Jenkins, Director, Small Business Center, Tri-County community College Nearly a decade after Kathryn Jenkins moved to Murphy, North Carolina, from Georgia, she began to think of how she could...
Innovative Rural Leadership: Randolph Keaton
What I've gained through REDI are connections. If I need something here in my rural community, I've got someone I can call on. -Randolph Keaton On any given weekday, in an unassuming building on Dream Avenue, men and women face computer screens to fill out...
Want to learn more?
Contact Bronwyn Lucas,
Director of Leadership
blucas@ncruralcenter.org
Apply
The REDI 2019 applications are now available. Please apply here.