September 20, 2006

What is Cornerstone Coalition?
What is the vision and mission of the Cornerstone Coalition?
What counties are in the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc.?
What is the background of the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc.?
Who are the officers of the Coalition?
Who is the primary contact person for the Coalition?
What are the objectives and priorities for the Cornerstone Coalition Inc.?
What is the strategic plan for the future?
Who are the Board Members of the Cornerstone Coalition?


Q: What is the Cornerstone Coalition?

A: The Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. is a 501 (c) 6 designated organization formed in September 2003 by leaders of Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew and Lincoln counties to serve as a regional economic development group for Southeast Arkansas.

The Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. was formed for the following reasons:
1. To market the region to prospective new business and industry
2. To collectively identify and prioritize needed infrastructure improvements for the region, i.e. highways, water ports, rail and telecommunications.
3. To develop a Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. website for marketing purposes.
4. To develop and implement a regional strategic plan for the economic growth and development of the region.
5. To develop a regional human resource and training consortium for the benefit of the labor force and the industries in the 6 county-region.
6. To develop and implement a regional leadership program.
7. To develop and implement a regional lobbying compact to address local, state and federal issues that affect the entire region.
8. To develop such tools for use in recruiting such as a regional wage and benefit study, a regional existing industry survey, and other such tools. These will also be used to aid existing industry and business in the region.

Q: What is the vision and mission of the Cornerstone Coalition?

A: The Mission of the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. is to promote the regional economic development of Southeast Arkansas in Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha Drew and Lincoln Counties.

Q: What counties are in the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc.?

A: Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, and Lincoln counties.

Q: What is the background of the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc.?

A: The Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition was born of necessity. Economic
Developers from across southeast Arkansas saw a need for the leadership of all of
southeast Arkansas to unite and work together for the betterment of the region.
The leadership of the region agreed and formed a steering committee made up of
one person from each of the five original counties ( Lincoln County joined in April
2004).
Elections were held in each of the five counties and twenty-five board members were elected, five from each county, to serve staggered terms. The Board is very diverse in race, and gender, as well as in job and life experiences.

Q: Who are the officers of the Coalition?

A: The officers of the Cornerstone Coalition are:
President : Lisa Stocker
Vice-President, Infrastructure: Kenny Gober
Vice-President, Programs : Lynn Rodgers
Treasurer: Dave Dickson
Secretary: Mary Seymore

Q: Who is the primary contact person for the Coalition?

A: In May, 2006 the Cornerstone Coalition was able to hire Jo Anne Smith as the
Executive Director for the Cornerstone Coalition, Inc..

Jo Anne Smith
Executive Director
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Harris Hall, Room 331
PO Box 3084
Monticello, AR 71656
870-460-1224
smithj@uamont.edu
www.searkcornerstone.org

The business office of the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. is housed at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Q: What are the objectives and priorities for the Cornerstone Coalition Inc.?

A: The Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. is organized to achieve the objectives of:
•  job creation and income generation
•  human resource development
•  reversal of out-migration trends
•  improved infrastructure, including telecommunications
•  entrepreneurial development
•  technology development and application
•  voter registration
and such other purposes as may be deemed proper by the Board of Directors.

Coalition Needs/Objectives
The following infrastructure and economic development priorities have been implemented:

1. I-69 Connector/I-530 Corridor for US 278 to Pine Bluff , Arkansas
2. Continue development and construction of I-69 and the Great River Bridge in Arkansas
3. Upgrade extension and construction of rail service to Yellow Bend Port (Mississippi River @ McGehee , AR )
4. Water – quality and quantity
5. Construction completed on the Greenville Bridge between Lake Village , AR and Greenville , MS
6. Sales tax exemption on energy purchases for the paper and forest products industry

Q: What is the strategic plan for the future?

A: The Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc. is currently working with
Entergy's Teamwork Arkansas and Winrock International to develop a long-range
strategic plan for the future.

Q. Who are the Board Members of the Cornerstone Coalition?

A: The Board Members of the Coalition are: