The Louisiana Community Betterment Association recognized the winners of this year’s Adult and Youth Leadership Award recipients at the Missouri Community Betterment Conference and Banquet held on Sunday and Monday, October 15th & 16th in Columbia, MO. The 54th Annual Conference included speakers from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, University of Missouri Extension, as well as keynote speakers, Deb Brown with Saveyour.town and Jeff & Carolina Neal, pioneers in the revitalization of Joplin’s downtown, Dr. Sean Siebert, innovation consultant from Cuba, MO, Kyle Scheele, motivational speaker and Mark Kempker, “Bringing the HEET,” a multi-pronged approach to addressing heroine usage.
The Missouri Community Betterment organization is made up of over 55 small rural communities throughout the state of Missouri ranging in size from just a few hundred to around 7500 in population. Missouri Community Betterment in partnership with its community associations assist communities in their efforts to improve the quality of life through community and economic development efforts. Nearly 200 volunteers, community leaders and youth from across the state were in attendance.
Louisiana Community Betterment recognized Ms. Ann Narramore, as the Adult Leadership Award Recipient for 2017 and Michelle Watts as the Youth Leadership Award Recipient for 2017. “Louisiana is very blessed to have both Ann and Michelle as part of our community. Both of these volunteers go above and beyond “the call,” whenever and wherever they are needed. They are both very involved with the community and both work hard to help to revitalize the economy and quality of life for everyone here,” stated Diana Huckstep, Chairperson for the Louisiana Community Betterment Association.
Awards were presented to both Ann Narramore and Michelle Watts during the Monday evening Awards Banquet. The banquet is an integral part of the MCB program, which is administered by the Missouri Community Betterment Educational Fund. MCBEF is a not-for-profit organization made up of businesses, public utilities, community representatives, federals and state agencies and individuals. From 2008-2017, MCB communities poured more than $431,889,085 back into their local economies through their community development projects.
“The Missouri Community Betterment Board congratulates all the volunteers from our communities throughout the state,” MCB Board President, Louis Riggs said. “These dedicated individuals and their collaborative community and economic development efforts continue to make Missouri’s rural communities a place people want to call home.”