Texas residents share ideas, network to lead positive changes for rural areas

HORSESHOE BAY — State and federal governments have multiple ways of defining “rural,” but “places that lack leadership” isn’t one of them, Texas officials note.

During a recent conference of the Texas Rural Leadership Program, more than 80 people representing small towns across the state convened to learn from each other, share ideas, find out what opportunities are available and — most importantly for the organizers — vow to teach leadership skills to people from all walks of lives upon returning to their communities.

“We want to go through the process and hook up the resources with the people,” said Ronnie McDonald, Texas Rural Leadership Program director. “We’re bringing stories and people together to show what can be done to help our rural communities thrive.”

The Texas Rural Leadership Program was the vision of a minister who felt that training in leadership would help people better tackle the economic and sociological issues facing rural and small town communities.

In 1989, the Texas Rural Leadership Program began a more formal partnership with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Together they worked with more than 40 agencies and organizations to develop a curriculum to train people in leadership.

The idea is that whether a small town is facing issues with economy, jobs, education, infrastructure, water or myriad other problems, well-trained leaders — not just elected officials — can bring about positive change, said McDonald, who became director in 2013.

“Texas is still the largest rural state in the lower 48, and we have the opportunity with the Texas Rural Leadership Program to try to grow our rural areas back to what they once were,” Dr. Doug Steele, AgriLife Extension director in College Station, told the gathering. “What matters is the diversity and quality of voices at the table. The AgriLife Extension agencies with half a billion-dollar budget and research around the state can help, but we can’t do it alone. It’s about people investing their time, talents and treasures to help people.”

Shared stories from participants at the meeting ranged from an AgriLife Extension agent who partnered with an Episcopal priest to bring wellness programs to the people of their rural county to that of a group of rural women who in visiting each other realized that domestic violence was a serious issue and thus started a shelter for battered women — a service often only offered in bigger cities.

“Bring together a wide diversity of people, a coalition who really knows what the community is and looks like,” said Debbie Bresette, who began her community involvement while an organic farmer in Bastrop County and now is president of United Way of Greater Austin. “You can help people reframe an issue, rather than focusing on all the negativity. Communities are undergoing a tremendous change, and you can bring the strength of new people to the table to help shape positive outcomes.”

She said one trend facing Texas is that people are moving out of larger cities into the rural towns because the cost of living is more affordable. But that brings with it greater needs, and often results in economic segregation which compounds a variety of related issues.

“All of this impacts economic development,” Bresette said. “You can’t have a thriving community if you don’t treat all members of the community with deep respect.”

She suggested that communities should “entice people of all walks of life” into the dialogue – regardless of economic status – provided they have a trait such as being  “action-oriented, a risk taker, a money raiser, one who’ll ask the hard questions, one who is respectful and thoughtful, or a detail person.”

“Bless and release those who aren’t looking at the common vision,” she said.

National Guard Brigadier General Rick Noriega of Houston told the group that the late-President Kennedy’s admonishment “Ask not what your country can do for you but rather what you can do for your country,” hit him at his core as a child.

“Servant leadership changes lives and communities,” he said, pointing to two Bible scriptures and a quote from George Bernard Shaw about the joy of life as “being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

Noriega said a position of authority is not the same as a position of leadership, and added that in his military service, he likes to empower privates to exercise leadership regardless of rank.

“If we’re capable of mustering public will in a crisis, why can’t we muster that when there are other issues that need help?” he asked. “No one is honored for what they received; they are honored by what they gave.”

McDonald noted that the Texas Rural Leadership Program is actively seeking communities who want to engage and train people to begin problem solving efforts. Find out more at http://trlp.tamu.edu/.