At the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable's (ORR) first-ever National Leadership Forum on Rural Economic Development on Oct. 1-2, 2024, Oweesta's Tawny Wilson will join a panel discussion about building resilient and diverse Native communities through outdoor recreation.
LONGMONT, Colo., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
WHAT:
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable's (ORR) first-ever National Leadership Forum on Rural Economic Development is a gathering of leaders on Oct. 1-2, 2024, from across the country to identify opportunities to support rural communities through the growing outdoor recreation economy. Held in Pittsburgh, Pa., the Forum brings together leaders from across economic development, recreation and conservation to identify challenges and opportunities in rural communities to ensure that outdoor recreation is a transformational force for community resilience. Over two days of programming, participants will spend time in dialogue to identify the most pressing needs for rural communities to ensure recruitment of new workers and businesses, retention of youth and families and preservation of community legacy.
As part of the Forum, Tawny Wilson, Director of Advancement and Impact at Oweesta Corporation, will join a panel discussion titled, "Recipes for Successful and Resilient Economic Transitions." The panel will discuss the financial, cultural and social aspects of bringing the outdoor recreation industry into communities that have historically depended on other industries to help them become more resilient and diverse.
WHO:
Moderator:
Nathan Ohle, President and CEO, International Economic Development Council
Panelists:
Dr. Silas Chamberlin, Principal, Firefly Outdoor + Economics
Tawny Wilson, Director of Advancement and Impact, Oweesta Corporation
Matt Dunne, Executive Director, Center on Rural Innovation
Rob Riley, President, Northern Forest Center
Tawny Wilson began her career as a mortgage broker, banker and sales manager. However, her true passion emerged when she transitioned to working with national Native nonprofit organizations dedicated to uplifting Tribal communities nationwide. Driven by her commitment to empowering Indigenous communities, Wilson focuses on rematriating resources to Native people. Before joining Oweesta, she served as director of lending at NDN Collective, where she co-developed the groundbreaking Resilient Finance Model, a decolonized approach to underwriting. She is a proud Sicangu/Oglala Lakota and an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Born and raised on the reservation, she embodies the spirit of her people, the Sicangu or "Burnt Thigh Nation" in Lakota.
WHEN/WHERE:
Tues., Oct 1, 2024, 10:50 – 11:35 a.m. ET
Richard King Mellon Foundation Headquarters
42 21st St.
Pittsburgh, PA
For more information, visit https://recreationroundtable.org/priorities/national-leadership-forum-rural-development.
About Oweesta Corporation
Oweesta Corporation is the longest-standing intermediary for Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), serving as an essential bridge between traditional lenders and underserved Native areas. As the largest facilitator of capital to Indian Country, Oweesta offers financial products and services to Native CDFIs and provides expert technical assistance and training to ultimately equip Native people with the knowledge and skills that support strategic financial decision-making. Oweesta is dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Native communities by advancing sustainable, equitable growth and prosperity. Based in Longmont, Colorado, Oweesta is a majority-Native, minority- and women-led nonprofit organization. Since its inception in 1999, it has funded more than 4,350 Native businesses in 36 states, with its network of over 245 partners disbursing more than 26,000 loans totaling over $826 million. For more information, visit https://www.oweesta.org.
Media Contact
Michael Tebo, Gabriel Marketing Group (for Oweesta Corporation), 703-829-6089, [email protected]
SOURCE Oweesta Corporation
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