
Thrive Rural National Advisory Committee
The National Advisory Committee (NAC) for Thrive Rural is comprised of leading national policymakers, as well as local practitioners and experts in the fields of health, community building and community and economic development. Many NAC members have significant experience from working in rural communities, while others bring particular topical expertise – or both. All NAC members provide strategic guidance to the Thrive Rural collaboration. Learn more.
FILTER EVENTS
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Roque BarrosDirector, Ford Institute for Community Building at the Ford Family FoundationThrive Rural ...Roque Barros is the Director of the Ford Institute for Community Building at the Ford Family Foundation headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon. Barros has been leading community building efforts for both…View Profile
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Anita Brown-GrahamLaw Professor and Director, ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of GovernmentThrive Rural ...Anita R. Brown-Graham rejoined the UNC School of Government in 2016 to lead ncIMPACT— a special initiative that seeks to expand the School’s capacity to work with public officials on…View Profile
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Mark HaggertyPolicy Analyst, Headwaters EconomicsThrive Rural ...Mark Haggerty is a policy analyst at Headwaters Economics, a non-profit research group based in Bozeman, MT. Broadly, Mark is interested in how policy accelerates regional inequality and uneven development,…View Profile
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Jason HendersonSenior Associate Dean and Director of Extension, Purdue UniversityThrive Rural ...A nationally recognized expert in agricultural and rural issues, Jason R. Henderson is the Senior Associate Dean in the Purdue University College of Agriculture and Director of Purdue Extension. In…View Profile
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Cara JamesPresident and CEO, Grantmakers in HealthThrive Rural ...Dr. Cara James is the president and CEO of Grantmakers in Health (GIH), a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all…View Profile
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Whitney Kimball CoeDirector of National Programs, Center for Rural StrategiesThrive Rural ...Whitney Kimball Coe is the director of National Programs at the Center for Rural Strategies. In that role, she leads the Rural Assembly, a nationwide movement striving to build better…View Profile
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Felecia LuckyPresident, Black Belt Community FoundationThrive Rural ...“We talk about not just asking for a handout but a hand up.” Working in Minneapolis, Chicago and Memphis, Felecia Lucky decided to leave her corporate background behind in returning…View Profile
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Elsie MeeksChair, Board of Trustees, Native American Agricultural FundThrive Rural ...View Profile
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Nathan OhleCEO, Rural Community Assistance PartnershipThrive Rural ...Nathan currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), a national network of non-profits focused on access water, economic development, and capacity building…View Profile
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Ines PoloniusCEO, Communities Unlimited, Inc.Thrive Rural ...Ines Polonius is CEO of Communities Unlimited, Inc., a CDFI and Rural Development Hub serving the rural South. Communities Unlimited (CU)’s team of 64 full time professionals works side-by-side with…View Profile
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Bree WatzakDirector of Technical Assistance, Center for Optimizing Rural HealthThrive Rural ...Bree Watzak has been a pharmacist since 2008 and joined the Texas A&M Health Science Center in 2011. As Director of Technical Assistance for the Center for Optimizing Rural Health,…View Profile
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