NRDP Rural Policy Fellows Program
NRDP Fellows are recent college graduates who have been recognized by the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) for their interest
and experience in rural issues, dedication to public service, leadership
abilities, and outstanding scholastic achievements. Some Fellows have been hosted by USDA-RD Office of Community Development (which provides national level staff support to NRDP), while other Fellows are hosted by Federal NRDP
partner agencies who work on critical rural policy issues. While these Fellowships include educational and professional development components, the Fellows serve as full-time staff for NRDP related projects on behalf of their host agencies. (See the complete list of NRDP Fellows at bottom)
- Participate in monthly NRDP & Rural Policy Fellows meetings, monthly National Rural Development Council (NRDC) meetings, and semi-annual NRDP conferences and consultations;
- Staff NRDP task forces, NRDP Executive Board, Partners for Rural America (PRA), NRDC, and special NRDP initiatives; and
- Within USDA-RD Office of Community Development:
- Work on USDA-RD projects that support State Rural Development Councils (SRDCs);
- Help coordinate national conferences, orientations and meetings; and
- Help maintain and update the NRDP website, and other resources.
- Within other Federal NRDP partner agencies:
- Increase the agency's knowledge and use of the NRDP—at headquarters and in the field;
- Bring a greater rural presence to a broad spectrum of program managers in the agency, and a greater rural voice to key agency policy deliberations;
- Document the agency's participation level with each SRDC; and
- Document benefits of SRDC participation for the agency.
In addition to serving as full-time professional staff for their host agencies, NRDP Fellows also participate actively with Fellows in other government agencies and national organizations in the DC area. This network serves as a vehicle for the NRDP Fellows, and other individuals in Federal and national Fellowships dealing with rural policy issues to (1) share information; (2) collaborate on professional and academic assignments; (3) gain professional experiences; and (4) increase professional development opportunities. Recently NRDP Fellows have collaborated regularly with Fellows employed by the National Rural Funders Collaborative and US Dept of Interior – Federal Duck Stamp Program.
The NRDP Fellows convene monthly meetings among this network, and work together throughout the duration of the regular Fellowship cycle. The meetings rotate each month to ensure that Fellows from each host agency get to host a meeting, show off their programs, daily life, etc. to allow the Fellows an opportunity to learn more about their counterparts' Fellowships and host agencies. Semi-annually (June & December), the Fellows work together to identify their goals and expectations for the learning components of their Fellowship experience and to create an agenda for Network events that will most effectively meet these goal and expectations. Fellows also maintain this network through other professional, volunteer, and educational activities—including conferences and meetings, public volunteer opportunities, and special projects and task forces. Fellows are encouraged to utilize this network for professional development and maximizing the educational component of their Fellowships.
USDA Rural Development, HHS Office of Rural Health Policy, and DOT Office of
the Under Secretary for Transportation Policy awarded NRDP Rural Policy
Fellowships to eight 2003 Truman Scholars. As of May 31, 2005, three of these
fellowships had been completed, and five fellowships are currently in progress.
2004-2005 Ongoing Fellows
Akofa Bonsi (AL), Appalachian Regional Commission
Deanna Durrett (KY), HHS/ NRDP Health Care Task Force
Kenna Matthews (WY), USVA Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs/
Office
of Congressional and Legislative Affairs
Terri L. Porter (FL), DOI/ FWS Federal Duck Stamp Program
Anthony Swift (TX), DOT/ NRDP
2004-2005 Recent Fellows
Jennifer Larson (ND), USDA-RD Office of Community Development
Elizabeth Peck (CO), USDA-RD Office of Community Development
Nathanael Watson (GA), USDA-RD Office of Community Development
Click here
for biographies of all the 2004-2005 Rural Policy Fellows
For more information on the Rural Policy Fellows Program,
please contact:
Yvette Butler (USDA) at
yvette.butler@wdc.usda.gov or 202-690-4743
Akofa Bonsi (ARC) at abonsi@arc.gov
or 202-884-7713
