ROOSEVELT ROADS PUERTO RICO PROMISE ZONE KICK-OFF MEETING: SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
The Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads (LRA) held a one-day Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico Promise Zone (RRPRPZ) Kick-off Meeting on September 15, 2016. The LRA, as the Lead Organization for the RRPRPZ, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and its divisions (USDA), formally presented the objectives and goals of the RRPRPZ and carried out the initial working session with the participation of 8 federal agencies with officials from the United States and Puerto Rico (USDA, Commerce, Interior, Small Business Administration, Corporation for National Community Service, General Services Administration, HUD, and the Forest Service), and a total of 57 participants from different eastern region entities, including community-based organizations, academia, no-profit organizations, private sector companies and local government agencies. Break-out sessions were very productive, with Economic Development, Agriculture and Education topping the list of interest among participants.
Mr. Sam Rikkers, Co-Chair of the Promise Zone Steering Committee and Administrator of Rural Business Cooperative Services for Rural Development, USDA; Mr. Frederick Pfaeffle Arana, Representative of the Puerto Rico White House Task Force, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, USDA; Mr. José Otero, State Director of the USDA in Puerto Rico, and representatives of various community-based organizations (APRODEC, Daguao Community Services Center), academia (UNE, UPR) and non-profit organizations (for Nature, INTENE), among others, participated in the meeting.
Those entities interested in partnering with Roosevelt Roads Program Puerto Rico Promise Zone may send an email to the LRA at rrprpromisezone@lra.pr.gov
