Matheny among Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy graduates

Hernando Community Development Director Gia Matheny is among 31 regional leaders who have graduated from the Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy.

The DLI is an extensive, nine-month executive leadership program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. 

The 2022 DLI class was selected from a competitive applicant pool from all eight DRA states and marks the 18th year of DLI-trained regional leaders.

“It has been an honor participating in the Delta Regional Authority Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy over the past nine months,” Matheny said. “It has been an amazing journey to learn and share ideas with a remarkable group of people, from diverse backgrounds and industries, who are making a difference in their communities.”

The graduates participated in six training sessions over the past year, learning best practices employed throughout the Delta region for economic and community development in order to catalyze innovative solutions implementable in their own community and region. 

DLI fellows learned from subject matter experts in infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health, and other fields necessary to facilitate economic growth.

Since 2005, the DLI Executive Academy has provided leadership development to more than 700 community leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to strengthen skills development, information sharing, regional collaboration, and improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Delta.  

Tiffani Perry, Chief of Staff for Rust College in Holly Springs, is also among the graduation class of the DLI.