Delta Regional Authority
Amanda J. Allen, MPPA, MPM, serves as a Senior Program Manager at Delta Regional Authority since October 2006, where responsibilities include administering the Rural Community Assistance Program and ensuring compliance with federal fund usage. Previously, Amanda coordinated the Delta Doctors Program, facilitating the placement of physicians in the Delta region, and served as State Project Coordinator, acting as a liaison with State Board members. In academia, Amanda has experience as an adjunct instructor in Government at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Coahoma Community College, focusing on online course delivery and student engagement. Amanda holds a Master's degree in Public Policy and Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government, both from Mississippi State University, and an Associate of Arts in Social Sciences from Coahoma Community College.
Delta Regional Authority
The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint Federal-State collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA works to create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of those that reside in the region. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. DRA’s enabling legislation dictates that at least 75% of DRA’s funds must be invested in economically distressed counties and parishes and isolated areas within non-distressed counties and parishes. In addition, half of DRA’s funds must support transportation infrastructure and basic public infrastructure.