NWAEDD awarded for readiness training project

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District (NWAEDD), based in Harrison, has received a 2024 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for its 2023 Northwest Arkansas Wellness Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) project.
NWAEDD in partnership with the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the Department of Defense planned and worked with the communities of Yellville and Mountain Home to bring the IRT to the region. The Northwest Arkansas Wellness IRT was a medical mission that was held July 8, 2023 through July 21, 2023 in Yellville.
It provided area residents with no-cost healthcare services on a first-come, first-serve basis. Services included optometry, health exams, dental, veterinary care, and public health education. The mission offered real-world military training to members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Air Force National Guard. The military personnel were stationed in Mountain Home on the campus of the Mountain Home Junior High School through the duration of the mission.
NWAEDD Community Development Coordinator, Tina Cole, initiated this effort and led the two-year planning and development process at the local level. This effort successfully served approximately 1,500 patients and provided training for 185 military members.
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies.
The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities. Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2024 Annual Training Conference held in New Orleans, LA on October 21 – 24.

The 2024 class of award recipients consists of 98 projects from 64 organizations spanning 21 states. These projects are presented in an interactive story map developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The map is available online at nado.org/2024impactawards/.
“NADO’s Impact Awards program offers an opportunity each year to celebrate the meaningful contributions our members make in the regions they serve,” said 2023-2024 NADO President Chris Brown. “This year’s awardees demonstrate the broad spectrum of services provided by regional development organizations. We thank our members for continuing to do this important work that helps build strong, vibrant, and resilient communities.”
The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who served as NADO’s first executive director for 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.
A similar IRT, Mission Ozark Wellness, was conducted last July 16-25 providing no cost services at the Jasper School and Kingston School campuses.in Newton and Madison counties. During this mission the number of patients seen at Jasper and Kingston were 527 and 295 respectively for a total of 822 with cost savings to the community totaling $539,266.83.
For more information about this award-winning project, contact Community Development Coordinator, Tina Cole, at 870-741-3678 or tcole@nwaedd.org .Learn more about NADO at www.nado.org.