Rural Community Development Consortium

The Rural Community Development Consortium (RCDC) is based on the successful implementation of the Rural Learning Network (RLN) project in the Western / Finger Lakes Region of New York. RCDC offers a series of training opportunities that promote community, rural and economic development.

The objective of the consortium and conferences is to improve access to technical information, provide exposure to attainable solutions for current problems, enhance regional communication, build leadership on a local level, and to close the gap between theory and realization. RCDC will assist in filling a gap in access to relevant information, innovative approaches and shared experience related to community and economic development in rural areas of New York State. The conference series and online forum will provide opportunities to discuss and take action on complex issues affecting the leatherstocking region by bringing together a diverse set of stakeholders including local government officials and decision makers, non-profit organizations, planning professionals, economic development corporations, and businesses within the public and private sector. Conferences topics will be selected based on regional stakeholder surveys to identify community and economic development issues deemed most pressing in the region. Consortium membership is open to the following counties; Chenango, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oswego, Onondaga, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie.