On November 8, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship announced CEO Tataboline Enos was selected to be part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Field Trips To The Future Leadership Program.

Enos, from Warren County, was nominated by an associate director at the Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization, and the Community Strategies Group focuses heavily on studying rural issues.

A total of 138 individuals were nominated by organizations nationwide, and 30 were selected for the opportunity through a multi-review process.

“Tourism is a $1.85 billion annual industry in the PA Wilds,” says PA Wilds Center Board Chair Kate Brock. “It makes up about 11 percent of our region’s economy. Over the last decade, every county in the region has seen double digit growth in visitor spending, supporting many small business start ups and expansions. An economic force in its own right, this industry is also critical to helping major employers in our region attract and retain talent as it advances amenities that are important to rural quality of life. Many hands have helped get the PA Wilds work to where it is today, but Ta is one of its pioneers. We on the Board are thrilled to see her recognized for her leadership.”

“I’m honored to be selected for this inaugural cohort,” Enos says. “Rural development comes with a lot of challenges. Being part of a national peer group like this will help us connect with new tools and approaches that are working in other rural landscapes. I know the lessons gleaned will have long-term impacts for our programs and the communities we serve.”

“Philanthropic resources by large foundations have historically been disproportionately low in rural areas, including the PA Wilds region,” Enos says. “But that trend is changing.  This commitment by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is an example of that. The Richard King Mellon Foundation is another major foundation we know of that is doing significant work in rural PA, including investing directly in our programs and partner organizations here in the PA Wilds. It is great to see these opportunities happening for rural areas.”

The Program

The year-long program seeks to infuse and strengthen the influence of future-oriented thinking with those working to ensure that rural communities and Native nations across the rural United States are healthy places where everyone belongs, lives with dignity and thrives.

The Foundation launched the program as a way to invest in rural changemakers and lift up rural voices.

Being selected for the cohort comes with a $12,000 award -- half of which is given to the awardee’s organization and the other half to the winner for their professional development.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

The PA Wilds includes Warren, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, Clinton, Cameron, Elk, Forest, Clarion, Jefferson, Clearfield and northern Centre counties.

Click Here to learn more about visit the PA Wilds.

For more information, visit the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship website.

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