October 7, 2021
Economic Development Team Adds New VISTA Volunteer

Welcome, Leah Noland!

leah noland headshot

ETCOG is pleased to welcome Leah Noland as its new AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Since 1965, over 220,000 VISTA members have joined the fight against poverty by helping local organizations expand their capacity to make change.


In this role, Leah will serve as our agent for Economic Development. She will be responsible for assisting with our region-wide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, helping establish a regional Brownfields Program and research a new program designed to help address infrastructure "capacity gaps" between urban and rural communities.


Welcome, Leah, and thank you for stepping up to serve and alleviate poverty in East Texas!


By USDA Rural Development June 2, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development launched a new Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool, which has been integrated into Rural Development’s Eligibility site.  This site now directs users to an eligibility mapping tool for the following programs: Community Facilities Electric OneRD Guarantee Rural Business and Cooperative Services Water and Environmental Programs The Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool enables user flexibility in determining programmatic eligibility based on their location across multiple programs simultaneously. USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site: https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do USDA Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool (direct link): https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3c2f6c9581bb4f06a4ab68df8f34b0be This consolidated view of eligibility represents a significant modernization in how Rural Development assesses and communicates program eligibility. By centralizing eligibility checks, utilizing current geospatial technology and adhering to modern data governance standards, the tool significantly reduces staff workload and improves engagement with rural communities. This initiative supports Rural Development’s mission to provide efficient, transparent and accessible services while ensuring compliance with federal requirements and maintaining consistency with existing eligibility data sources.
By East Texas Economic Development District January 23, 2026
ETCOG is proud to host the Texas Department of Agriculture on March 12th to hold a TxCDBG Regional Outreach Meeting. Join us to hear a TxCDBG grant program overview of requirements, allocation formula, upcoming funding opportunities, and TDA's one-year action plan. Eligible applicants in our region are all non-entitlement communities, which include all of our cities with the exception of Tyler, Marshall, and Longview. When Thursday, March 12, 2026 10:00 AM Where ETCOG Headquarters 3800 Stone Road Kilgore, TX 75662 Please RSVP your attendance !
texas capitol
By East Texas Council of Governments November 14, 2023
ETCOG is proud to host the Texas Department of Agriculture on November 30th to hold a TxCDBG Kickoff Meeting. Join us to hear about grant allocations planned for our region and an overview of proposed changes to the application process.