July 1, 2019
See our VISTA Volunteer's Feature on EDA's Website
EDA AMERICORPS VISTA SUPPORTS 5-YEAR PLANNING EFFORTS IN EAST TEXAS
This month’s VISTA spotlight highlights Kenan Johnson, an Economic Development Administration (EDA) VISTA serving at the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG). Kenan is an AmeriCorps alumni from a previous term, having served 900-hours with American Conservation Experience in North Carolina. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a passion for public service, Kenan’s experience in business and interest in helping others led him to this opportunity with the East Texas Council of Governments. Through the EDA AmeriCorps VISTA program, Mr. Johnson has gained an in-depth look at the East Texas region served by the council of governments and a valuable chance to impact change in the areas of opportunity for the economic development of the region.
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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.
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 !
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.
