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The National League of Cities in April announced the 20 cities it has selected for its Southern Cities Economic Initiative, which provides grant funding, data, resources and other assistance “to boost economic mobility for residents and drive long-term economic growth in their communities,” it said in a news release. The SCEI is a collaboration between the NLC and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
The 2025 cohort consists of Atlanta, Canton and Jonesboro, Georgia; Center Point, Alabama; Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Virginia; Fayetteville and Little Rock, Arkansas; Greenville, Jackson and Sunflower County, Mississippi; Jacksonville, Lauderhill and Pensacola, Florida; Monroe, Natchitoches and New Orleans, Louisiana; Morrisville and Thomasville, North Carolina; and Nashville, Tennessee. Participating cities “have committed to developing and implementing strategies that foster local business growth, expand job opportunities and strengthen economic resilience,” NLC said.
The selected cities received a $15,000 planning grant, with the opportunity to apply for additional grants of up to $60,000. This cohort’s initial planning stage will run through Oct. 31, after which the cities will have the opportunity to advance their plans to the implementation phase, which runs through December 2027. Along the way, the cities will receive technical assistance, peer learning opportunities and access to experts from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Public programs that will benefit from this initiative include those that improve opportunities for minority business owners, foster entrepreneurship and support small businesses.
The SCEI launched in 2021 to address economic challenges faced by Southern communities, NLC introduced the program by saying it “builds the capacity of cities in the South to implement economic inclusion strategies that close racial and economic equity gaps, and expand economic opportunities for residents and entrepreneurs of color.” Initially, 15 cities participated through 2024.
Aundi Lesley, economic development manager for Canton, said the city is “thrilled to go through the boot camp process with NLC and learn best practices from other cities on how we can best serve our small business community.”
“This is a meaningful opportunity to support various sectors of our business owners, particularly our local Hispanic entrepreneurs,” Lesley added. “Our initial plans are to further our bilingual business support, procurement opportunities and business development programs.”
For Pensacola, Mayor D.C. Reeves said the initiative "will help us develop a program of support for small businesses and entrepreneurship efforts, with a focus on women and minorities. We appreciate the efforts of organizations like the National League of Cities and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta that recognize what we are trying to do within our city to help people succeed."
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Kresge Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation also provide financial support for the SCEI.
