New Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority

President Trump recently announced his attention to nominate Christopher Caldwell to be Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). Caldwell is from Little Rock, Arkansas and is a 7th-generation Arkansan. President Trump's nomination needs approval from the U.S. Senate in order to go through.

Caldwell expressed to the DRA that he is "humbled by the President's confidence," and that he looks forward to his confirmation. Caldwell will work closely with Peter D. Kinder, from Missouri, who was appointed Federal Alternate Co-Chairman on August 10, 2017. Additionally, Kinder will serve as the primary federal member for the agency under the U.S. Senate confirms President Trump's nomination.

Currently, Caldwell serves as the Director of Special Projects for Senator John Boozman from Arkansas. Caldwell was the campaign manager for Boozman's 2016 re-election campaign, and the Political Director for his 2010 Senate campaign. In addition, he has served on campaigns for Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Tim Hutchinson as well.

What is the Delta Regional Authority?

DRA is a federal-state partnership that was established by Congress in 2000 to work to "improve regional economic opportunity through investments in basic public infrastructure, transportation improvements, job-training and education, and business development and entrepreneurship." DRA also invests federal appropriations into the infrastructure of Delta communities including 252 counties in an eight-state region. DRA attempts to "enhance the overall competitiveness of the region" by facilitating local capacity building, supporting leadership development, and promoting cultural and tourism economies in the communities. Also, investments by the DRA have helped create more than 37,000 jobs, trained more than 7,300 workers for 21st Century jobs, and have provided water and sewer service to more than 66,000 residents since 2000.

This information comes from a news release from the Delta Regional Authority. The full text can be found here.