Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District

Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District, Inc. (SEAEDD) was organized and began operation in 1967 under the provisions of the United State Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965. Headquartered in Pine Bluff, SEAEDD serves ten counties in Southeast Arkansas: Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln. With a staff consisting of eleven highly professional individuals experienced in economic development, community development, workforce training and waste management, SEAEDD assist local governments with administering grants and program opportunities made available from State and Federal sources.
Counties Grant | Jefferson | Arkansas | Lincoln | Cleveland | Desha | Drew | Bradley | Ashley | Chicot
Summer 2020 Outreach Summary
The Arkansas Economic Development Institute conducted interviews and surveys to help assess the needs of Arkansas’s communities among the eight development districts during the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. This section summarizes these findings for the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District.
Miscellaneous Interview Comments
- The pandemic didn’t affect the city/county services other than the morale of the city employees
- In most cases, the cities didn’t have many furloughs or layoffs due to the pandemic, the day-to-day operations continued and precautionary measures were applied.
- The response from local businesses was instant and most abided by guidelines
- Most communities did not have a disaster preparedness/recovery plan for this type of crisis.
- Most institutions have a pandemic response team in place now post-COVID. They have a comprehensive plan to reopen safely
- The most difficult aspect of the pandemic is unfounded fear and uncertainty.
In SEAEDD, the following types of businesses have been affected by COVID-19:
Convenience stores | Boutiques | Flooring mill
Convenience stores | Boutiques | Flooring mill
7.1% of SEAEDD businesses that were closed summer of 2020 will likely close permanently due to COVID-19



SEAEDD Advisory Committee Members
Rick Hales
Mayor, Arkansas City
Hunter Selvey
Field Representative, Office of Congressman Rick Crawford
Rose Bates
Employment and Training Case Manager, University of Arkansas at Monticello
Allison J. H. Thompson, CEcD, FM, EDFP
President and CEO, Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County
Cathi Swan
Director, Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative
Dr. Peggy Doss
Chancellor, University of Arkansas at Monticello
Jon Lafoon
Superintendent, Star City School District
Mellie Bridewell
Chief Executive Officer, Arkansas Rural Health Partnership
Richard Tindall
Judge, Desha County
Todd Potter
President, Bank of Lake Village