NADO

Last week, NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel joined the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe's Community Day event to assist the Tribe's Planning Department in gathering public input on transportation needs in and around the reservation in Tokeland, Washington. Tribal members, area residents, and visitors attended the event and learned about the work of many Tribal government departments. At NADO's table, participants marked locations of safety issues and other concerns on maps, completed surveys, and discussed their experiences driving or riding in vehicles, walking, and bicycling.

The early bird registration rates have been 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 until Wednesday, June 2️⃣ 4️⃣! Don't miss out on these discounted rates!

2026 Economic Development Conference for the EDA Atlanta Region - NADO July 21-23, 2026 Atlanta, GA

The early bird rate for discounted conference registrations for our 2026 National Regional Transportation Conference (NRTC) and the Economic Development Conference for the EDA Atlanta Region ends tomorrow, June 17. Visit our conference webpages and register now for these collocated events in Atlanta!

🚲🚍 NRTC: https://www.nado.org/nado-events/2026-national-regional-transportation-conference/?tab=2

EDA Atlanta: https://www.nado.org/nado-events/2026-economic-development-conference-for-the-eda-atlanta-region/?tab=2

2026 Economic Development Conference for the EDA Atlanta Region - NADO July 21-23, 2026 Atlanta, GA

On June 2nd, NADO Associate Director Bret Allphin joined stakeholders in Sumter County Georgia in sharing project updates related to ongoing technical assistance support being provided as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation Thriving Communities program. As part of this effort, NADO has been providing assistance to OneSumter, Sumter County, the City of Americus, Sumter County School District, and the Ignite College and Career Academy, on approaches to providing enhanced student transportation services for work based learning, enhancing pedestrian safety, and evaluating additional public transportation service options for the greater community. The project and related technical assistance will continue through September 2026.

It was a productive week in California last week with our Board of Directors during their Summer Meeting! We are grateful for their leadership, and commitment to our NADO members and communities across the country.

NADO’s 2026 Board of Directors Summer Meeting is officially underway in Monterey, California!

We kicked things off yesterday with our annual “just for fun” golf tournament, followed by an orientation welcoming 11 new board members, and a reception overlooking the stunning California coast!

Today, board members are diving into thoughtful, productive discussions on key issues impacting Regional Development Organizations (RDOs) across the country. From policy priorities to strengthening regional partnerships, the conversations are already proving both insightful and forward-looking.

This week of collaboration, networking, and facilitated dialogue will help deepen NADO’s connection with RDOs nationwide and enhance our ability to support and advocate for our members.

Join us for our upcoming webinar, “Stronger Together: Cooperative Models” on Wednesday, June 24, at 2:30 p.m. ET and learn more about how cooperatives can drive local economic development by building community wealth, preserving jobs, and strengthening regional resilience. The webinar will feature insights from the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) and a real-world case study of how partners in Central Virginia launched a farmer-owned poultry cooperative after a major plant closure. Attendees will gain practical strategies for using cooperative models to turn economic disruption into long-term growth opportunities.

🔗 Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/H8W89HHmT16JLW-l6VZ5zg #/registration

A career with an Economic Development District (EDD) or Regional Development Organization (RDO) offers the chance to make a meaningful, lasting impact on the communities and regions you serve. In this video developed as part of the EDD Community of Practice, you’ll hear from four experienced leaders in regional economic development as they reflect on their career paths, the impact of their work, and what it takes to succeed in the field:

A Career in Regional Economic Development A career with an Economic Development District (EDD) or Regional De...

Join regional economic development and transportation leaders, planners, and practitioners from across the country and southeast at NADO’s 2026 National Regional Transportation Conference (NRTC) and the 2026 Economic Development Conference for the EDA Atlanta Region, this July in Atlanta, Georgia.

These collocated events will offer learning opportunities beyond the conference room through a variety of mobile workshops throughout the week. Learn more about each mobile workshop, register for the conferences, and add the mobile workshops to your registrations using the links below!

NRTC: https://www.nado.org/nado-events/2026-national-regional-transportation-conference/

🚗 Glance® National Operations Center and the Infrastructure Automotive Technology Laboratory (iATL)
🚶‍♂️Path400 Walking Tour

Economic Development Conference for the EDA Atlanta Region: https://www.nado.org/nado-events/2026-economic-development-conference-for-the-eda-atlanta-region/

💻 QTS Atlanta 1 data center facility
🚲 Atlanta Beltline and Ponce City Market
🏭 Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute

Attendees wishing to participate in both events should register for the National Regional Transportation Conference and select the option to add a discounted Economic Development Conference registration, rather than registering separately for the two events.

The NADO Research Foundation applies annually for federal funding to provide transportation technical assistance to rural communities, Tribes, regional development organizations, transit agencies, or other partners in communities under 50,000 population. Most of this work is focused on passenger mobility, and it can include planning assistance, training, or other types of support.

➡️ If your organization is in need of assistance, please share the rural and Tribal transportation-related needs in this short request form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NADOrequest

The NADO team will reach out to learn more, determine eligibility, and assess whether NADO staff could assist in the short-term or need to apply for funding. This information may also help NADO to plan topics for future conferences, webinars, and peer exchanges.

➡️ View some of NADO and our partners’ past technical assistance work on our ruraltransportation.org website: https://ruraltransportation.org/rural-transportation-technical-assistance-reports/