According to Dr. David Potter, former President of Delta State University, “Our identification with the Delta often has deep emotional roots. It is reinforced by others who view us as Deltans, who see this region as a distinctive cultural and historical entity.” Thus, the main objective of the B.F. Smith Chair for Regional Development is to promote and coordinate a broad range of initiatives to help secure the positive future of the Mississippi Delta. Building partnerships to advance the well-being of our region is the key to becoming a powerful and vital region. The B.F. Smith Chair is the catalyst in creating this environment, which includes educational, business and agricultural leaders joining forces to achieve economic prosperity for the region as it competes in an increasingly global market.

Emphasis on local leadership
“Leadership development had always been an interest of mine that started when I was an elementary school principal,” says Tabb. After leaving K-12 education, Tabb soon became involved in community development. “I came to Delta State as an employee of the University of North Carolina,” Tabb explains. “I worked for one of the federally funded educational research labs, SERVE—Southeastern Regional Vision for Education. My office was located in the College of Education.” After five years in that position, she left to become Assistant Director of Delta State University’s Center for Community Development and later received promotions first to Associate Director, and then to Director of the Center in 2000. “As Director for the Center for Community Development, I worked throughout the Mississippi Delta region and became involved and interested in regional development.” says Tabb.

Previously, the B.F. Smith Chair was housed in the College of Business. “A decision was made that the B.F. Smith Chair would become part of the Office of the President at Delta State University,” says Tabb. “Its purpose is to give presidential attention to the regional mission of the University. I was named as Chair in January of this year.”
The B.F. Smith Chair, with its elevated visibility and impact, is a natural progression for Tabb’s career. She has always demonstrated a commitment for developing leaders and fostering relationships which will ultimately strengthen the social and economic fabric of the Delta

“I am most passionate about building partnerships and coalitions that will work across the region,” says Tabb. “It’s about building synergy in the Delta. The old concept of ‘1 + 1’ many times doesn’t equal just two—it equals three or four or even more. When we bring people together and work as a region, we become much stronger. It’s also a matter of addressing problems from a more regional perspective. Thus, we need to bring governments, non-profit entities, for-profit entities, the University, and other institutions together and begin to recognize and capitalize on the strengths of the region.”
While Tabb aspires to high standards of regional ownership and cooperation, she is also realistic. “We know that there are challenges in the Mississippi Delta,” she says. “But I do believe that we are stronger and can better address issues with a regional perspective approach. The Delta has more assets when we look at it across the entire region.”

Facing challenges
“I think the first and biggest challenge that we face is our educational system,” says Tabb. “I believe we must work together—all of our communities—to strengthen our public educational system.”
Another challenge according to Tabb is developing a common vision. “I think that we speak about ourselves as a region, but sometimes inadvertently work against each other instead of working together,” says Tabb. “Building a shared vision of how we can develop partnerships and alliances is one of the challenges we have. We don’t do that often enough across geographical and social boundaries.”
Another area of concern for Tabb is capitalizing on the Delta’s assets and prominence. “This is a region that is recognized throughout the world; yet, we don’t emphasize the positive aspects of our region,” says Tabb. “We don’t fully celebrate who we are. We have our own music, the Blues, and we have a rich heritage in our culture and in the people of this region. I think somehow we need to change our image—and it has to begin with us. One of our challenges is to begin to view the many resources of our region and to work toward strengthening and building those assets.”

The role of the B.F. Smith Chair
Helping foster an environment that addresses challenges begins with the people most heavily invested in the Delta—those who live and work here. Thus, input from these individuals is actively sought. “I commend Delta citizens for the economic and community development ongoing in the Delta,” says Tabb. “The work of my office is to promote economic and community development through strategically planned and multi-faceted perspectives that draw upon all available resources of the region. “If there are ways that Delta State University and the B. F. Smith Chair for Regional Development can assist citizens in seeking regional solutions to enhance and support their efforts, please contact my office.”

Delta State University’s regional vision
For those who ask why a state supported university would be involved with community and economic development, Tabb has a ready answer. “Universities such as Delta State University can serve as a catalyst in building partnerships and alliances and in developing creative regional programs. The university can serve as a mechanism to connect people and communities to each other for common pursuit. As a university with an explicit regional mission, DSU is the perfect institution to do this type of development,” says Tabb. “Utilizing the strength and expertise of the faculty and staff at Delta State to meet regional needs provides added capability to the region. My position facilitates such alignment. One of the things that (DSU former President) Dr. David Potter has always says is that Delta State is interdependent with the Delta region and that our fate is intimately tied to the future of the Delta region. With that in mind we should reach out–we should be involved with a regional mission.” Dr. John Thornell, President of Delta State University, also believes that the university has the human resources to be a vital partner in the solutions to the multitude of social and economic issues facing the Delta.

Making a difference
Of all her work thus far in the Delta, Tabb is most optimistic about the Delta Emerging Leaders Program. “I hope at some future point to be able to look back at this Delta-wide leadership program and know that there are literally hundreds of people who have gone through this program and now operate within the diverse collaborative network it fosters,” says Tabb. “To know that these leaders are really working together on regional issues with a regional approach is my dream.”
This concept of indigenous leadership working toward the advancement of the region is very much in line with the name behind the B.F. Smith Chair. “Mr. B.F. Smith was the long-time executive vice president of the Delta Council and he is viewed as the father of economic development in the Mississippi Delta,” says Tabb. “Two things that I’ve heard about him that impress me are: First, someone says that his life’s work was to improve the Mississippi Delta through the lives of the people who lived here. He also lived by the motto, ‘You can get anything accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit.’ Even thought I did not know Mr. Smith personally, I do know of the tremendous respect others hold for him and the work he did. My goal as the B.F. Smith Chair is to extend and honor the legacy of Mr. B.F. Smith, while strengthening the region as a whole.”
Chip Morgan, Executive Vice President of Delta Council, says, “Economic development is a complex process of enhancing our region’s capacity and performance. It requires the commitment and attention of leadership in all sectors of our society, public and private. Regional partners can serve as a catalyst for establishing that collaborative leadership and to recruit others to this great cause.” Tabb feels that the B. F. Smith Chair for Regional Development can make possible this process and recruitment. DBJ