Supporting Military Communities

A vibrant mural at the corner of North Broad Street and Fifth Avenue in downtown Buena Vista, Georgia, catches the eyes of passers-by with its bright blue border. The mural tells the story of the longleaf pine forests that once dominated Marion County and the turpentine industry, flora and fauna that the trees supported—from gopher tortoises to bobwhite quail.

The mural is just one way the city is hoping to attract visitors and residents from nearby U.S. Army installation Fort Moore to boost its tourism, as recommended by the University of Georgia Defense Community Resilience Program. Housed in the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the program connects military installations and their surrounding communities with UGA expertise, strengthening local economies, supporting soldiers and their families, and fostering thriving communities across the state.

Seeking Solutions

It pushed us to start focusing on tourism and trying to bring a transient population into the community.

In Buena Vista, the 2015 departure of Tyson Foods eliminated 400 jobs in the area and forced the community to reconsider its economic strategies.

“It pushed us to start focusing on tourism and trying to bring a transient population into the community to shop at our mom-and-pop shops and leave revenue with our small business community,” explained Mayor Kevin Brown.

The UGA Institute of Government first partnered with the community in 2021 as part of the River Valley Community Compatible Development plan, which provides strategic direction to spur economic development in the six rural counties outside of Fort Moore and Columbus.

Since 2022, Buena Vista has achieved several economic successes through its partnership with UGA, with an estimated impact of $500,000 from various projects providing a blueprint for success. Faculty from the Institute of Government helped to revitalize the city’s development authority, which enabled Buena Vista to identify grant opportunities with governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations focused on economic development.

“Oftentimes rural communities are overlooked,” Brown says, so he appreciates the attention the University of Georgia is giving the community.

“Because of the tools being provided to us, generations are going to benefit,” he says.

Last year, the community commissioned the downtown mural to welcome visitors and promote tourism through a public-private partnership with Flint Energies, the electric cooperative that serves 17 counties in the region. Flint, along with partners at Georgia Power and EnviroSpark, also facilitated the installation of an electric vehicle charger in downtown Buena Vista.

Powerful Partnerships

Working with communities is much more complex than creating designs for a hypothetical situation like a class project.

The UGA Defense Community Resilience Program is deeply integrated with faculty, staff, and students from various academic units. For example, UGA students from the College of Environment and Design are regularly enlisted to re-envision downtowns, and College of Engineering students focus on solutions for aging infrastructure. This engagement benefits both the communities, which receive innovative ideas, and the students, who gain valuable real-world experience.

“Working with communities is much more complex than creating designs for a hypothetical situation like a class project,” says Franco Conocchiari-Scherer, a UGA landscape architecture graduate who created downtown designs for Buena Vista through another Institute of Government program. “The key is to learn to listen to the client, provide several proposals, and create high-quality work that is appropriate for their needs.”

UGA President Jere W. Morehead with military representative showing a “challenge coin” given after signing the proclamation marking the agreement between the university and the U.S. Army.

Buena Vista residents are pleased with the progress made, and the relationship with UGA continues as the Army has signed several intergovernmental support agreements that expand the university’s efforts in strengthening community and economic development.

“These partnerships directly enable Fort Moore’s mission of providing trained and combat-ready soldiers and leaders, developing the maneuver force’s doctrine and capabilities, and ensuring a high quality of life for our soldiers, civilians, and their families,” says Fort Moore Garrison Commander Col. Jerel Evans.

The relationship also aligns with the UGA Public Service and Outreach land- and sea-grant mission.

“Understanding the needs of our local governments and the communities they serve is central to the Institute of Government’s mission,” says Rob Gordon, director of the Institute of Government. “Dedicated professionals working directly with military installations and the surrounding areas deepens our ability to provide the best information for leadership and decision-makers.”