UWA Photo ID: (left to right) Steve Fair, director of rural workforce development; Dr. Tina Jones, provost; Chris Egbert, physical plant director; Danielle Miller, campus space and project administrator; Chandra Young, USDA AL-Area 3 director; Monica Moore, Division of Economic and Workforce Development secretary; Nivory Gordon, Jr., USDA State Director; Robert Macon, USDA Area 3 Rural Development; Dr. Ken Tucker, president; Clete Beard, vice president of Financial Affairs; Robbie LaCoste, physical plant assistant director; Jason Moore, business and industry training specialist; James Lamb, Black Belt Museum director; and Allison Brantley, economic development director.
 

Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

For many standing inside the newly renovated Black Belt Development Center, ribbon cutting day has been a long time coming. 

The McMillan Bank Building has served the community of Livingston, Alabama, for over 120 years, playing many roles including a bank, city hall, ballroom, government offices and a career and extension office. “It’s a piece of Livingston’s history,” explained University of West Alabama Provost Tina Jones. “Now, it has been reborn as an incubator for growing businesses, a welcome center showcasing the region’s rich history, and a versatile training and multipurpose space poised to serve the community and region for at least another century.”

The completed space is the result of more than 15 years of effort, with countless individuals contributing to its transformation. Jones emphasized that the project would not have been possible without the vision of the late Dr. John Hall, who was appointed by UWA in 2006 to create and lead the Black Belt Museum in Livingston—dedicated to the arts, culture, and natural history of the Black Belt region. “Without his vision, this project likely would have never gotten off the ground,” she said. “Though Dr. Hall is no longer with us,” she added, “his spirit is very much alive in this project.”

UWA President Ken Tucker remarked that the university takes its role as a regional institution seriously. “Part of our mission is to serve the region, with a strong emphasis on economic and workforce development,” he explained. One of the center’s key components, Tucker noted, is its small business incubator, which will provide technical assistance, job training, and professional development. “This center represents a collaborative effort to support our community, and we are incredibly proud of it,” he said.

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Jones also expressed her gratitude to those that helped bring the project to life. “I want to thank James Lamb, Rosa Hall, Monica Moore, Brian Mast, Tim Truelove, Ashley Dumas, Valerie Burnes, Allison Brantley, Robbie LaCoste, Danielle Miller, and their families for their sweat equity in the building,” she said. She also recognized the Office of Sponsored Programs, UWA’s Physical Plant and all who worked alongside them.

“We are deeply grateful to our donors and grantors, including the Regions Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Delta Regional Authority, and individual donors Linda and Charles Munoz,” Jones said. “We also appreciate the Sumter County Commission for their initial donation of the building and the City of Livingston for their continued support. Lastly, we owe a special thanks to Congresswoman Terri Sewell and her staff for their support of this project and Alabama’s Black Belt.”

“We welcome everyone to this space,” Jones concluded in her remarks, “a space for the growth of our region. Now let’s cut a ribbon!”