DES MOINES, Iowa, May 3, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Emmy Award winners Ben Stein and Bill Kurtis headline a roster of nationally acclaimed experts who will weigh in on the future and fortunes of Missouri at a major conference in Osage Beach, May 23-24, 2006.
"Capitalizing on Rural America - Missouri" is sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and continues a three-year series of dynamic dialogues about energizing and revitalizing rural America. The May conference is designed to introduce Missouri's community leaders and community bankers to new models for everything from economic development to capital formation.
Stein, best known for his nerdy role in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and as host of Comedy Central's "Win Ben Stein's Money," applies his law and economics background to issues facing rural America. Stein will keynote the Missouri conference.
A centerpiece of the conference is this year's version of the dialogue -- a town meeting moderated by Bill Kurtis, distinguished journalist and Emmy Award-winning producer of A&E's "Cold Case Files" and "Investigative Reports." As an angel investor in the small town of Sedan, Kansas, Kurtis is especially suited to his role in the dialogue.
The town meeting features a discussion among a panel of Missouri experts and the audience. Kurtis guides the dialogue which is expected to cover issues such as entrepreneurship, jobs, capital resources, and quality of life.
Missouri panelists are Chuck Brazeale, president of The Paris National Bank; Sharon Metz, mayor of Carrollton; Michael Ravenscraft, 22-year-old entrepreneur from Festus; Marty Shukert, partner in RDG Planning & Design and specialist in small-town revitalization; and Danita Allen Wood, editor-in-chief of Missouri Life magazine.
The dual-themed conference offers educational forums for community bankers alongside special sessions for community leaders that focus on innovative ways to grow rural Missouri.
Tom Walker, creator of the national model to develop an entrepreneurial economy, will lead a session on how to turn innovation into a business. He is CEO of i2E in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jerry Yoshitomi, an arts expert who has worked in small communities across the country, comes from California to share his wisdom and success stories. Andrew Skadberg, chief knowledge officer of AdventGX in College Station, Texas, will focus on tourism as an economic development strategy.
Also on tap at the conference: Missouri's four towns that have received the Bank's Capital Community Award each year since the dialogues on rural America began. Community representatives from Carrollton, Grant City, Nevada and Salem will "exhibit" their town, share success stories and interact with conference attendees.
The conference will be held at Tan-Tar-A Resort. For more information, contact Erin Whalen at 800.544.3452, ext. 1159 or ewhalen@fhlbdm.com.
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines is $50 billion wholesale bank with more than 1,200 members which include commercial banks, saving institutions, credit unions and insurance companies. The Bank is owned by its members and receives no taxpayer funding. The Des Moines-based Bank serves Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and is one of 12 regional banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System.
Editor's note: There is no charge to attend the conference, but registration is required. The public can register by calling 800.544.3452, ext. 1159 or online at www.fhlbdm.com.