Your Town Alabama - Designing Its Future

06/18/2026

We're going back to camp! Save the date for the inaugural Your Town Alabama Alumni Workshop September 24-25, 2026. Alumni are invited to join us back at camp McDowell to do what we do best: connect people, build knowledge, and put ideas into action.

Sign up to be the first to know when registration is live at yourtownalabama.org/alumni

06/17/2026

Government & Economic Development Institute - GEDI at Auburn University’s Intensive course is a must-do for leaders working to spur economic development in their communities! Register soon before this incredible opportunity fills up!

Our Intensive Economic Development Training Course fueled by Spire is almost full and the room block closes tomorrow. If you've been meaning to register, don't delay. Do it today! The full agenda, course registration and hotel reservation links can be found here aub.ie/intensive

06/12/2026

None of what we do at Your Town Alabama is possible without the people and organizations standing behind us. Our sponsors recognize that the decisions we make today shape our communities for future generations. Thank you to our Education and Network sponsors for investing in Alabama's citizen leaders!

Education Sponsor:
Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association (ALAPA)

Network Sponsors:
The University of Alabama Office for Business Engagement Services
Government & Economic Development Institute - GEDI at Auburn University
East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission

06/10/2026

Elected officials, tap in! Your Town Alabama welcomed 11 mayors and councilors to our annual workshop this year. Participating communities include Town of Akron, City of Attalla, Town of Boligee, Town of Brantley, Town of Coosada, City of Dadeville, City of Hamilton, City of Jasper, City of Margaret, and Town of Newville. We can't wait to see what these public servants achieve in their communities!

If you're an elected official, the YTA workshop is approved for 3 CMO Credit Hours through the Alabama League of Municipalities' Certified Municipal Official Program. That means officials working toward their Basic or Advanced Certification can apply these hours directly to their credential.

06/08/2026

Your Town Alabama's Annual Workshop would not be possible without one of our Program Sponsors, Alabama Communities of Excellence! ACE is a great partner in helping Alabama communities plan, grow and prosper. Many of our alumni go on to participate in their program and become ACE-designated communities. We are so grateful for their partnership!

06/04/2026

YTA has spent over 25 years helping Alabama's rural leaders use design and planning to strengthen their communities. Now we're taking our own advice and planning intentionally so we can better serve Alabama. In typical YTA fashion, any day spent planning about the future is a day spent with deep conversation and big smiles. We can't wait to show you what we're dreaming up.

This plan would not be possible without and was funded in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission & the Walker Area Community Foundation.

06/02/2026

The Your Town Alabama Annual Workshop would not be possible without the support of the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils. RC&D is a great supporter of making Alabama a better place to live, work, and play—that's an ideal very close to our hearts at YTA. This year, we were excited to welcome seven RC&D staff and board members to our annual workshop. Thank you for your continued partnership!

P.S. The RC&D grant cycle is open through the end of the month! Apply or find your local council at alabamarcd.org.

05/20/2026

Your Town Alabama would not be possible without the support of our incredible sponsors. By supporting Your Town Alabama, these organizations are helping the development of citizen leaders who have the skills to determine their community’s future. Thank you to our 2026 workshop sponsors!

Alabama Association of RC&D Councils
Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Philip A. Morris Fund for the Design Arts
Alabama Communities of Excellence
Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association (ALAPA)
University of Alabama Office for Business Engagement Services
Government & Economic Development Institute - GEDI at Auburn University
East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission
Cawaco RC&D
Walker Area Community Foundation
Central Alabama Regional Planning & Development Commission
Auburn University Master of Community Planning
Place Associates
Leavell Design Consulting
Byard Associates, LLC

05/18/2026

Alabama is a place with stories to tell. Your Town Alabama is proud to partner with Proximity Partners to bring the Matt Herron Living Archive to Selma.

Herron captured some of the most iconic images of the Civil Rights Movement, centering local activists who powered a movement that changed the world. This community-led project returns Civil Rights-era photographs to the places they were taken and the people who appear in them.

We were honored to meet a few of the Foot Soldiers and listen to their stories as they pointed themselves out in the photographs.

The exhibit, originally scheduled to close on May 3, will now remain on display indefinitely at Foot Soldiers Park: 1018 Water Ave, Selma, AL. We're grateful for the enthusiastic support of FSP and Herron's family in making these powerful images available for the public for the foreseeable future.

This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

05/11/2026

The Your Town Alabama Annual Workshop would not be possible without the dedication of our incredible facilitators. These talented professionals gave their time and expertise to guide participants through hands-on exercises, big conversations, and creative problem solving. They listen, encourage, and help Alabama communities dream bigger and plan smarter.

Thank you to the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham's Philip A. Morris Fund for being this year's Facilitator Sponsor.

2026 facilitators include:
Gina Clifford, DesignAlabama
Ryan Collins, PLOT Studio
Hollie Cost, Auburn University Outreach & Public Service
Hannah Garmon, City of Birmingham
Emily Harris-Miller, City of Homewood
Lea Ann Macknally, Macknally Land Design
Corey Sosebee, Goodwyn Mills Cawood
Sawyer Summers, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham
Eric Wright, East Alabama Regional Planning & Development Commission
Jordan Yarborough, City of Hoover

Interested in getting more involved with Your Town Alabama? Sign up for our volunteer database! We'll tap you in for facilitation, recruitment support, or other opportunities as they arise. yourtownalabama.org/volunteer