Vernon and Cornelius discussed the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Annual Meeting; accomplishments; future goals and initiatives; and the role the Federation plays in rural community development. Cornelius Blanding assumed the position of Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives earlier this year on March 1. He began his career in development work as an economic development intern for the City of Miami Beach. Since then he has gained a broad experience base, including rural, international and cooperative economic development. Blanding has worked with the Federation for the past 17 years in various program and leadership capacities to propel the organization and its membership forward. Immediately prior to his appointment he served as the Federation’s deputy director. On Thursday, August 13, 2015 Mr. Blanding led the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund as they kicked off the festivities for their Annual Meeting with the Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony. This year the Federation honored Reverend Charles and Shirley Sherrod, a veteran civil rights couple. After the awards ceremony, the Annual Meeting was held on August 14 and 15, at the Federation’s Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama. To hear the presentations from the Awards ceremony and Annual Meeting visit the Federation’s website

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