About us

The John Robert Lewis Blackbelt Development Process was established to advise on implementation of a potential economic and community development plans for the black belt of Alabama. This Plan sets out an ambitious and long-term plan to boost productivity and accelerate economic and inclusive growth in the region by making the John Robert Lewis Black Belt Development Process through the Jonathan Daniel CDC, a highly investable proposition, backing businesses to create good and sustainable jobs through targeted investments in skills, priority industries, infrastructure and innovation. This is a complete departure from siloed infrastructure and sectoral programs of the past and is a 10-year plan which will need to be flexible and adapt over time – it will be refreshed and updated periodically.

This will be a significant shift, moving away from a dependency culture to a competitive culture, where influence and excellence are core commodities. We will also need to embrace co-investment approaches; be more challenge focused on our approach and explore what fiscal levers and incentives can be maximized to ensure the future productivity and prosperity of the black belt region.