MSOP Grad Lampkin Revitalizing the Mississippi Delta

MSOP Grad Lampkin Revitalizing the Mississippi Delta

By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager

A man on a mission – that’s how the Huffington Post describes Timothy Lampkin, a 2014 graduate of Bellevue University’s Master of Science in Organizational Performance (MSOP). Lampkin is utilizing several community development best practices to transform the Mississippi Delta. Rural placemaking is one of the concepts Lampkin has used to reimagine and redesign public spaces. He was the first person from the State of Mississippi appointed to the Placemaking Leadership Council.

Lampkin’s efforts recently earned him a spot at the November 17 White House Convening on Rural Placemaking.

"The convening allowed partners to share best practices related to placemaking. This is the first Rural Placemaking convening at the White House and I was excited to be a part of the conversation,” Lampkin said. “Rural communities are the backbone of our country. We have to ensure rural communities are strong and vibrant.”

Lampkin earned a Bachelor’s degree from Mississippi Valley State University in 2008 and an MBA from Delta State University in 2013 before completing the MSOP program at Bellevue University.

“I wanted to learn how to improve organizations. It was amazing to learn how to develop strong teams and analyze how each individual impacts the overall organization,” Lampkin said. “I learned that every organization has a very unique culture. This culture can sometimes hinder the growth of the organization. It is important that every employee does his or her part to ensure the organization moves forward. The science of Organizational Performance can be applied to any entity and the true impact is priceless.

Lampkin is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D), Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. That’s in addition to his work in the Mississippi Delta. He has some impressive or intentional goals that include:

• Rewrite the negative narrative about the Mississippi Delta and highlight positive stories throughout the region.

• Transform the Mississippi Delta into a vibrant destination by utilizing place based strategies to accelerate neighborhood and downtown revitalization.

• Implement projects that address generational poverty and empower the people throughout the region.

Lampkin is already making progress on those goals. He detailed some of those accomplishments in the Huffington Post interview with writer Julian Mitchell.

“I've helped secure $350,000 from ArtPlace America to establish the Crossroads Cultural Arts Center, where I currently serve on the Board of Directors. I'm also working with the Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship team from Olin College of Engineering, and Babson College in Massachusetts to develop entrepreneurship projects in the Mississippi Delta,” Lampkin said.

Keeping that momentum going is imperative for Lampkin to reach his goals.

“We need to do a better job at building the local capacity, so that we can go after more Federal and State funding. Then, we need to redirect the resources we have to break the traditional mindset,” he told Mitchell. “My mantra is do the good work and make a difference in the community. I want to empower the next generation of young people in rural America making an impact in their community.”