LIVINGSTON &045;- A Black Belt Mayors Conference was held Friday at the University of West Alabama’s Regional Center for Community and Economic Development.

The conference is one of a series of conferences held for mayors of towns in five of the Black Belt region counties. The conferences provide the participating mayors a change to meet their peers and discuss topics that effect the communities in the region.

The mayors have speakers come to talk with them at each conference to discuss a myriad of topics of concern for the mayors. Forkland Mayor Eddie Woods said the main speaker in Livingston was the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

Williamson said the conference also presented the mayors in attendance with information on different grant opportunities that were available for their cities. She said the group was presented with economic development opportunities in areas such as minority businesses and small businesses. Woods said ADECA offered the mayors technical assistance with pursuing grant opportunities for their areas.

Both Williamson and Woods said the University of West Alabama, which does a superb job partnering with the mayors, sponsors the conferences.

Woods said the series of conferences for the mayors of the five counties has been going on for two years. He said the conferences have been fruitful for area mayors, who learn of new opportunities for tier residents by attending the gatherings.