Marion County Adult Leadership

2003 Marion County SWOT Analysis
By Marion County Leadership Class
September 17, 2003

Facilitated by Sherry McDonnell, CCD
Entergy's Office of Economic Development

Strengths - Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats

Strengths of Marion County

 1. Rural population – no overcrowding issues
 2. Great recreation amenities with area lakes, rivers and
     other outdoor activities including hunting and fishing
 3. Talented group of musicians in the area
 4. Low crime rate
 5. Terrain is navigatible
 6. Low taxes
 7. Good talent pool of local residents
 8. Good location
 9. Mild climate with 4 seasons
10. Friendly and caring residents
11. Available land with potential for development
12. Housing prices are reasonable
13. Good, small public schools
14. Diverse population with retirees, artists, etc.
15. Retirees with strong business experience and
      backgrounds
16. Good medical facilities and medical expertise
17. Strong and diverse religious base
18. Good adult leadership program
19. Low cost electricity
20. Large agricultural base
21. Local industries are supportive of community initiatives
22. High quality bankers and good money managers
 

Weaknesses of Marion County

 1. No institutions of higher learning in the County
 2. Lack of vision among elected officials
 3. Lack of strategic planning
 4. Fragmented community efforts and lack of teamwork
 5. Lack of involvement across Marion County
 6. Transportation network is limited – currently no 4 lane
 7. Loss of Big Sky airlines
 8. Meth labs and drugs in general
 9. Fragility of the environment
10. Prejudices and a lack of tolerance
11. People that fight change
12. Youth that do not aspire to achieve higher than their
      parents
13. Lack of pre-school programs
14. Lack of day care facilities (night time and weekends)
15. Lack of good quality restaurants
16. Lack of retail
17. High gas prices
18. Lack of activities for youth – especially when school is
     out
19. Lack of quality cell phone and long distance services
 

Opportunities

1. Distance learning as a means to overcome the lack of
    institutions of higher learning in the county
2. Opportunities for parents and children to learn together
    (i.e. computer training in schools)
3. Use of lap top computers and internet access to help     students/parents with homework
4. Build synergy through community fellowship and
    impromptu gatherings at town square
5. Downtown redevelopment
6. By-pass in Flippin
7. Ability to leverage volunteer support
 

Threats

1. School consolidation could result in population loss and
    make it difficult to travel to and from school
2. Meth problem
3. Loss of manufacturing jobs in Marion County and USA in
    general
4. Cost of education through tax increases could cause
    people to leave the State of Arkansas
5. Erosion of family values due to strong influences in the
    media
6. Violent video games for kids
7. Residents who fear change
8. Environmental pollution – water pollution