The Excel By Eight Task Force in Sevier County is a committee of an existing community development initiative, Sevier County Coalition, that works hand-in-hand with economic development efforts in the area to ensure connections across the resource grid are transparent and cohesive.
With equity at the forefront, the E8 Task Force focused on conducting data walks in settings that were easily accessible to all residents regardless of transportation access, language fluency, work schedules and other challenges. In total, the Task Force hosted seven data walks and solicited input from more than 300 community members, including Spanish-speaking and Marshallese-speaking communities. The data walks identified food insecurity, childhood obesity, teen pregnancy, and average annual wages as key priorities. The Task Force is now utilizing this community input and the completed EDI to set goals.