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USDA officials tout federal partners coalition after Pasco event that drew 335 attendees
Summary
Kirk Pearson and Philip Egman of USDA Rural Development described a coalition of federal agencies and a resource guide created after a March event in Pasco that drew about 335 participants; the coalition aims to connect small towns with agency contacts and grant programs, and USDA officials said other states are copying the model.
Kirk Pearson, Washington state director for USDA Rural Development, and Philip Egman, the agency’s public‑engagement and congressional/tribal liaison for Oregon and Washington, returned to Franklin County to describe a new federal partners coalition and a resource guide intended to help small towns navigate federal grant programs.
Pearson told the board the idea grew from a March event hosted in Pasco that drew roughly 335 attendees from Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and other states. “We created a resource that lists the different agencies that joined us,” Pearson said, adding that the Small Business Administration, HUD, FEMA, the Maritime Administration and the Department of Energy have joined the partnership. He said peer states — including Montana, Florida and Ohio — are exploring similar efforts.
Egman said the coalition’s practical goal is to reduce the “phone‑tree” problem small towns face when hunting for federal assistance. He said the resource includes phone numbers for committed agency contacts so clerks, mayors and county staff can get one‑on‑one help rather than an impersonal mass email. “If you call us and we can’t help you, we can tell you who can,” Egman said.
Commissioners and the county administrator praised the outreach. Administrator Brian Danslin said the coalition’s follow‑up and the decision to publish direct contacts were “really helpful” and invited USDA to repeat the event at the HAPO Center. Several commissioners suggested using the county’s networks — the Benton‑Franklin Council of Governments and the Port of Pasco — to host future sessions.
Why it matters: Franklin County officials described the initiative as a practical way to win grant funding and technical support for small communities, from wastewater projects to tribal energy programs. USDA officials said their model reduces administrative friction and, they hope, increases the rate at which rural jurisdictions convert grant opportunities into awarded projects.
What’s next: USDA officials said they plan to continue outreach across Western and Eastern Washington, add more federal partners and distribute the resource guide to county clerks and nonprofit recipients.
