Larry LeeLARRY LEE spent forty-five years "studying country folks and country places." He directed the Center for Rural Alabama and is co-author of Beyond the Interstate: The Crisis in Rural Alabama; Crossroads and Connections: Strategies for Rural Alabama; and Lessons Learned from Rural Schools. He also directed the West Alabama Economic Development Authority, the Covington County Economic Development Commission, and the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning & Development Commission. He frequently writes about education and is chairman of the advisory board of HIPPY Alabama, an early childhood learning program. An authority on rural development, Lee has presented to the Southern Legislative Conference, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the Delta Regional Authority, as well as VOICES for Alabama's Children, Alabama Association of School Boards, Alabama Farmers Federation, Association of County Commissions, and School Superintendents of Alabama. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University and was an editor with Progressive Farmer before diving into community development. Read More Read Less