The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development has named the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) a 2011 Premier Partner.The award recognizes organizations that work in conjunction with USDA Rural Development to help facilitate job creation and improve the economic vitality of the Upper Cumberland region. “The Upper Cumberland Development District is very proud to have been named a USDA Rural Development Premier Partner for 2011,” said UCDD executive director Wendy Askins. “The UCDD and USDA Rural Development have a long, mutually beneficial relationship based on the desire of both organizations to improve the quality of life throughout the Upper Cumberland region.”County Executive John Pelham, who serves as vice chairman of UCDD, said he is pleased to hear of the Premier Partner award and lauded Askins and her staff for their efforts in behalf of the 14 Upper Cumberland counties it serves, which include Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, Warren and White.“This award certainly is a testament to the leadership and the staff at the UCDD and their commitment to the counties of the Upper Cumberland region,” Pelham said.