Progress Partners for Selma is a new nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Selma and Dallas County, Alabama. For decades, community leaders have envisioned quality of life improvements, economic progress, better facilities for youth, decreased violence, refurbished housing, vibrant arts, and new businesses that would make Selma a regional and national destination.
In March 2025, a small group of local and regional leaders visited 17 Springs in Millbrook, AL — a 160-acre multi-use destination that has transformed economic development for that community. The leaders who created 17 Springs pledged full support and guidance to help Selma build a similar catalyst for growth, leveraging the city’s riverside waterfront and its world-renowned human rights legacy.
Progress Partners for Selma is led by President Hon. Collins Pettaway, Jr., Vice President John Deamer, Treasurer Bernard Sewell, and Technology Director Roger Blackmon — along with a growing team of community members, elected officials, and business leaders committed to making this vision a reality.