Stick played a key role in an economic development initiative along the recently-completed Interstate 22 corridor. Led by the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UACED), the project involved four counties in northwest Alabama - Lamar, Marion, Fayette, and Winston.

Stick collaborated on a multidisciplinary team - including planners, architects, branding specialists, community liaisons, and civic leaders - tasked with establishing a cohesive regional identity and promoting economic growth. As one of the first such concentrated efforts directed at this new thoroughfare between Birmingham and Memphis, the project focused on leveraging local assets to attract visitors and encourage investment.

The primary goal was to identify opportunities to entice through-traffic to stop and engage with the region’s local offerings. This included developing strategies for welcoming visitors at highway exits and, more importantly, drawing them into the towns themselves. Outdoor recreation emerged as a key focus, with an emphasis on activities to attract both visitors and potential industry and residents. The team identified water trails, riverfront assets, the nearby Bankhead National Forest & Sipsey Wilderness, and other natural amenities as cornerstones for building a vibrant, interconnected regional identity.

Stick contributed significantly to the project’s boots-on-the-ground research and community engagement. Vibrant public meetings were held in each county, featuring an oversized, interactive tabletop map designed to spark dialogue between public officials and community members. These sessions unearthed the identifying regional characteristics that formed the basis for branding efforts that highlighted the area's cultural and natural assets.

The project successfully laid the groundwork for future regional cooperation & strategic planning and informed subsequent UACED initiatives, including a notable project linking the town of Haleyville with the nearby Bankhead National Forest and establishing a replicable model for Alabama “gateway” towns.