On Thursday, September 8, officials of Speedway Motorsports (SMI) and NASCAR gathered in Raleigh at the North Carolina Museum of History to share the big news. The North Wilkesboro Speedway will host the 2023 NASCAR Series All-Star Race. The All-Star Race will highlight a three-day weekend of racing from May 19-21 of next year, with the full schedule to be announced.
Local leaders of Wilkes gathered at a kick-off luncheon on September 23 to begin planning with SMI’s Chief Experience Officer and Executive Director of the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, Jessica Fickenscher.
Wilkes EDC's Annual Meeting was held on August 23, 2022. Live music (by The Nite Band), a flavorsome buffet, and a room full of motivated individuals with the same goal: helping our community.
Guest speakers and community members offered news and possibilities. North Wilkesboro Speedway Senior Director, Graig Hoffman, spoke on the track's history and future. Broward Grove's Director of Philanthropy, Johanna Anderson, gave wonderful news about the Childcare Study. LeeAnn Nixon, president of the Wilkes EDC, and Barry Hennings, president of Omega Construction, updated the community on the Wilkes Commercial Business Center. Zack Barricklow, Executive Director of NC Tech Paths, discussed the progress of the Masthead and shared opportunities NC Tech Paths has to offer. Heather Murphy, Executive Director of the Health Foundation, spoke on improving parks and trails for more access to fresh air and outdoor exercise. Dale Isom, president of Spectrum Hospitality Management, addressed the assembly about the new occupancy tax, and Nixon highlighted the progress on housing.
Laurie Brintle-Jarvis, WCC Small Business Director, announced this year's Entrepreneurial Grant Winners. Winners received plaques with their names and businesses.
The Wilkes EDC Board of Directors and sponsors were honored. Sponsors included Frontier Naturals Gas, Omega Construction, ECS, and many others. Lee Herring of The Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation sponsored various projects our speakers mentioned, leading to a standing ovation.
Dale Isom, incoming Wilkes EDC Chairman, provided the night's concluding remarks.
North Carolina is the leader for Best Business Climate in Business Facilities’ 18th Annual Rankings Report, published in the upcoming issue of the magazine.
“North Carolina hit a new level for business attraction and retention over the past 12 months, and our ranking of the state for Best Business Climate recognizes what an increasing number of companies have recognized by locating or expanding there,” BF Editorial Director, Anne Cosgrove said.
In 2021, North Carolina stood out in BF’s Annual Rankings Report—capturing second place in the Best Business Climate category. “The state’s move to the top of the leaderboard this year is a recognition of the success of a broad-based economic development approach from teams across the state,” added Cosgrove. “This ranking also looks beyond the sheer numbers, evaluating diversity of growth sectors, incentives, workforce development and training, and education partnerships.”
Powered by an economy that has hit its stride, and turbocharged by a long track record of innovation, North Carolina is America’s Top State for Business in 2022.
The Tar Heel State has always been a contender in CNBC’s annual competitiveness rankings, rarely finishing outside the top 10 since the study began in 2007. The state finished a close second last year. But 2022 is the first year it has been able to climb to the top.
What made the difference this year? For one thing, state leaders keep managing to put aside their very deep political divisions to boost business and the economy.
When Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed a deal in March with Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast to build a $2 billion factory in the state, State Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans, were close at hand. The three had worked together, across party lines, to craft a $1.2 billion incentive package sealing the deal.
“This is what happens when we work together. This is what happens when people with different viewpoints, different thought processes, come together,” Moore said at the event announcing that deal in April 2021.
North Wilkesboro, NC – In response to community needs, The Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation announced today the funding of a comprehensive childcare study for Wilkes County and the organization of a taskforce to guide and monitor progress. The study will provide documentation of existing services and resources, then recommend steps to create an innovative childcare ecosystem in Wilkes County, NC to enhance the labor force participation and create a healthy environment for families. The study will also identify the roles that community stakeholders must play in order to expand access and affordability for quality care.
“Improving access, quality, and affordability of childcare in Wilkes County is both a social and economic imperative,” said Craig DeLucia, CEO of the Herring Family Foundation. “Every day, we hear stories about the impact of insufficient childcare on the local workforce and local economy. We need the research, data and recommendations as to how we can address this as a community, especially now as Wilkes County is positioned for renewed growth.”
The study will document the current state of childcare in the county along with population and labor market trends. By estimating projected growth, the study will be able to determine what needs will arise for the community in terms of population, childcare and workforce in addition to the gaps that already exist. It will also research innovative childcare systems that could provide widespread benefit to both citizens and local employers.
LeeAnn Nixon, President of the Wilkes Economic Development Corporation, was named to lead the Childcare Taskforce responsible for the study. Nixon stated, “On behalf of the Taskforce and community, we express our gratitude to The Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation for recognizing an important need. Investing in this critical component will lead to a better quality of life and vibrant economy. As we focus on how we can strengthen quality care for our children we are investing in their young lives. Also, we are ensuring caregivers have affordable and sufficient options that lead to successful careers. The Taskforce welcomes the opportunity to listen, observe, seek best practices, and encourage positive outcomes that will strengthen Wilkes County.”
Susan Cogdill, Taskforce Member and Executive Director of the Wilkes Community Partnership for Children (WCPC) said, “As a nonprofit that has spent over 25 years working with childcare centers and families, WCPC recognizes the need for good, quality childcare in Wilkes County. Parents need to work, and businesses need workers. The missing link for parents is often childcare. This study gives us an opportunity to analyze the current childcare landscape, determine gaps and make recommendations to ensure that the Wilkes County workforce is adequately served with quality childcare. It will make a difference for parents and businesses as greater workforce development for Wilkes is created.”
The taskforce is made up of individuals and organizations whose combined experience was determined to be the most qualified to conduct this study. Wilkes Economic Development Corporation staff members LeeAnn Nixon, Robin Hamby and Caroline Bracey-Adams will be providing marketing and facilitation services to the group during this process. Cyndi Dancy of Dancy Research is set to collect data and economic information to identify current and projected needs in the community. Her partnership with the invaluable academic experience of Dr. Pamela Shue, Ed.D. and her team of graduate students from Appalachian State University will ensure a thorough investigative analysis and proposed recommendations from this process. Susan Cogdill and Michelle Shepherd, incoming Director, from the Wilkes Community Partnership for Children bring years of combined early childhood development experience as well as a network of resources within the community. The Health Foundation Program Manager, Kirstin Roberts, will ensure that this study helps empower families in Wilkes and in turn creates a more resilient community.
The study will run in three phases. The first will be the Discovery Phase, where the team will define the scope of their work, research the current state of childcare in Wilkes County and compile those findings. The Discovery Phase will include identifying all existing licensed public, and private or in-home care facilities for two different age ranges, Birth to Age 5 and Age 5 to 11 years old. That data will be compared to the current population of Wilkes County and evaluated for its effects on labor market trends. During the Discovery Phase, questionnaires will be distributed throughout the community to gather information and identify needs. Participating in these questionnaires and Community Meetings will be critical for Parents, Business Owners, Resource Partners, Local Government Members and Residents. In the second Analysis Phase, both strengths and gaps will be identified in order to evaluate trends and quantify the cost and lost opportunities due to gaps in the existing childcare system. The final phase will provide recommendations for moving forward, producing a broad strategy and action steps that can be taken. The study is estimated to take a period of approximately 10 months to complete. The Wilkes Childcare Study Taskforce encourages community participation in this process and its results.
For more information on the Wilkes County Childcare Study, subscribe for updates and notify us of your interest to participate, please visit https://info.wilkesedc.com/childcarestudy
ABOUT
The Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation- The Herring Family Foundation(HFF), based in Wilkes County, honors the civic and philanthropic spirit of Leonard and Rose Herring and their family. Leonard retired from Lowe’s Companies in 1996 after over 40 years of service. As a member of the Officeof the President from 1960 to 1978 and then as President and CEO from 1978 to 1996, Leonard oversaw the growth of Lowe’s from a privately-owned 15-store company with $30 million of annual sales to a public company with more than 365 stores and annual sales of more than $7 billion. On behalf of the Herring Family, HFF seeks to fund resources that are broadly accessible to members of ourcommunities, and that enable individuals to learn, grow, andprovide richer and healthier lives for themselves and their families.
Dancy Research- Cyndi Dancy is based in the Piedmont Triad Region of NC and has more than 25 years of economic development experience spanning local and regional organizations such as the Greensboro Chamber. Her specialties include research, geospatial analytics, marketing, and business development. Visit www.dancyresearch.com for more.
Dr. Pamela Shue, Ed.D. and M.Ed., works as an associate professor at Appalachian State University but has also worked for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where she served as the Deputy State Superintendent of Early Education. Prior to that position, she was the director of the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education and an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has over 30 years’ experience in the early childhood education field.
The Wilkes Economic Development Corporation aims to facilitate the creation of new jobs and capital investment in Wilkes Countythroughthe retention and expansion of existing businesses and the recruitment of new businesses. For more information about economic development inWilkes, please visit www.wilkesedc.com .
The Health Foundation helps children and adults in Wilkes Countythrive through supporting healthy eating, active living, and resiliency in their neighborhoods, schools, churches, and community. For more information, please visit www.healthywilkes.org .
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children, a local Smart Start Agency, ensures that young children in Wilkes County enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Visit www.wilkeschildren.org for more.