 Myers,
several other NCCBI figures,
appointed to Economic Development Board
Gordon
Myers of Asheville (left), the Ingles Markets executive
and chairman of the AdvantageWest regional economic
development organization who is this year’s NCCBI chairman,
has been appointed by Gov. Mike Easley to head a revamped
North Carolina Economic Development Board. Several other NCCBI
members are among the individuals appointed by the governor
to the board, which was given a new, broader mandate by the
governor, including a charge to establish an aggressive,
future-oriented economic development plan for the state by
next spring.
”North Carolina’s economy is in rapid transition,”
Easley said. “It is critical that we have a strategic plan
in place to guide our economic development investments. We
need more than a vision of how we want our economy to grow, we
must also have implementation steps to ensure its success. I
want the Economic Development Board to serve as a board of
directors for economic development in the state.
Myers said the board has a difficult job. “North Carolina is
facing an unprecedented challenge in the economic development
arena due to the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs and a
general downturn in the state’s economic indicators,” he
said.
Myers added that he’s impressed by the individuals appointed
to the board. “I feel the governor has assembled an
excellent group of individuals who represent a cross section
of business, civic governmental and geographic interests
across North Carolina to address these pressing needs in our
state. I look forward to working with Commerce Secretary Jim
Fain and the other Cabinet secretaries in developing a
comprehensive economic development plan that will move this
state forward and insure all of our citizens the opportunity
for a good job at competitive wages.”
The board will develop a comprehensive economic development
plan for the entire state covering the following: recruitment
strategies, including incentives; prioritization and
coordination of economic development investments; workforce
development; collaboration with education and research
institutions;; coordination of agencies, foundations and
boards involved in economic development; and development of
future technologies. The board also will have a key role in
the implementation of the plan through advocacy and ongoing
accountability reviews with the state’s economic development
agencies.
At-large appointees to the board include: Mike Fuldenwider
of Morganton, owner and president of Fulenwider Enterprise; Kelly
King of Winston-Salem, president of BB&T Corp. and
chairman of the Rural Center; Watts Carr of Greensboro,
vice chairman of the Piedmont Triad Partnership; Randall
Kaplan of Greensboro with the Capsule Group; Robert
Stolz of Charlotte, president of The Hardwood Group; Bill
Coley of Charlotte, president of Duke Power; Mac
Everett of Charlotte, vice president of corporate
communications at Wachovia Corp.; Margaret Dardess of
Durham, vice president of corporate affairs at GlaxoSmithKline;
John Crumpler of Raleigh, founder and general partner
of Catalysta Partners; Pat Corso of Pinehurst, CEO of
Pinehurst Corp.; Bill Batchelor of Rocky Mount,
executive vice president of Tuscarora Corp; Jordy Whichard
of Greenville, publisher of the Greenville Daily
Reflector; Phil Kirk of Raleigh, president of NCCBI and
chairman of the State Board of Education; Roger Crowe of
Beaufort, an attorney; Michael Wray of Gastonia, part
owner and an officer of W.J. Wray; Andrea Harris of
Durham, president of the N.C. Institute of Minority Economic
Development; David Gore of Whiteville, of Gore Music
Co.; Bob Winston of Raleigh, chairman of Winston
Hotels; and Matthew Szulick of Durham, CEO of Red Hat.
Ex-officio
members appointed include: Commerce Secretary Fain; Molly Broad, president of
the UNC System; Martin Lancaster, president of the N.C.
Community College System; Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue; and
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. Rep. Bill Owens
of Elizabeth City, an executive with W.W. Owens & Sons
Moving and Storage Co., was appointed vice chair of the board
and Stolz was named chair-elect.
NCCBI has a major presence on the new Economic Development
Board, in addition to Myers as chairman. Chaffee, King, Carr,
Stolz, Coley, Everett, Dardess, Corso, Whichard, Harris,
Winston, Broad, Fain, Lancaster and Perdue are members of
NCCBI. Everett is past chairman of the association. Coley,
King and Kirk are members of the Executive Committee.
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