Inaugural Summit slated for August 23 in Lillington
Harnett County Board of Commissioners announced a partnership with Mid-Carolina Regional Council to establish the 2022 Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board.
The Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board will be a collaborative effort between Harnett, Sampson, and Cumberland counties to enhance partnerships that will address regional employment, training, and economic development needs.
“The formation of the Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Area presents a unique opportunity for our three-county region to build a local workforce program that truly meets the needs of our communities,” stated Justin Hembree, Executive Director of Mid-Carolina Regional Council.
As one of twenty-three Workforce Development Boards located throughout North Carolina, the Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board will help individuals and businesses within the region gain access to the programs and services that connect talent to jobs.
The offerings will be multi-faceted, and the Board will collaborate with a multitude of businesses, educational and training institutions, community agencies, as well as regional and state government representatives.
The Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board consists of a group of business and community leaders appointed by each County’s Board of Commissioners.
Hembree continued, “I am extremely grateful for the citizen servants that have agreed to serve as members of our Workforce Development Board and have no doubt their efforts will greatly enhance the economic competitiveness of Harnett, Cumberland, and Sampson Counties.”
Harnett County Board of Commissioners approved the following members to represent Harnett County:
Representatives of Businesses
- Jerry Milton, President/Owner of Southeast Interiors, located in Buies Creek
- Ken Adelberg, General Partner of Anderson Creek Partners, located in Spring Lake
- Scott Tart, Owner of Forever Clean Portable Toilets, Inc., located in Fuquay-Varina
- Michael Jackson, Vice-President of 3M&N, Inc., located in Erwin
Representatives of Workforce
- Phyllis Godwin, Vice-President of The Godwin Group, located in Dunn
Representatives of Education & Training
- Dr. Jon A. Matthews, Provost of Central Carolina Community College, Harnett County campus
- Dr. Britt Davis, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Campbell University
Representatives of Economic/Community Development
- Christian Lockamy, Director of Harnett County Economic Development
Representatives of other local County leadership
- Chris Coats, Mayor of the Town of Coats
- Justin Wilkinson, CTE Director of Harnett County Schools
Harnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman, Lewis Weatherspoon, will also serve as the Chief Local Elected Official through June 30, 2023.
Weatherspoon is looking forward to getting started with the Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board. “Moving Workforce Development to the Mid-Carolina Regional Council has provided an opportunity to appoint an entirely new Board. Each County is responsible for nominating Board members, and in selecting members to represent Harnett County, we focused on appointing members from various areas of the County to give us countywide representation.”
All appointed Board members will serve an initial appointment term through June 30, 2023. After the initial term, Board members representing the private sector will serve for three years and other members will serve for one year.
Weatherspoon continued, ”Workforce Development is an essential component of Economic Development and this Board gives us an opportunity to utilize the experience of some of the most successful business people in our County. I am excited about this new Board and look forward to working with not only the Harnett County representatives but the Chairs of Sampson County and Cumberland County Board of Commissioners as well as the appointees from those counties.”
On August 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Harnett County will host the Inaugural Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Summit at the Harnett County Resource Center and Library, located at 455 McKinney Parkway in Lillington. The Summit will bring together workforce development, economic development, educational, and community leaders to establish a vision for workforce and talent development throughout Harnett, Sampson, and Cumberland counties.
To register for this free summit, visit eventbrite.com/e/mid-carolina-regional-council-inaugural-workforce-development-summit-tickets-388249583957.
For more information on the Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board, contact the Mid-Carolina Regional Council at 910-323-4191 or visit midcarolinacog.org/workforce-development-board.
