DAN GERLACH: Lessons learned over a decade serving rural N.C.
Saturday, March 24, 3018 -- North Carolina urban and rural areas are more tied together than in virtually other state. Artificial political lines do not reflect economic reality. We fixate on ways to impose order on complicated situations, then try to figure out even more complex ways to overcome the false order. This is unproductive and fails to move communities forward. A welcoming business environment depends on both long-term stability and short-term flexibility.
Posted — UpdatedThere’s no shortage of public and private sector concern and sincere interest in helping rural North Carolina move forward. As president of the Golden LEAF Foundation, an organization directed by a court order, law, and charter to help transform the economy of rural, tobacco-dependent and economically distressed areas of our state almost 20 years ago, I’m often asked what we are doing and what needs to be done to fulfill that awesome mission.
Earlier this month we reported to the governor and General Assembly that last year we provided $112 million to communities through 134 grants across the state. About half of that is dedicated to communities still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Matthew, as the legislature provided funds for us to award and oversee in an efficient, effective manner. The fruits of these grants will be apparent in months and years to come.
The Golden LEAF Foundation’s assistance facilitated the creation of over 2,000 jobs and $84 million in payroll, and over $1 billion in capital investment, according to reports from our grantees. These numbers are not speculative – but actual data.
So what is needed now for rural North Carolina? What lessons have we learned?
We invested $10 million in Vidant Medical’s new Cancer Center in Greenville. Beyond improving the detection and treatment in the state’s region with the highest rate of cancer mortality, this grant gave Vidant the stability to make crucial investments in its regional hospitals in Bertie, Chowan, Duplin, and Edgecombe counties. Connections are critical.
Some areas of the state are doing better than others and we applaud our state leaders who - for 20 years - have recognized that challenge and supported comprehensive efforts to improve the playing field statewide. The Golden LEAF Foundation pledges to support this vision by continuing to do our part to help rural areas grow and prosper.
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