Optimism ran high Wednesday morning as the Economic Development Community Forum started in the Rowan County Agriculture Center. Commission Chairman Greg Edds’ spirited kickoff suggested he could make a career in motivational speaking if he tires of insurance. And Superintendent Lynn Moody, while acknowledging the school system’s challenges, talked of progress and innovation.

Keynote speaker Ted Abernathy sounded almost apologetic when he took the microphone. “I’m not going to be as happy,” he warned.

He need not have worried. Salisbury-Rowan’s involved citizens are well aware that this area faces an uphill climb. Make that an up-escalator climb. One of the lighter moments of the morning came when Abernathy shared a video of two people on an escalator that abruptly stops. Rather than climb the remaining steps, they stand in place and call for help. (“Somebody will come,” the businessman assures the woman, and calls out: “There are two people stuck on an escalator, and we need help!”) Rowan leaders know enough to get to work rather than wait for rescue. We’re climbing the escalator, and yesterday’s forum started building consensus about what comes next.

The top three priorities could well be education, education, education. Rowan has location down pat, but so do a lot of other communities. Improving student achievement here is essential to preparing an educated workforce and appealing to prospects. Poverty increases have set the system back in recent years. Raising test scores is not only harder, it is also even more critical to the county’s future.

Abernathy and a later panel gave great weight to having spec buildings in place. The forum helped build momentum for Rowan to build one, perhaps through a public-private partnership.

Participants came up with a host of other strategies, from fostering entrepreneurship to preventing crime. Branding was an oft-repeated goal, and the county is working on that. As a slide in Edds’ presentation said, “We got this.” Or we’re getting it, at least.

Ditto for collaboration. The many communities and interests that make up Rowan County are learning to work together more cooperatively. It was refreshing to hear Abernathy say collaboration does not have to be a royal wedding. It can be like a Habitat house, he said — planned, specific, pulling in special people to do special things.

Robert Van Geons of RowanWorks and others will be compiling input and developing a strategy. The forum ended as optimistically as it began. People are acknowledging problems and the  urgency of finding solutions. Instead of standing still and acting powerless, like the people on the escalator, Salisbury-Rowan is taking responsibility for its own destiny. Where this will lead exactly is a big unknown, but  charting the path has become a positive, communitywide effort. That’s a tremendous start.