THOMASVILLE — Gov. Bev Perdue spoke with local leaders at a small town summit this morning at Davidson County Community College in Thomasville.
It was the second in a series of three regional forums designed to promote the competitiveness and economic development capacity of small towns in North Carolina.
At today’s forum, Perdue gave a brief introduction before taking questions from several town and county leaders. They spoke about jobs — both gained and lost — business regulations, economic development grants, local cooperation and tourism in the Piedmont.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the N.C. Department of Commerce and the Golden LEAF Foundation also spoke and answered questions about the resources they can offer to small towns in the region.
Attendees included Granite Quarry Mayor Mary Ponds, Granite Quarry Town Manager Dan Peters, Cooleemee Mayor Lynn Rumley and Davidson County Community College President Mary Rittling.
Also in attendance was Rep. Fred Steen, who represents part of Rowan County in the N.C. General Assembly.
The Governor’s Forums on Small Town Competitiveness are bringing together state and local officials, business and economic development leaders and various federal, state, local and nonprofit organizations dedicated to community economic development.
“North Carolina’s small towns are the heart of our state and the sorts of places where our efforts to strengthen education are paying off with a skilled, educated workforce that can attract new businesses,” Perdue said in a press release. “The economic health of these small towns is critical to the economic future of the entire state. These forums are designed to celebrate what’s great about small town North Carolina and how we can preserve these wonderful communities by helping them stay competitive in the 21st century economy.”
See Thursday’s Post for more details.