It Is All About The It Is All About The PartnershipsPartnerships

H. James Owen and Lee Proctor H. James Owen and Lee Proctor Piedmont Community CollegePiedmont Community College

RCCI 2006 Institute RCCI 2006 Institute

Piedmont Community CollegePiedmont Community College

• PCC is a multi-campus two-year college with a technical emphasis serving the North Carolina counties of Person and Caswell, with a consolidated population of approximately 60,000 persons. The College is located 40 miles north of the booming Research Triangle Park and 50 miles northwest of the Piedmont Triad. PCC has an enrollment of approximately 2100 FTE, with an annual budget in excess of $19 million. It is one of 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. Over 8,500 people are served annually through the College's programs.

College Mission StatementCollege Mission Statement

The mission of Piedmont Community College, a public two-year institution that provides diverse educational opportunities in a learner-centered environment, is to serve the citizens of Person and Caswell counties by improving the quality of life by providing life long learning opportunities and acting as a catalyst for economic development.

Caswell CountyCaswell County

• Caswell County is located in the northern Piedmont region of North Carolina, bordered by Virginia to the north, Person County to the east, Orange and Alamance Counties to the south, Guilford to the southwest and Rockingham to the west. The county seat Yanceyville is home to a beautiful ante-bellum courthouse built around 1861. Both Milton and Yanceyville boast National Register historic districts

Caswell County Continued…Caswell County Continued…

• Low-wealth County

• Tier 1

• 76% of working population leaves the county to work

• Economy tied to Tobacco and Textiles

• Largest Employer is state and local government

Person CountyPerson County

Person County borders the State of Virginia to its north. It is bordered by Caswell County to the west, Durham and Orange counties to the south, and Granville County to the east. Person County is a 20 mile by 20 mile square. Roxboro, the county seat, is at the geographic center.

Person County residents live within a one-hour drive of two large and growing metropolitan areas: the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) and the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point). A major international airport, Raleigh-Durham International, and North Carolina's "high-tech" industrial center, Research Triangle Park (RTP), are also only minutes from the heart of Person County.

Person County Continued…Person County Continued…

• Tier 3

• 40% of working population leaves the county to work

• Economy tied to Tobacco and Textiles and the Auto Industry

• Largest Employer is a Provider of Textiles for the Auto Industry

First MistakeFirst Mistake

Two Counties together for one Project

• Hard Feelings

• Going Different Directions

• No Natural Tie to One Another

Caswell County ProjectCaswell County Project

• North Carolina Department of Commerce enters the project with a 21 Century Grant

• Strategic Planning Group Re-worked

• County Commissioners join project

• Work begins on Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Major AreasStrategic Plan Major Areas

• Marketing and Promotions

• Agriculture

• Outreach

• Economic Development

• Education

• County Infrastructure - Water and Broadband Deployment

Marketing and PromotionsMarketing and Promotions

21st Century Development Corporation

• Combined existing Non-profit Corporation with the 21st Century/RCCI project. The purpose is to carry on the projects identified in the Strategic Plan

AgricultureAgriculture

• Caswell County Agro-Expo

• Partnership with NCSU, NC A&T

• Leadership from Ag Extension Office

• Fall of 2005 – Second Annual

OutreachOutreach

• Expand the base of involvement in the project

• 21st Century Development Corporation involves a more diverse group

Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development

• DOC and County partner to develop industrial park

• Economic Development Office and PCC partner for Tourism Grant from RCCI

• DOC, Yanceyville, and PCC partner for a Public Safety Training Facility

EducationEducation

• PCC Partners with a number of state agencies to develop a certified work force with the NC Career Readiness Certificate

• DOC, PCC, and Yanceyville Partner to develop training facility

InfrastructureInfrastructure

• Broadband Foundation

• Project has yet to materialize following creation of the Caswell Broadband Foundation

Person CountyPerson County

• Partnered with Kenan-Flager School of Business at UNC to develop Strategic Plan

• Project still on-going

• Preliminary Report by end of Spring

• Dr. Johnson’s involvement

Sharing of StoriesSharing of Stories

ConclusionConclusion

• Positive Outcomes

• Things We Would Have Done Differently

• Where We Go From Here