Charm, hospitality and vibrancy. These are the words that spring to mind when anyone takes the time to venture through the heart of China Grove, North Carolina. Located in Rowan County, between the Town of Landis and the City of Salisbury, the Town of China Grove had its first settlement as early as 1710 and was referred to as Savits Mill and Lutherville before becoming China Grove, named after the grove of chinaberry trees located next to the community’s train depot. Keep reading to learn more about our new member community.

On August 11, 2023, Stinger Park was buzzing with more than just late-summer heat. It was the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new park, and it was buzzing with people, too. With excitement, people of all ages explored the new facility, which has baseball and softball fields, multipurpose fields, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, a cornhole area, shaded picnic spaces, scenic nature trails, jungle gyms, a splashpad, and so much more. After years of planning, McGill Associates, PA helped bring the City of Bessemer City’s vision to life by providing electrical, planning, design, funding assistance and construction support for the project.

For older adults living in a home by themselves, limited ability to engage in activities they enjoy or socialize in their community can put them at higher risk for being affected by social isolation. Social isolation among aging adults is a pressing issue with significant implications for one’s well-being, including putting a person at higher risk for developing heart disease, dementia or other life-altering conditions. Centralina Area Agency on Aging is actively working to reduce social isolation and loneliness in regional communities through educating residents and stakeholders about the public health concern, what it entails and what people can do to address it in their own community.

On March 21st and 22nd of 2024, Centralina Regional Council administered an assessment center for the Town of Matthews Fire Department for their recruitment process for three open Battalion Chief positions. The assessment center encompassed multiple exercises assessed by individual assessors to gauge candidates’ capabilities in a standardized manner, focusing on behaviors rather than just knowledge.

In October of 2023, UNC Charlotte was awarded a Strategy Development Grant from the EDA. The funding, provided as part of a federal inaugural tech hubs initiative, will be put towards launching the Carolinas Innovation Center for Optics and Metrology Consortium. As part of the EDA Tech Hub launch, UNC Charlotte recently hosted Centralina EDD’s Board Members on campus for a discussion on the importance of optics and metrology and a tour of the metrology lab.

Ever wondered what the friendliest town in North Carolina is? It might just be right here in the Centralina region! The Town of Stanfield, located in Stanly County, is described on the community website as a “safe, peaceful town tucked away from the fast-paced hectic world.” You won’t find any fancy shops or stop lights, but you will encounter buildings with rich history and gracious locals who will be happy to show you around and make you feel right at home.

he National Association of Development Organization’s (NADO) Research Foundation’s Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP) recently launched an online resource called “Solving the Housing Puzzle: EDDs as Regional Housing Changemakers.” The report, which outlines the critical housing work carried out by development organizations to best meet various community needs across the country, includes various case studies, and we’re honored to say that Centralina’s work was highlighted as apart of a best practice case study, titled “Turning Voices into Action in the Centralina Region.”

Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) strongly supports opportunities for professional development and continuing education to help each staff member grow in their roles and responsibilities and best serve residents and member communities throughout our region. This fall, AAA staff took part in three different training and certification opportunities to help increase knowledge and capacity in order to fulfill Centralina’s organization-wide mission to advance opportunity and improve quality of life for our region’s residents and communities.

2023 marks 55 years since the establishment of Centralina Regional Council. During this time, the organization has seen projects come and grow, but one thing that has remained the same is our core group of long-term employees, many of which have been with the organization for decades. So what is it that makes people stay? We sat down with some of our longest-standing staff members to understand why they’ve continued to work for our organization for so long, what makes Centralina special to them and some of their favorite moments.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the founding of Centralina Regional Council, formerly known as Centralina Council of Governments. Over the last five and a half decades, our organization has helped support the growth and prosperity of our region through various projects and initiatives. In honor of this historic year, we’re looking back at how our organization has evolved to where it is today.