Mike Down’s long-serving career and commitment to the success of Cabarrus County were honored through the 2022 James D. Prosser Award for a large community. We sat down with Mike to more about his time working on the County level and what he’s looking forward to in the future.
We sat down with Jonathan Blanton, Ranlo’s first Town Manager and small community winner of the 2022 James D. Prosser Award, to discuss how, in just three years on the job, his hard work and passion for local government have had a tremendous impact on the community.
Centralina sat down with 2022 Aging in Action Award Winner, Anna Rice, to learn more about her extensive tenure with Iredell Council on Aging and her passion for working with older adults in her community.
Senior Community Connections SCC is a nonprofit organization that helps older adults remain independent in their homes and actively engaged in the community. This Davidson-based organization was recognized in 2022 for its work in the aging field, receiving the 2021 Centralina Region of Excellence ‘Aging in Action’ Award.
Lake Norman Economic Development is a nonprofit focused on increasing economic outcomes in the community by addressing workforce gaps. In 2022, it received the 2021 Cross Community Collaboration Award (small community) for its Journey 360 program and virtual speed networking events that were developed to address workforce trends and provide high school students with educational opportunities.
The 2021 Region of Excellence award for Cross-Community Collaboration in a large community was awarded to Rowan County for the projects planned and executed through the Rowan Education Collaborative. This initiative is the first of its kind in the area, bringing government and education leaders from across the county together to increase local educational attainment and expand job opportunities for residents.
In March 2022, Centralina awarded the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) Electric Vehicle (EV) Bus Fleet the Clean Cities Award. The CLT EV Bus Fleet provides sustainable solutions to employees, tenants, passengers, the local community and region.
In March 2022, Centralina Regional Council awarded Gaston County Tourism Development the Local Government Innovation Award at our annual Region of Excellence Awards. Gaston County Tourism Development is the official tourism department for Gaston County. They have been leaders in local government innovation with an emphasis on partnerships and developing innovative solutions to community development issues.
In March 2022, Centralina awarded the Neighborhood C.A.R.E. Center (NCC) the Improving Quality of Life award at our annual Region of Excellence Awards. The NCC is a non-profit organization headquartered in Cornelius that aims to provide immediate and long-term aid to neighbors through relational and faith-based programs in a hope-filled environment. We interviewed Executive Director Manny Rosado and Communications Manager MaeLynn Joyner to learn more about challenges the organization faced and how they overcame obstacles.
This year our region lost a tremendous volunteer who served as a dedicated volunteer with Centralina Area Agency on Aging for more than 11 years. Shirley Wiggins was the recipient of the Centralina Region of Excellence Aging in Action award for her dedicated advocacy work for seniors living in the Gaston County area.