Albemarle’s Project Next Step is a summer program designed to improve students’ access to innovative learning strategies and engage local students in quality, interactive enrichment opportunities with Stanly County Community College. By integrating academic enrichment with real-world experiences, the program was able to broaden the horizons of many Albemarle Middle School students and prepare them for future academic success. 

Though Spencer’s roots are aligned with connectivity, town officials still saw that easy access to recreational amenities was missing and desired by members of the community. Spencer sits right in between the Yadkin River Park and the Grants Creek Greenway, two popular attractions in the area. In response to this unmet need, stakeholders worked together to plan and begin executing a trailhead initiative that would offer seamless connection to surrounding amenities.

Studies have shown that engaging in the arts can positively impact stress levels, enhance self-confidence and even improve academic performance among children and young adults. Communities that incorporate arts in their events, program offerings and gathering spaces provide a competitive economic edge and help to foster neighborhood vitality. The Town of Cornelius was honored this year with one of our two awards in this category for their development of the new Cain Center of the Arts, a community hub for visual arts, performing arts and social experiences.

The Region of Excellence Award for Cross-Community Collaboration honors government, nonprofit and or private entities that work together to leverage their resources and skills to combat a widespread problem in their community. This past year, the City of Albemarle was honored for their efforts to establish the City of Albemarle Firefighter Cadet Academy. This endeavor, created in partnership with Stanly Community College (SCC) and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC), effectively demonstrates the value of aligning forces to achieve better outcomes for those in the community.  

The City of Gastonia and Gaston County received the 2022 Region of Excellence Award for Local Government Innovation for their partnership in building inspection services. Their teamwork is a positive example of the success that comes from cities and counties working together towards a common goal. This project provides an effective solution to address a challenge in the community, delivering a measurable impact at the local government level.

As electric vehicle (EV) ownership becomes more prevalent, access to affordable EV charging will be increasingly important. Through a 2018 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte partnered with the City of Charlotte, Duke Energy and Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CCFC), a DOE program housed at Centralina Regional Council, to investigate solutions to this issue. The grant provided funding to develop a prototype technology designed to tap into existing streetlight infrastructure for curbside EV charging, lowering installation costs for curbside EV chargers compared to chargers that require the installation of new electrical infrastructure. EPIC collaborated with Duke Energy to develop a prototype for a pole-mounted EV charger, called PoleVolt, and deployed two pilot chargers in the City of Charlotte.

2021 James D. Prosser Award Winner Mike Legg has worked for the City of Kannapolis for more than two decades. We sat down with him to discuss his successes in his role as City Manager and advice he’d give to people interested in pursuing a career in local government.

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.