Insights

Access to transportation options is critical to enhancing the quality of life of residents throughout our region. Without it, individuals may struggle to attain essential goods and services they need to thrive. A group that is particularly affected by the lack of options is workers and job seekers. Learn how Centralina Workforce and some of their partners helped one job seeker find reliable transportation to help them grow and advance their career path.

As our region grows, our population is also aging, which adds increased demands on public, private and volunteer transportation options. In honor of May being National Older Americans Month, National Mobility Month and National Transportation Week, we’re highlighting timely resources offered by Centralina’s Area Agency on Aging that showcase our ongoing commitment to promote transportation considerations affecting older and disabled adults.

Most communities in our region do not have the need or financial resources for full-time code enforcement staff. To help support these local governments, Centralina offers on-call staff from the Centralina Community Economic Development (CED) department. Read how our team recently helped the Town of Weddington handled a recent violation and learn more about how CED can help your community enforce code compliance.

Selecting the ideal candidate for a new or open position is crucial for local governments, particularly when those in the role have extensive responsibility that can shape the direction of a department or the organization as a whole. One of the services Centralina Regional Council offers to its members is hiring and promotional assessment centers, which measure a variety of job-related competencies to help narrow down candidates and select the best fit for the job. When the City of Gastonia recently reached out for assistance in hiring a new Chief of Police, our Human Resources and Government Affairs & Member Engagement team were ready to assist.

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.  

For decades, the United States has been working to move past its dependence on fossil fuels. This article highlights the efforts made on the state level to help promote cleaner transportation and how Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition is furthering these initiatives in our region.

Senior Centers provide older adults a space to make friends, remain active and improve their wellbeing through a variety of programs and services. While many senior center programs focus on fun, senior centers also offer a critically important service to older adults who may struggle to stay socially engaged and remain connected to their community. Rufty-Holmes Senior Center in Salisbury recently invited staff from Centralina Area Agency on Aging to celebrate 35 years of excellent service and showcase their recent national reaccreditation.

Have you ever wanted to wander the streets of the western towns you see in movies? It may seem like a Hollywood dream, but you may not know that a cowboy capital exists right here in our region. Check out our new member spotlight to learn more about the history of this cowboy paradise and what you need to know ahead of time before planning a visit.