Insights

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.

Studies conducted by the National Association of Manufacturing show that nearly 2.1 million jobs could remain unfilled by 2030 due to the lack of skills within the manufacturing industry. Leaders in Rowan and Cabarrus County took note of these skill gap discrepancies and recognized a need to address recruitment issues head-on in order to keep the industry growing and competitive with the community. In response, both counties banded together to develop The North Carolina Manufacturing Institute, a training program that teaches individuals essential skills to work in a full-time manufacturing industry job.

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 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.