SANFORD, NC (September 22, 2023) — Education and workforce development organizations throughout central North Carolina put pen to paper Thursday (Sept. 21, 2023), creating AdvanceNC, a new coalition Gov. Roy Cooper predicted would become “a mighty force” preparing North Carolinians for jobs in a vibrant, ever-changing economy.

AdvanceNC is formally described as “an innovative workforce development ecosystem developing a robust talent pipeline to support unprecedented economic growth in central North Carolina.”

What it boils down to is 10 community colleges, two state universities and six regional workforce development boards combining what they do best to provide opportunity for local families and develop expert workers for the exploding number of advanced manufacturing companies in the region. Though AdvanceNC focuses on 18 counties, it also is being promoted as a model that can be replicated all across the state.

Speaking to an audience at Central Carolina Community College's E. Eugene Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center in Sanford, Gov. Cooper explained why this new coalition has so much promise. “North Carolina has the best array of public and private universities in the country, bar none …. And I can say without hesitation that we have the best community college system in the entire country,” he said. “When you couple that with our effective workforce development boards and their staff, it is a sight to see.

“All of them working together is a mighty force and the collaboration that will come with AdvanceNC, this initiative, it will do more than I can think of to help prepare our workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Community colleges have long been a driving force statewide in workforce development. The North Carolina Community College System offers a sweeping portfolio of initiatives designed to train workers for new careers and help companies develop workers already on the job. But because those apprenticeships and courses are offered by individual colleges with well-defined service areas, it’s not always simple to work across borders.

During the signing ceremony, Dr. Jeff Cox, president of the North Carolina Community College System, said that reality is one reason AdvanceNC is needed. “Companies don’t care anything about our little territories for individual community colleges,” he said. “They don’t want to know about competition between the universities and the community colleges. They want us all working together to meet their workforce needs. And that’s what this represents, 100 percent.”

Less than two years ago, Toyota announced it would build a new $1.29 billion automotive battery manufacturing plant at a Randolph County location not far from Greensboro that would create 1,750 new jobs. And the company added another $2.1 billion investment to that project just four months ago.

More big news broke just months after the initial Toyota announcement, in March 2022, when Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast announced a $4 billion advanced manufacturing plant near Moncure that is expected to create 7,500 jobs. VinFast was the largest economic development project in North Carolina history — for about five months. That’s when Wolfspeed, a silicon carbide manufacturer based in Durham, announced early last September that it would invest $5 billion to create a new manufacturing center that would bring 1,800 jobs to Siler City.

Such rapid expansion required a new approach to workforce development. But Rodney Carson, president of the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards, isn’t worried about the state’s ability to adapt. Reflecting on innovations from early in his own workforce development career, Carson believes that the solution is finding new ways to develop workers, something North Carolina has done before.

“I think about how we pushed the envelope when it comes to workforce development,” Carson said. “AdvanceNC does exactly that. We continue to push the envelope on what workforce and the workforce ecosystem is in North Carolina. We were, 27 years ago, the shining example of what workforce development is in this country as a whole. AdvanceNC pushes that envelope even further and continues to push us out to the edge of what it means to truly take care of our citizens.”

It was a sentiment shared by Peter Hans, president of the University of North Carolina System. He reflected on North Carolina’s transformation over generations from an agricultural economy based largely on textiles and tobacco, into major hubs for research and banking, and now into the kind of advanced manufacturing center defined by Toyota, VinFast and Wolfspeed.

“At every turn, North Carolina has trusted in the capacity of its people to learn, to adapt and compete,” Hans said. “We may be a valley of humility, as the old saying goes, but we’ve always known that a properly educated North Carolinian can tackle any challenge and master any new field on God’s green earth. So our task is to make sure that every one of our citizens has that opportunity and that anyone with the drive and the talent can play a role in building the future of this great state.”

AdvanceNC partners include the following community colleges, universities, and workforce development boards:

• Community Colleges – Alamance, Central Carolina, Durham Tech, Fayetteville Tech, Johnston, Piedmont, Randolph, Sandhills, Vance-Granville, and Wake Tech
• Universities – NC A&T State University and NC State University
• Workforce Development Boards – Capital Area, Durham, Kerr-Tar, Lumber River, Mid-Carolina, and Piedmont Triad Regional

Central Carolina Community College President Dr. Lisa M. Chapman introduced the ceremony with some statistics for the 18-county region. One of them was a huge labor force of 1.5 million — a group that offers a wealth of talent. The goal of AdvanceNC, she said, is to make sure those workers have the right skills to take advantage of the opportunities now available. And that companies can find the highly skilled workers they need — not only now, but for decades to come.

“We are great at attracting businesses to North Carolina and it is great for our residents, because that means family-sustaining wages and that means a great life for North Carolinians,” she said. “But we need to make sure that we don’t simply attract those businesses … but that we do an exceptional job of keeping them here and supporting them in the way that we need to.”

As Gov. Cooper said, “North Carolina is the top state for business thanks to our well trained, talented and diverse workforce. The AdvanceNC initiative will help prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

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NC Governor Roy Cooper, NC Community College System President Dr. Jeff Cox, UNC System President Peter Hans, and NC Association of Workforce Development Boards President Rodney Carson joins with officials from 10 community colleges, two universities and six workforce development boards to celebrate the beginning of the AdvanceNC regional workforce development partnership.

NC Governor Roy Cooper says, “North Carolina is the top state for business thanks to our well trained, talented and diverse workforce. The AdvanceNC initiative will help prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

About Vance-Granville Community College: Established in 1969, VGCC is one of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System. With a service area the size of Rhode Island, VGCC is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. VGCC offers more than 40 curriculum programs, as well as Continuing Education, High School Equivalency, and Adult High School Diploma programs.

Contact: Courtney Cissel, Public Information Officer

cisselc@vgcc.edu • 252-738-3484

LOUISBURG, NC – The Land Trust Accreditation Commission administers an accreditation program to recognize land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Tar River Land Conservancy, which was accredited in 2013 and re-accredited in 2018, is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation. A public comment period is now open.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, will conduct an extensive review of Tar River Land Conservancy’s policies and programs. The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Tar River Land Conservancy complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards, visit http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-andresources/indicator-practices.

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Comments to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission regarding Tar River Land Conservancy’s application will be most useful by December 9, 2023.

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Tar River Land Conservancy is a nationally-accredited land trust that works to preserve natural resources across Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Nash, Person, Vance, and Warren Counties, North Carolina. Since 2000, Tar River Land Conservancy has protected 23,038 acres of land and 199 miles of streams. For more information, please visit www.tarriver.org.

A community event for women, by women, to equip women

HENDERSON, NC (September 23, 2023) — Mark your calendars for Empower Her, a community event for women, by women, to equip women! The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation is proud to present this event on Saturday, October 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the college’s Main Campus Courtyard, located at 200 Community College Road in Henderson.

Come for FREE information and resources from local community partners. Enjoy free activities for kids, food, giveaways, and more:

· Dress for Success Mobile Boutique

· Meal Planning on a Dime

· Financial Counseling

· Make-up Tips

· Career Advice

In addition to providing scholarships to deserving students, the VGCC Foundation supports a broad range of special projects involving education, training, and economic development in our community. Tax-deductible donations to VGCCF have often been used to honor a person, group, business, or industry with a lasting gift to education.

For more information about Empower Her or the VGCC Foundation, contact 252-738-3264 or foundation@vgcc.edu.

https://fb.me/e/1cUgMzhmj

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About Vance-Granville Community College: Established in 1969, VGCC is one of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System. With a service area the size of Rhode Island, VGCC is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. VGCC offers more than 40 curriculum programs, as well as Continuing Education, High School Equivalency, and Adult High School Diploma programs.

Contact: Courtney Cissel, Public Information Officer cisselc@vgcc.edu • 252-738-3484

GRANVILLE COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES: Granville County Senior Services will host the Vance-Granville Community College Band for an hour of entertainment on Saturday, September 30 at 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Granville County Senior Center located at 107 Lanier Street in Oxford. The program will consist of waltzes, marches, medleys of popular and classical tunes, and other selections such as might be played by the
Boston Pops Orchestra. This event is free and open to the public. Those in attendance are invited to stay after the program for light refreshments. For more information about this event, contact the Granville County Senior Center at 919-693-1930.

Oxford, NC, September 13, 2023 -- Granville Health System (GHS) is delighted to welcome Dr. Natalie Hobdy to the Granville Primary Care practice. She will join the team at the primary care practice situated on the GHS campus in Oxford, NC.

Adam McConnell, Interim CEO of Granville Health System, shared his excitement, saying, "Granville Health System consistently draws top-tier professionals like Dr. Hobdy. Her dedication to patient-centered care mirrors our ethos. We aspire to be the go-to primary care provider for Granville County, ever-committed to promoting well-being, accelerating healing, and inspiring hope in our communities."

A Board-Certified Family Physician, Dr. Hobdy gained significant medical expertise at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Reflecting on her approach to patient care, she remarked, "I'm thrilled to be part of a system with robust support, enabling the thorough, patient-centered care I stand by. My training at John Peter Smith in Texas and at Essentia Health in Minnesota has prepared me well for rural practices catering to all ages and stages of life. I'm confident in leveraging my skills for the benefit of this community and deeply value the opportunity to care for patients and their families comprehensively."

Over the years, Granville Health System has steadfastly committed to improving its physician services and facilities, with ongoing expansion efforts. GHS has welcomed numerous accomplished providers across diverse specialties, such as primary care, OB/GYN, ENT, and gastroenterology.

Granville Primary Care is located at 110 Professional Park Drive, Oxford. For appointments, call 919.693.6541 or visit online at https://ghshospital.org/location/granville-primary-care-ob-gyn/.

About Granville Health System:

For over a century, Granville Health System has been at the forefront of quality healthcare. To cater to the evolving needs of its community, Granville Health System has extended its services throughout Granville County, ensuring convenient medical care access for its residents. The Granville Health System main campus can be found at 1010 College Street, Oxford, North Carolina. For more details, visit GHS online at www.ghsHospital.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Lauren Roberson, Marketing & Foundation Director

919-690-2148 lbroberson@granvillemedical.com

2022-23 Test Results Released:  

GCPS Student Academic Achievement Increases 

On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) released the results of student standardized test data for the 2022-23 school year.  The student test scores from the state standardized tests taken during the past school year are collected, verified, and analyzed to provide different understandings of how students performed academically.   

In GCPS, over half of all schools either exceeded or met growth overall, which represents significant progress since the pandemic began.  Across the state, 72% of all NC schools met or exceeded growth.  Three schools, Butner-Stem Elementary School, Granville Early College High School, and CG Credle Elementary School were each identified as having exceeded growth.

“The results from this past year indicate that as a district, we have improved overall, but much work still remains.  Our principals and staff have been reviewing these results since June and have put in place new plans for the 2023-2024 school year with different district priorities.  We are focused forward”.

In a press release from NCDPI on September 6, 2022, Dr. Tammy Howard, Senior Director of the NC Office of Accountability and Testing, “We are continuing to experience some of the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Howard said. “As we look at the data, the school performance grades and other information from the 2022-23 school year, it’s very important to note that while it’s informative, it is limited, and it is discouraged to make comparisons to 2018-19, which is prior to the pandemic.” 

In that same press release, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truit also shared “It’s hard to overstate the impact of the pandemic,” Truitt said, “but teachers across North Carolina are working harder than ever to help students recover, and more importantly, advance in their learning. We owe them our gratitude for meeting this challenge to improve outcomes for students.”

All four high schools, as well as the K-12 Granville Academy, showed improvement in both growth and student achievement. In fact, South Granville High School and Granville Central High School both improved a letter grade as compared to 2021-22. One less school in the district is designated Low Performing as compared to 2021-22. Overall, the percentage of students performing at grade level improved slightly compared to the 2021-22 school year.

Board Chairman, Glenda Williams had these thoughts to share regarding the results, “I am very proud and grateful of the hard work and dedication of our educators.  They should be commended for the support and love they have provided their students.”

GRANVILLE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION: Granville County Manager Drew Cummings will host a series of listening sessions in each Granville County district from September through November 2023. The listening sessions will provide the opportunity for members of the public to learn more about county government, the role of the County Manager, and to ask questions or give feedback about county operations in a relaxed informal environment. Cummings will be joined by members of the Granville County Board of Commissioners along with other county staff members.

“We have had an eventful year since I began as County Manager and I thought it was time to get out in the community and make sure that I’m getting face-to-face time with our residents,” said Cummings. “I have spent
time in all corners of Granville during my tenure as County Manager, but I’m really looking forward to getting to know some of these communities better and to having the time to sit down and talk with our residents. I think it’s critical to my performance that each citizen can inform me about the issues that are truly important to them.”

The listening sessions will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the dates and locations listed below:
• Thursday, September 14 at Stem Ruritan Club (3595 Old NC 75, Stem)
• Thursday, October 5 at Granville County Senior Center (107 Lanier Street, Oxford)
• Thursday, October 12 at Tar River Elementary (2642 Philo White Road, Franklinton)
• Tuesday, October 17 at Camp Oak Hill (1528 Oak Hill Road, Oxford)
• Thursday, October 26 at Creedmoor Community Center (116 Douglas Drive, Creedmoor)
• Monday, October 30 at Butner Town Hall (415 Central Avenue, Butner)
• Tuesday, November 14 at Stovall Library (300 Main Street, Stovall)

For more information, contact the Granville County Administration Office at 919-693-5240.

Verdigris Restaurant at Oxford Oaks Distillery promotes Marc Cavanaugh to Executive Chef

Oxford Oaks Distillery LLC is pleased today to announce that it has promoted Granville County native Marc  Cavanaugh from Kitchen Manager to Executive Chef of its on-site restaurant Verdigris. Returning to  Oxford from Dallas, TX in March, Chef Marc has utilized his extensive experience and skills to provide  outstanding food service to Verdigris Restaurant guests over the past few months as Kitchen Manager. His  new role now includes direct accountability for all of the kitchen business operations and will work with  Head Chef Joshua Robinson on menu creation and special events.  

"We are excited to promote Chef Marc to lead our growing culinary team. He has done everything asked  of him over these past few months and we couldn’t be more pleased with his commitment to this project.  His ability to produce exceptional food and bring fresh ideas is something we are absolutely thrilled  about," commented Founding Partner Dr. Peter Johnson.  

Chef Marc brings exceptional culinary talent to the team and continues to contribute to the momentum in  the local culinary scene. He grew up in Oxford and has worked in the restaurant industry for almost 20  years. Being classically trained with a degree in Culinary Arts by Le Cordon Bleu and Master Chefs from the  Culinary Institute of America, he brings vast experience in fine dining, fast casual dining, wedding and  event venue food service as well as upscale restaurants.  

 “It is an honor to lead the culinary team in Oxford's new “must visit” venue. We are just shy of 6 months  in operation and the team we have makes it feel like it’s an establishment that has years of operation  under its belt. Teams with that kind of chemistry are hard to come by and I have to say without question  this is the best team I’ve had the chance to lead in my professional career. I look forward to bringing  Oxford and the surrounding areas a culinary experience that sets the standard when going out for a great  meal. We have had outstanding reviews and I credit that to the team I have in the kitchen making this  happen. I have really loved the opportunity to come back home and bring the region more elevated  cuisine. I am continuously grateful to the community for accepting this new restaurant concept with open  arms, it’s safe to say we are here to stay for many years to come. I look forward to launching  new seasonal menus and specialty dinners for all to enjoy what I call “Passion on a Plate”, Executive Chef  Marc said.  

About Oxford Oaks Distillery LLC: Oxford Oaks Distillery is Granville County’s first craft distillery  featuring a specialty cocktail bar and upscale restaurant where the community can gather and enjoy fine  spirits, elevated cocktails and delicious cuisine located in the heart of downtown Oxford, North Carolina.  There is a main first floor dining room and bar with a “loft” area on the second floor with seating  overlooking the main dining room. There are three separate private and semi-private event areas for  groups ranging from 20-100 people. The restaurant has been open since March 2023.