KARLISA PARKER DEAN Chester County Economic Development

JEFF MICHAEL UNC Charlotte Urban Institute

This week’s Rotary panel moderated by President Mike Hawley focused on economic and cultural differences and perceived imbalances within our region. About the panelists: Karlisa Parker Dean In her role as director of Chester County Economic Development (CCED), she plans, organizes and directs all programs and activities of the Economic

Development Department. She presents programs about development plans to various community, industry and civic groups, while maintaining close working relationships with public and private sector officials, regional and statewide economic development allies. The mission of CCED is to create an environment that supports existing industry expansion, encourages new industry investments, fosters entrepreneurialism, and welcomes visitation by others, all of which support the provision of public services and otherwise improves each citizen’s prosperity and overall quality of life. Jeff Michael As the director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, Jeff conducts research, analysis and evaluation of technical information to determine feasibility and economic impact of proposed expansions and developments. A planner and attorney by training, his professional experience includes extensive work around land use, sustainable development and land conservation issues. Prior to coming to the institute in 2003, Jeff served as director of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative and the William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations, one of North Carolina’s premier leadership programs.

The institute which is celebrating its 50th anniversary is a nonpartisan, applied research and community outreach entity at UNC Charlotte, seeking solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges facing our communities. The discussion opened with why is it important to focus on the urban-rural divide. Jeff started by sharing that the Duke Endowment invited the Institute to present

REPORTER March 19, 2019

information on both Carolinas and how rural communities could be better served. In 2017, The Duke Endowment’s Rural Church program awarded the Urban Institute a two-year grant for a research and community engagement-based project, called the Carolinas Urban Renewal Connections Project, intended to bring greater understanding to the economic and social interdependence that shaped regional growth in the central Carolinas in the past century, and what encompasses intraregional connection today.

Guided by a belief that there have been and can continue to be mutually beneficial bridges between urban centers and less-populated surrounding communities, the Carolinas Urban-Rural Connection project team is investigating a large body of data and facilitating conversations with individuals and small groups to carry out this work.

Karlisa shared that there has always been a disconnect between urban and rural economic wellbeing. In 2004, the unemployment rate in Chester County was 15.3% and jumped to 21.3% in 2007, when workers were going from mill to mill.

In the 80’s, her organization started to focus on diversification because 28% of the workforce was in manufacturing. We decided that we had to tell our own story and not leave it up to others. Their story: We take a regional approach. We sell the region. In 38 minutes, you can be at the doorstop of a world-class airport.

She says we also talk about how we can do better. As a result of this approach, their unemployment rate is now 5%, and recent locations of companies, such as GT Tire has brought 1,700 jobs to the region. GT was “the transformational project” and since 2004, there has been $1.4 billion in investment and 4,700 new jobs.

Mike asked what the population and demographics were in Chester County.

Karlisa said that the population is 32,000 but it is declining even with the manufacturing base growing. The demographics are primarily 45-64 years old, but millennials are coming in with upscale apartments being built and Lennar building 350 new homes.

Mike asked Jeff how our region is different from the rust or bread belt.

Jeff said that North Carolina and South Carolina are unique because most rural areas are only two to three hours away from a major metropolitan area. “We’ve never been concentrated the way steel was in Pittsburgh or cars in Detroit. Our manufacturing was dispersed.”

He did go on to say that the loss of historic connection has had psychological impact on place-based economic development, but that renewal is happening in places like Chester County, specifically Great Falls, SC. Situated along the Catawba River, where Duke placed its first dam, savvy local organizers approached Duke about releasing more water over the dam to create class four rapids. And if the Whitewater Center situated in Charlotte can loan its expertise then we close the gap between the urban and rural divide.

Mike paused to take questions from the audience, including one from Carla DuPuy, who shared her involvement in creating the Carolinas Counties Coalition for the specific purpose to go out to neighboring counties, learn from them, take tours and find out what

they were most proud of. She asked how that is being done today.

Karlisa told a story that back in the day it was about how you connect with uptown Charlotte until one day when all counties were invited to a meeting and heard from a consultant that Charlotte thinks too highly of itself and we need to dig in and find out who we are. It was the Charlotte Regional Partnership, SC Power Team and others who asked us what we needed. So, we came in very humble and said please help us, we had a strategic plan and worked the plan.

Early on Karlisa learned that your focus has to be on every aspect of community, not just manufacturing and the service sectors. You’re selling quality of life, and with Great Falls White Water and a third park underway, Karlisa promotes the best of both worlds where you can start in Chester County but be at any major event in the big city!

Jeff also talked about the importance of quality of life. Amazon for example, when they were looking for an East Coast headquarters, they were looking for quality of life. We misunderstood that it wasn’t just about uptown living. He said that Denver for example, promotes a regional quality of life and that’s what we’ve got to understand and promote.

Another question came from Ken Elkins, Charlotte Business Journal, when he asked Jeff can you share any preliminary findings from the Carolinas Urban Renewal Connections Project. Jeff said that there is a spirit of entrepreneurship in neighboring communities like Shelby. They are embracing their folk history with natives like Earl Scruggs, and its millennials who are recognizing the proximity between Ashville and Charlotte for an active music scene. This is what instills pride and creates place-based economic development.

Karlisa’s final comments focused on the need to truly understand what’s going on and to take a stand. There’s a difference between politics and doing the right thing.

Speaker Write-Up: Kim McMillan; Head Table: Mike Hawley, Jeff Michael, Karlisa Parker Dean; Invocation: Cheryl Banks; Photos: Bert Voswinkel; Introduce Visitors: Bill Bradley; Greeters: Suzie Ford & Chuck Dahlgren CLUB NEWS Jay Westmoreland has been named to the Forbes magazine Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list for North Carolina for the second consecutive year. Catherine Horne shared top priorities for the future of Discovery Place. Tim Flanagan made the CBJs 2019 Most Admired CEOs list in the Financial Services category. Elizabeth Teagarden will be a panelist with Harvey Gantt, Vicki Foster, and Garry McFaddon at a public forum sponsored by the Charlotte International and Charlotte Dilworth South End Rotary Clubs at the International House, 1817 Central Avenue, 6pm-7:30pm on March 25. The discussion is “Building Trust Between Our Community and the Police.” Building Trust Between Our Community and the Police to register for the (free)

event. Update from Eric Davis on support of Florence Aid To Teachers and Students (FAST NC) following Hurricane Florence. Due to the generosity of donors like Charlotte Rotary, over $423,000 has been raised and over 50 grants totalling more than $363,000 have been awarded to replace lost instuctional supplies, equipment, and other teaching aids.

Todd Suzie Ford and (NoDa Brewing Co.) are seeing positive results after years in the works, and months of negotiations behind the scenes, to end a two-year battle over a current law that brewers claim stifles their growth by capping production. Next step is to get the law passed in the House and Senate, followed by the Governor signing. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article227692219.html

HARDING HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB HABITAT PROJECT ADVISORS CHAD LLOYD AND BILL LOFTIN ON HAND TO PROVIDE THEIR SUPPORT

Charlotte Rescue Mission’s Community Matters Café reception. April 7, 2pm-4pm: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-matters-cafe-opening-ceremony-tickets-56667762804?utm_source=Cafe+Opening+Ceremony+Invite+-+March+12%2C+2019&utm_campaign=b02b3b37b9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_03_01_03_21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa40a55895-b02b3b37b9-38471213 .

Warren Kean is preparing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in July 2019 with the seventh group of Rotarians and friends from the US. Each climber has made a commitment to raise $3000 for Rotary International’s END POLIO NOW

campaign. If you would like to support Warren, click here: https://rotary7680kiliclimb.org (click on Warren Kean to make your donation). Charlotte Providence Rotary Club Oyster Roast, BBQ, and Silent Auction on March 23, 5PM-8PM at William R. Davis Park (4623 Pineville-Matthews Rd.). Adults $45 (in advance); Children under 10 are free. Tickets: www.charlotteprovidencerotary.org. MEMBERSHIP 07/01/2018 288 03/19/2019 281 Net Increase: -7 New Members: Resignations: Eric Davis, Carolyn Carlburg, Jenn Gibson Visitors 6 Club Members 120 Total 126 (50.6%)

Guests: Merna Gill, Tripp Pound, Rick Verkamp, Taylor Ferguson BIRTHDAYS (03/28/19 – 04/02/19) 03/28 Alan Simonini 03/30 David Tobin WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES (03/28/2019 – 04/02/19) 04/02 Natasha & LJ Stambuk 04/02 Michaela & Greg Sizemore ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES (03/28/2019 – 04/02/19) 02 years – Carla DuPuy 03 years – George Edmiston 04 years – Valerie Truesdale 16 years – Bill Bradley 17 years – Warren Kean 28 years – Jesse Hite 39 years – George Rohe 42 years – Jeff Searcy UPCOMING PROGRAMS 03/26 – Adam Miller, former US Navy & State Department (Korea – Summits, History, and Culture from the Inside) 04/02 – Johnny Harris, CEO & Chairman, Lincoln Harris (Future of the West Side and Mid-Atlantic) 04/09 – John Williams, CEO of Domtar Corp. (State of the Commercial World [and Brexit]) 04/16 – General James F. (Jim) Amos, Retired; Former Commandant US Marine Corp. Photos from our luncheons and other events can be found on Flickr Click here

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