RALEIGH – Nineteen rural North Carolina communities will participate in a new program to boost their economic development capacity, under a pilot initiative from the state’s Department of Commerce.

The initiative, known as Rural Community Capacity or RC2, welcomes its first cohort of participants today, on site in Boone.

Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business is involved in the initiative.  It aims to deliver educational programming, assistance, and guidance to local municipal staff in rural communities in the state.

The initiative is a part of the Commerce Department’s Rural Transformation Grant program, according to a statement from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

For each of the 19 communities, two individuals may participate in the cohort.  Those communities are:

  • Bertie County
  • Hertford County
  • Martin County
  • Town of Archdale
  • Town of Carthage
  • Town of China Grove
  • Town of East Spencer
  • Town of Garysburg
  • Town of Hildebran
  • Town of Jonesville
  • Town of Liberty
  • Town of Mars Hill
  • Town of Marshville
  • Town of Maysville
  • Town of Pilot Mountain
  • Town of Rosman
  • Town of Spruce Pine
  • Town of Vass
  • Town of Wilson Mills

“As we build on North Carolina’s economic development success, we must make sure that success is shared among both urban and rural communities across our state,” said Governor Roy Cooper in a statement.  “This program will strengthen the ability of local governments in rural communities to secure major economic projects and bolster North Carolina’s economy.”

NC Department of Commerce opens $48M fund for rural economic development

Access to training and $48M in grants

According to the Department of Commerce, the program engagement provides communities and their cohort members direct access to other members of the Rural Planning team.  That would include strategic planning processes that are “focused on identifying economic development assets and priorities that are specific to each community,” a statement notes.

“Our rural communities can become stronger and more vibrant places to live and work, but to reach that goal we must build up local governments’ capacity to plan and execute proven economic development strategies,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders in a statement. “This new program, part of Commerce’s efforts to transform rural economies, will equip local governments and their staffs with the education, technical assistance, and implementation grants they need to succeed.”

Any community that completes the curriculum would be eligible to apply for grants through the newly formed Rural Transformation Grant Fund.  This fund was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in Session Law 2021-180 (S.105) contains $48 million for grantmaking.

“Success in economic development takes intentional preparation,” said Kenny Flowers, Commerce’s Assistant Secretary for Rural Development, in a statement. “We know the approaches that work well and lay the groundwork for success, and we’re excited to share these best practices with more local government officials.”