2021 Twin Counties Education & Business Leaders’ Summit to be held at NCC

Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership (S.T.E.P.), along with local partners in business and education, will present the Twin-Counties Education & Business Leaders’ Summit on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 from 7:30 – 11:00 AM. The event will be held in the Nash Community College Brown Auditorium.

The Summit brings together area employers, public school systems, community colleges, businesses and community-based organizations to discuss ways to build upon the local talent pipeline by growing workforce awareness, ensuring relevant workforce skills and strengthening relationships with business and industry.

“With this year’s theme of ‘Emerging Stronger’ we will discuss how our new normal will look in a post-pandemic world, while we capitalize on what we learned in the last 15 months,” Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership executive director Pam Gould said. “We know it’s not business as usual and this conversation will help us to emerge stronger as a community.”

Local business and education panelists will share best practices and ideas for responding to local needs, explore how they plan to address disparities and opportunities exposed during the pandemic and expand pathways for talent development.

Education Panelists:
Dr. Steven Ellis, Superintendent, Nash County Public Schools
Dr. Lew Hunnicutt, President, Nash Community College
Dr. Evan Duff, President, North Carolina Wesleyan College
Dr. Valerie Bridges, Superintendent, Edgecombe County Public Schools
Dr. Gregory McLeod, President, Edgecombe Community College

Business Panelists:
Will Kornegay, Founder & CEO, Ripe Revival Market
Toby Lynch, Plant Manager, ABB
Ann Morgan, Senior Partner, Workforce Architects
DeNaide Dickens, Recruiter, Nash UNC Health CareClosing Speaker:
Caroline Sullivan, Executive Director, NC Business Committee for EducationA Resource Fair will feature organizations offering resources focused on helping support and diversify the local workforce and building partnerships for workforce development.Doors will open at 7:30 AM for a networking breakfast followed by the program. Tickets are $20 each, or $500 for a table of eight. Online registration is available at https://www.step-partnership.org/.“The Summit will provide timely updates for employers in all sectors, of all sizes and highlight opportunities that business owners, industry leaders, education partners, and organizations can leverage to help address their business and workforce needs,” Gould said.Special thanks to gold sponsors NC Wesleyan College and silver sponsors Poppie’s and WorldCat.