In 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the NC East Alliance (NCEA), the staff and board of directors began the process of evaluating its mission to best serve the people, businesses, and industry that make up the eastern region of North Carolina. Since then, the pandemic has shut down normal activities. This break allowed NCEA the time to take a “deep dive” into evaluating the needs of the businesses and industry in our region. We took this time to ponder on how to better marry up those needs with the need for quality, good paying jobs and careers for the people of eastern North Carolina. A quality workforce is critical for the viability and financial health of local industry and institutions (current and future). Quality, good paying jobs are equally critical to the overall well-being of the people of our region.

These priorities will guide all future operations and mission of the NC East Alliance:

1. Maximize and leverage the existing assets of the Region to our maximum benefit (people, culture, natural landscape, industry, and institutions).

2. Helping our existing industries to maximize their success is critical to our Region. Helping our existing populous to tap into ever improving opportunities is equally critical to the improvement of the region.

3. Workforce Development – We will dive deeper than ever before in developing and connecting local talent to existing industry and vice versa.

4. Regional Advocacy and Connectivity. We will convene and develop teams to tackle specific problems and maximize assets throughout Eastern NC.

5. Focused Recruitment and Innovating locally in Eastern NC:

a. Supply chain recruitment specific to Existing Industry needs

b. Entrepreneurial development specific to local needs

c. Global entrepreneurial recruitment

Our county and other economic development partners will see NC East Alliance become more visible in the Region. We will be convening and facilitating critical conversations and programs. Our goal is to nibble at foundational discrepancies that keep all of us from maximizing our potential. We are here to partner with you, not compete. Our two primary regional partners, ECU and Vidant, want NC East Alliance to support their activities in their 29 county regional footprints. Consequently, we will work with any economic development entity, governmental agency, institution, industry, or education partner in this 29-county footprint for the betterment of all of Eastern NC. The NC East Board approved staff to begin renewed fundraising activities effective today. We look forward to supporting and partnering with all our partners throughout Eastern NC, as we welcome in a rising tide that lifts all boats.