Greene, Pitt, & Wilson Counties Selected for SET Program
Raleigh, NC ( July 24, 2012) - USDA Rural Development, in conjunction with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Southern Rural Development Center and other state and local partners, have selected two rural multi-county regions in North Carolina to be included in a program called “Stronger Economies Together” (SET). The two selected regional teams are North Carolina’s Eastern Triangle and Sandhills Sustainable Ag Working Group. The Eastern Triangle is composed of Greene, Pitt and Wilson counties and Sandhills is comprised of Lee, Moore and Richmond counties.
SET is a program designed to help regional teams develop new approaches to strengthen and enhance regional economic development activities. The SET program is an opportunity for current or newly formed multi-county teams to receive the latest tools, training, and technical assistance to help their region move forward and take advantage of positive growth and quality of life opportunities.
The selected applicants will receive the following: 1) Valuable intensive strategic planning training for their regional team, including the newly developed “Stronger Economies Together” program, a program designed to help regional teams develop new approaches to strengthen and enhance regional economic development activities; 2) Database tools specifically designed to help the regional teams examine the critical drivers of their region and identify emerging growth sectors and regional competitive advantages; 3) Technical assistance and educational support from the Southern Rural Development Center, Rural Development staff, and North Carolina Cooperative Extension staff; and 4) Other educational and information-sharing opportunities with other SET program participants around the country.
USDA Rural Development has 7 Area Offices and 14 field offices across the state serving North Carolinians living in rural areas and communities. Area Office locations are in Asheville, Shelby, Lumberton, Asheboro, Henderson, Kinston and Smithfield. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office www.rurdev.usda.gov/nc or by visiting the USDA Rural Development website at www.rurdev.usda.gov. If you have specific questions regarding SET, please contact Brian Queen at (919) 873-2072 or email: brian.queen@nc.usda.gov .
North Carolina Cooperative Extension (NCCE) is based at North Carolina’s two land grant institutions, NC State University and NC A&T State University, in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. NCCE gives residents easy access to the resources and expertise of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Through educational programs, publications, and events, Cooperative Extension field faculty deliver unbiased, research-based information to North Carolina citizens. See http://ces.ncsu.edu/ for more information. If you have specific questions regarding SET, please contact Susan Jakes at (919) 515-9161 or email: susan_jakes@ncsu.edu .
