This fall has been busy for the NCGrowth team with seven E-TAP (Entrepreneur Technical Assistance Program) and Economic Development and Research Projects in five North Carolina counties. With support from Kenan Institute staff and university experts, graduate student economic development analysts from ECU, NCCU, and UNC devote one semester or longer to each project. Student analysts will present their final deliverables to the clients at a special event this December at UNC.
Emily Edmonds, a student in UNC’s Online Masters in Public Administration program, worked with the Town of Garysburg to conduct a feasibility study for an agricultural center located in an old elementary school building. Edmonds researched market information, supply and demand, as well as strategies for transitioning longtime tobacco farmers to new crops. Rebecca Dunning, Senior Research Scholar Horticultural Science at NC State and Social and Economic Research and Evaluation Project and Research Director, NC Growing Together supported Edmond’s work and provided case studies to model. Ashley Brown, Research Analyst for the Kenan Institute, helped identify food hub resources.
Working in partnership with Cathy Scott, the Economic Developer for Halifax County, Andrew Trump (UNC MPA/Masters in City and Regional Planning) and Christina Thomas (NCCU JD/MBA) are completing a report on the economic impact of existing businesses in the county. Scott intends for this research to paint a picture of the importance of business retention efforts in Halifax County and in the state. Ashley Brown, Research Analyst at the Kenan Institute, gathered company information and industry trends to assist the project. Additionally, Jessie Maxwell, UNC MBA/Duke MPP, spent the fall determining the feasibility of a foreign trade zone within the county of Halifax. See Maxwell’s blog post on the project.
Read more about our E-TAP projects this fall.