Detailed Agenda
Detailed Agenda
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12:00 PM-2:00 PM EST
Registration & Networking
Welcome to the 2025 Rural Summit: Securing our Rural Future!
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2:00 PM-3:15 PM EST In-Person Glenwood Ballroom
Welcome & Opening Keynote: Framework for Thriving Rural Communities
Welcome to the 2025 Rural Summit: Securing our Rural Future! Please join us for a special keynote with Chris Estes with the Aspen Institute.
Plenary Speakers:
- Chris Estes, Co-Executive Director, Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group
- Patrick Woodie, President & CEO, NC Rural Center
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3:30 PM-4:30 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 2: Salon D
Leveraging Talent: Hispanic Professionals Advancing North Carolina's Economy
Moderator:
- Lorena Patterson, President, NC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Speakers:
- Daniela Rivera, Executive Director, Farmers Fresh LLC
- Emiliano Portino, CEO, The Brand Building Shop
- Jose Dario Lara, CEO, TechByPro
- Leonar Clavijo, Prospera
Sponsored by :
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3:30 PM-4:30 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 4: City of Oaks Ballroom
Preparing for BEAD: Strategies from Rural Broadband Experts to Prepare your Region for Broadband Deployment
Moderator:
- Jeff Sural, Public Policy Expert, Sural Consulting
Speakers:
- Tracey A. Johnson, Chair, Washington County Board of Commissioners
- Sara Nichols, Energy and Economic Development Program Manager, Land of Sky Regional Council
- Erna Bright, Jr., retired telephone network switching technician
- Angie Bailey, Director, Broadband Infrastructure Office
Sponsored by :
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3:30 PM-4:30 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 3: Salon E + F + G + H
Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders: Connecting Good* People to Good-Paying Jobs
Moderator:
- Dr. Zach Barricklow, AVP of Strategy & Rural InnovationLiaison for Rural Engagement & Research, NC Community College System / Belk Center at NC State
Speakers:
- Kay Freeman, Grant Transfer Coordinator for Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions, Robeson Community College
- Chris Locklear, Workforce Development Specialist, Healthy Resilient Youth - Red Springs
- Leigh Angel, Dean of Health Sciences, Blue Ridge Community College | Health Sciences Center Building
- John Bryant, Vice President for Operations and Supports Services, UNC Health Pardee
Sponsored by :
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3:30 PM-4:30 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 1: Salon A + B + C
Rural Voices, Real Solutions: Public Health Decision-Making Through Community Expertise
Moderator:
- Sabrina McGee, Partnership Manager, MDC Rural Prosperity & Investment
Speakers:
- Dalton Barrett, Program Manager, Edgecombe County Community Paramedic Program
- Tia Foula, Assistant Manager, Nash County
- Tiffany Moore, Behavioral Health Task Force Coordinator, Beaufort County Health Department
Sponsored by :
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6:00 PM-8:00 PM EST In-Person Glenwood Ballroom
Rural Resource Fair & Reception
Featuring heavy hors d'oeuvres, a rural resource fair, and live entertainment.
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8:00 AM-9:30 AM EST In-Person Glenwood Ballroom
Day 2 Opening Plenary: The State of K-12 Rural Education
Moderator:
- Mebane Rash, founding CEO and editor-in-chief, EdNC.org
Plenary Speakers:
- Mo Green, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction
Panelist:
- Cecilia Holden, President and CEO, myFutureNC
- Senator Kevin Corbin, Senator
- Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, President & Executive Director, Public School Forum of North Carolina
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9:45 AM-10:45 AM EST In-Person Breakout Room 4: City of Oaks Ballroom
Faith and Learning: Building Foundations for a Thriving Rural Future
Speakers:
- Rev. Hamid Kamara, Faith in Rural Communities Program Manager, NC Rural Center
- Dr. Heather Kilbourne, Director of Faith in Rural Communities, NC Rural Center
Sponsored by :
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9:45 AM-10:45 AM EST In-Person Breakout Room 2: Salon D
Health Workforce Challenges and a Case Study of Coordinated Action to Turn the Tide
Speakers:
- Brian Floyd, Chief Operating Officer, ECU Health
- Andy MacCracken, Director, NC Center on the Workforce for Health
- Emily McCartha, Research Project Manager, Program for HealthWorkforce Research and Policy, UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Sponsored by :
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9:45 AM-10:45 AM EST In-Person Breakout Room 3: Salon E + F + G + H
Prepared for Disaster: Learning from Helene Recovery for Statewide Business Resilience
Speakers:
- Kasey Ginsberg, Vice President / Chief of Staff, Golden Leaf Foundation
- Matt Raker, Executive Director, Mountain BizWorks
Sponsored by :
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9:45 AM-10:45 AM EST In-Person Breakout Room 1: Salon A + B + C
Rural Housing: The Risks of Heirs' Property and Tips for Untangling
Moderator:
- Erika Bell, Community Development Regional Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Speakers:
- Miles Malbrough, Law Fellow, Wake Forest University School of Law
- Karama Neal, Strategic Project Director, Asset Funders Network (AFN)
- Sara Coplai, Partnerships Officer, WNC Bridge Foundation
Sponsored by :
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11:15 AM-12:15 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 3: Salon E + F + G + H
Expanding Child Care: Strategies and Innovations for Rural Communities
Moderator:
- Lisa Hughes, County Manager, Yadkin County
Speakers:
- Sandi Scannelli, President & CEO, Shallow Ford Foundation
- Carolyn Choplin, Executive Director, Smart Start of Yadkin County
- Bobby Todd, President, Yadkin County Economic Development Partnership
- Kevin Austin, Vice President and Manufacturing Manager, Austin Electrical Enclosures
Sponsored by :
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11:15 AM-12:15 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 1: Salon A + B + C
Securing Funding: Help your Small Business Grow Through SSBCI
Moderator/Speakers:
- Armeer Kenchen, Executive Vice President of Small Business Capital, Executive Director of the Small Business Credit Initiative & CornerSquare Community Capital, North Carolina Rural Center
- Bill Stallings, Chief Revenue Officer, North Carolina Rural Center
Speakers:
- Anthony Edwards, Vice-President and Senior Credit Risk Officer, Skyline National Bank
- Jerrell “J” Deaver Jr., Principal, Just J Consulting
Sponsored by :
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11:15 AM-12:15 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 4: City of Oaks Ballroom
Social Impact Strategies for Healthcare: Leveraging Human-Centered Design and Cross Sector Collaboration to Advance Collective Investments in Social Drivers of Health
In this session, participants will explore strategies for cross-sector collaboration among rural anchor institutions to develop community-led solutions and investments to enhance community well-beingSpeakers:
- Emily Roland, Executive Director, Program Implementation, North Carolina Healthcare Foundation
- Shakeerah McCoy, Director of Rural Health Innovation, North Carolina Healthcare Foundation
- Summer Woodside, Professor & Department Chair, Department of Social Work, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Jacqueline A. Davis, Director, Community Health & Wellness Institute, UNC-Pembroke, College of Health Sciences
Sponsored by :
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11:15 AM-12:15 PM EST In-Person Breakout Room 2: Salon D
Stronger Together: Lessons from Eastern NC for Rural Progress through Collaboration
Speakers:
- Halley Ji-Zhang, AmeriCorps Lead for NC Fellow, Mid-East Commission
- Trey Goodson, Chief Information Officer, NC East Alliance
- Lynn Davis, Town Manager, Town of Belhaven
Sponsored by :
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1:00 PM-2:30 PM EST In-Person Glenwood Ballroom
Closing Plenary - Securing our Rural Future: A Local Governance Perspective
Moderator:
- Jeff Tiberii, Co-Host of "Due South"
- Dave Kaiser, Senior Director of Policy, Advocacy and Innovation, NC Rural Center
Panelist:
- Representative Robert Reives, House Democratic Leader
- Senator Sydney Batch, Senator
- Erica Anderson, Deputy Executive Director, Land of Sky Regional Council
- Jeff Poley, Director of Disaster Services and Rural Economic Development, Office of the State Treasurer
- Denise Canada, Director of Research and Fiscal Policy, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners