Watauga Economic Development Commission Adopts Resolution Supporting MyFuture NC Attainment Goal
The Watauga Economic Development Commission unanimously adopted a resolution in support of myFutureNC’s goals for post-secondary degree attainment for Watauga County. The measure was adopted at the January meeting of the Watauga EDC, held January 18, 2024, in the Blue Ridge Energy Community Room.
The resolution states the Watauga EDC supports and endorses myFutureNC’s state-wide attainment goal that 2 million North Carolinians should have a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030. The resolution also supports the local adoption of myFutureNC’s educational attainment goal of 13,384 individuals with a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030 in Watauga County.
The Watauga EDC pledged to work along with leaders in education, business, state and local government, and community organizations to continue to foster collaboration to achieve the goal by developing an action plan, defining success with measurable outcomes, executing on the action plan, and sharing successful practices with myFutureNC and peer communities.
Dr. Kim Case, Impact Manager for myFutureNC’s Northwest region, will work with local leaders to identify opportunities and implement strategies toward the attainment goals. Both the Watauga County Board of Commissioners and Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have adopted similar resolutions of support.
“We have been talking for quite a long time about the workforce challenges that we face now and in the future,” said Joe Furman, Director of Economic Development for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “The adoption of this resolution helps reaffirm our community’s commitment to matching skills with the job needs of our region. We are fortunate to have such a high-performing public school system in our county, and Watauga County Schools already has great lines of communication with post-secondary educators like Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute and Appalachian State University. The community adoption of this resolution will only bring more awareness to our workforce needs and more willingness for partnership as we look to educate our future workforce.”
Following the adoption of the resolution, the Watauga EDC heard a presentation from Dr. Leslie Alexander, Superintendent of Watauga County Schools. She was quick to point out to Watauga County Schools high performance in many of the key indicators myFutureNC measures in counties across the state, and credited classroom teachers for setting the tone for that performance. Dr. Alexander also expressed a willingness to find new ways to grow and communicate opportunities for credential attainment, especially those that can be earned while in high school and transferred toward further degree completion at other institutions or programs.
The Watauga EDC closed the meeting by electing to cancel its scheduled February 15th meeting in order for members to attend an event in Lenoir, NC, hosted by myFutureNC on the State of Educational Attainment. Meeting location and details for March will be communicated at a later date.
For more information about the Watauga Economic Development Commission, contact Joe Furman at 828-264-2225 or by emailing joe@boonechamber.com.