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A Community Wrap-Up Edition on Wheels! · Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: A high country healthcare leader becomes the first in western North Carolina to bring a groundbreaking child care partnership to its employees.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: And a significant milestone of the Blue Ridge Parkway gives this community something worth celebrating.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: From the Moon Area Chamber of Commerce, it's a community roundup edition of Mind Your Business.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Mind Your Business, brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for joining us once again this week, whether through the airwaves of WATA here in Boone, or as a subscriber of the podcast version of the program, which is made possible each week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: If you are not yet a subscriber, no problem at all.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Just search for Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: There you can gain access to full archives, occasional bonus content, extended episodes, and plenty, plenty more.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: As we connect you with the business news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Days are a little bit longer.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: The parking lots around town become a bit more full at this time of year because if you have been anywhere near Appalachian State University's campus today, or maybe have plans to throughout the weekend, you will see the telltale signs of graduation season.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Families in from out of town, proud faces everywhere, and unmistakable energy associated with a chapter closing and something new beginning.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Congratulations to the class of 2026.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: We are glad you chose the high country and Appalachian state, and we hope that more than a few of you decide to stick around and make this place your home.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: That energy is fitting for this week's show because we are in a moment where several important community projects and conversations are hitting their own milestones.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: This is one of those weeks where the Roundup format feels right because there's so much going on, and it's all connected to the kind of community that we are working to build and sustain here in the high country.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: We'll start with a story that has been a long time coming and one the chamber has been deeply invested in for several years: child care.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Specifically, how do we make it more affordable and accessible for the working families in our community?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: We have talked about child care as an economic development issue on this program more times than one can count, and for good reason.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: When parents cannot find or afford reliable child care, they cannot show up for work.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: When they cannot show up for work, employers feel it.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: When employers feel it, the entire economy feels it.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: This is not a social services conversation.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: This is all about workforce and business.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: This week, UNC Health Appalachian made history, becoming the first health care system in Western North Carolina to launch a partnership with the North Carolina Tri-Share Program.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: The idea behind Tri-Share is elegant in its simplicity.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: The cost of child care is split three ways between the employer, the employee, and the state of North Carolina.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: What UNC Health Appalachian has done is raise its hand and say, we want to give this a shot.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: And employees have already begun to sign up.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: We'll hear directly from Alicia Price, Chief Human Resources Officer at UNC Health Appalachian about how this partnership came together, how it works, and what it means for the families that it will serve.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Then we will shift to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where two distinct but related conversations are happening at the same time.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: First, the good news: the completion of Section 1B of the Great American Outdoors Act restoration work, running from Parkway School to Bamboo Gap.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: That is a milestone worth marking.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: This is the kind of visible progress that reminds us why advocacy for parkway investment has been such a consistent priority of this chamber for quite some time.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: Secondly, last night the North Carolina Park Service held a public meeting right here in Wataga County to begin scoping conversations around debris removal along the parkway in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: Superintendent Tracy Sword out and a room full of federal, state, and local forestry partners were there talking to the public, and we will share what we feel came out of that conversation.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: And speaking of transportation, we will also preview the agenda for this year's Vision Northwest North Carolina Summit, which is now just less than two weeks away.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: You have been hearing us talk about this event.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: If you've been wondering what exactly is on the agenda, we are going to answer that question in full.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_01: The lineup of speakers and sessions this year is as good as we have ever put together for this event.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: It is a full show.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: We've got plenty to cover.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: You are listening to mind your business.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm David Jackson.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: Before we get into one of the more meaningful workforce stories to come out of the high country in quite some time, let's take a moment to spotlight the local resource that helps businesses find their best tools when it comes to space.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's James Milner and Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Boone area and beyond.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: For more information, you can check them out on the web at AppalachianCRE.com.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: Leaders in Watauga County and across the high country have been talking child care as an economic development issue for nearly eight years.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: And this week, this conversation produced something real.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: UNC Health Appalachian, one of our region's largest employers, launched a partnership with the North Carolina Tri-Share program, making it the first health care system in Western North Carolina to bring this kind of child care support to its workforce.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: The program is a one-year pilot, and employees have already begun to sign up for this new opportunity.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: Partnering employees will see one-third of their child care tuition covered by UNC Health Appalachian, with the remaining cost shared between the employee and the state of North Carolina.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: Local providers, Kid Cove at Lynn Hill and the Hugh Chapman Early Learning Center in Avery County, are partners in this effort, with spots being held specifically for eligible UNC Health Appalachian employees.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: Alicia Price is the Chief Human Resources Officer at UNC Health Appalachian, and she explains how this project came about.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_03: We have definitely heard from our employees consistently that access to affordable, reliable child care has been one of the biggest barriers to either staying with us or when we're trying to recruit employees in.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_03: Also with healthcare, it's 24-7.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: So our teams work around the clock.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_03: So finding childcare that has the ability to maybe flex their hours to work with our employees that are coming in at seven and leaving at seven, it makes it more complex.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_03: So finding a partner that has the ability to extend hours in the future is something that we also wanted to look at.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: I know that you, like so many of us, have become so well versed in all of the complexities of opening a child care facility.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll we'll talk more specifically about Tri-Share as an option here in a moment.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: But can you kind of walk us down maybe some of the different applications that you have researched in trying to think about how the hospital could provide this service?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so this has been several.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_03: We've been talking about this for several years, honestly.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um we've looked at several different options.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we reviewed a company that would bring in pre-fab uh modular centers to look at, you know, is this something that we could bring in, a quick fix for a building on our campus to offer childcare.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_03: We've looked at one of our uh buildings that we had right down the street from our uh Wataga hospital.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_03: And then unfortunately, that that building took a hit during Hurricane Helene.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: We've spoken with outside childcare companies that wanted to come into Boone, but we really, you know, tried to focus on finding some local partners.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: So we've looked at several different options, and the fact that we found some uh partners locally with the Tri-Share option just seems to be the best solution for us at this time.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: So, Tri-Share as a concept, this is not necessarily something that's on everybody's uh uh radar as far as uh a child care uh offering at this point in time.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: What can you tell us about it and what was attractive about it from the hospital's perspective?
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: So we learned about Trash Share through the chamber, and uh personally I learned about it also through the uh Wataga Children's Council.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um this stood out to us because it creates more of a shared investment.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_03: So the employer, the employee, and the state all contribute a third of the child care cost.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: That makes the program more sustainable and more uh affordable for our employees, and it also expands access for everyone.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: You have seen a lot of interest in this already.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: What has the early response told you about number one, the need, but number two, the um enthusiasm in which employees are are seeking this benefit?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_03: So we launched on Monday and we've had a little bit of a glitch with the website, but it's fixed now.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_03: But I've had several employees reach out, um, email and over the phone wanting to apply.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_03: I know that um KidCove has also received a couple of phone calls about people who are interested.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I think one of my aha moments uh that happened earlier this week is when I had an employee call me to get more details, and they specifically asked me uh the cost of the program and what this really meant for um her specific situation as a single single parent.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_03: And when I told her the the cost for child care and then what her cost would typically be a month at the one-third pricing, uh she was in tears about you know what this meant for her and her family and um her children, and was just super excited about the possibility of being selected to be a part of this tri share uh pilot.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: Let's talk a little bit about eligibility and and how that works across your workforce.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: Who's eligible and and and how is that determined?
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, so you have to be a full-time employee and have been employed with us for at least six months to apply, and then you also have to meet the TRI-share program eligibility requirements when it comes to income levels.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: When you look across your workforce, you are spread in a couple of different counties across a variety of facilities.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you've got some partner agencies that are working with you.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, uh you mentioned Kid Cove Lynn Hill and the Hugh Chapman Center over in Avery County.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: Why was it important to the hospital to make sure that you had multiple locations that were able to help the employees that were getting enrolled in Trash Air?
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_03: We wanted to make sure that we weren't just focusing on one group of employees.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_03: We wanted to make sure that we were supporting entire families, local child care providers, and the broader region of our workforce.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: We wanted to make sure that we had identified before we rolled out the pilot locations in both Avery County and Wataga County, and just super excited to partner with local providers, uh Kid Cove Atland Hill and the Hugh Chapman Early Learning Center.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um they're both uh high star facilities and um strong child care systems that are currently in our area.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: When you talk about the pilot aspect of this, this is uh has been stated, it's a year-long program.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: What kind of data are you looking for from the hospital's perspective to say this is a worthy investment?
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: So we intentionally launched this as a small pilot because we wanted to learn uh first of first and foremost the employees' experience.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: We want to measure the impact as it relates to turnover, absenteeism, um, and then make sure that we can build something that can grow that can grow responsibly that we would be able to continue.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when when you talk about tracking that from a from a retention standpoint, what's been the past experience with that?
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: How much does child care come up as a barrier for you uh recruiting and retaining employees?
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_03: We actually started uh tracking this specifically right out a year ago, maybe a little bit less back in the fall, because we were hearing that childcare was an issue and we knew that we were losing employees specifically due to not being able to find child care or child care being so far away and people were having to drive.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um so we started tracking this.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_03: We added this code to our system, and it's been interesting over the last um since September of 2026, we have lost uh 16 employees specifically related to child care concerns or child care barriers.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: And and I would imagine that with the uh skill level that your employees have to carry, it's not just as simple as putting a job description in the newspaper and filling those jobs.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's got to make it even more complex, right?
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's exactly right.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_03: Some of our uh turnover has been in very high expertise uh medical roles where it is not easy to backfill.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_03: Um either we just we don't have the recruitment pool here, we don't have the schools um in this area.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_03: So backfilling the positions have been very difficult.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we've had to bring in contract labor um to cover these openings.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, it's and it's positions, honestly, David, it's positions um across the facility.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_03: Everything from RNs to ultrasound techs to medical office assistance, food and nutrition, the the variety of positions or people, I should say the variety of people that are leaving due to childcare is across the board.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_03: It's not in one particular area.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: So for other employers in the high country that are paying attention to this conversation now, uh they they see obviously the visibility of the second largest employer in the county taking on a project like this and and creating a partnership to make this hopefully a very valuable resource.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: What would you say to those employers that are saying, hey, maybe maybe this is for us?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: How how do they get involved?
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh what are those initial steps look like?
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, well, first I want to say we didn't enter this partnership because child care is a nice-to-have benefit.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um we definitely went into this because child care access, it directly impacts um whether or not people can show up to work, whether they can be engaged, um, and build long-term careers here in our community.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I think this tri share program is a fantastic benefit.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_03: It is a way to start the conversation and and start the process of looking like a long-term solution with uh child care partners, what it would look like.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_03: And so I definitely think it's also been an easy process to uh reach out to the TriShare regional coordinator and have the conversation about how do we get started and how do we set up the dashboard.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_03: All of that's been super easy.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: So it really isn't a barrier.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I would encourage people to look into the to the program and evaluate um whether or not it would be beneficial for their staff.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: I would also say that that since we haven't spoken to you since the hospital became a certified family forward employer, you all have been paying a lot of attention to the benefits that you offer to employees and refining those and making sure they're up to date.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: How much are people looking at that in the recruitment process now?
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, when you're onboarding employees, how much does stuff like this come up?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, we're we're really happy that we have um been able to get all of our certified stickers on the doors at our facility.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_03: We're proud to advertise that we are family forward certified.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_03: We've changed all of our job postings and highlighted um some of the benefits that we have added to try to um get some traction on recruitment and um helping people really look at the high country and see what all we can offer uh that that we are a family-friendly organization.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um and this is just gonna be one more thing that we can um that we can advertise and that we can talk about that we're proud of that we're helping uh people with a child care need.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: Last question for you a year from now, when this pilot is over, what what do you hope that it has achieved?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_03: First and foremost, I hope it shows that we are an organization that wants to truly support our um employees uh and families, that we are so that we are offering a supportive, family-friendly environment.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_03: I also hope, of course, that it helps reduce some of our turnover and uh that we have some uh good recruitment solutions, being able to maybe eventually offer this more than just a pilot, uh, that we can recruit some of our um hard-to-fill positions and that we can continue uh to offer this benefit to our staff.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we appreciate the leadership role that you all have taken in this.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it it takes a visible employer to move some of these conversations sometimes, and you certainly have uh have fit that bill, and we look forward to seeing the progress of this over the next year and appreciate the insights here today.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks to Alicia for spending some time with us and detailing a child care win here in Watauga County and another set of evidence about how our area leads these conversations in the state of North Carolina.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: We'll take a quick break and head over to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: Right after this, you are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: I'm David Jackson.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: We shift now to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where two significant things are happening at the same time.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: Both are attention grabbers.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: The first one is worth celebrating.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: Section 1B of the Great American Outdoors Act restoration work, running from Parkway School to Bamboo Gap, right here in Watauga County.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: That work has been completed.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: This is meaningful progress on this multi-year effort to restore one of the most traveled scenic corridors in the entire country.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: The chamber has been a consistent advocate for this investment.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: When sections get done, we want to celebrate.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: These are not small projects and they have become a lot more complicated with Hurricane Helene's impact laying over top.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: This federal investment in infrastructure matters deeply to the long-term stability of the Blue Ridge Parkway and its impact on our tourism economy.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: We also note that this particular section from Parkway School to Bamboo Gap is a significant piece of our local transportation infrastructure.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: So while the parkway is many things, it's beautiful, it's scenic, it's a magnet for visitors, it is also essential to our locals moving around the community, and we can already see the traffic alleviation from this area being open once again.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: At the same time, the work ahead, significant on another front.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: Thursday night, the National Park Service held a public scoping meeting here in Wataga County to talk about the formal process of debris removal along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout was in the room along with staff from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and the National and State Forestry Services.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: All of those folks engage directly with the public during the meeting, taking questions and walking through several displays about what comes next.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: Scoping meetings like Thursday nights are how large federal projects often get discussed in communities like ours.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: They are part of the information process and hopefully not meant to be the end of that process.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: The level of interagency presence in the room was a signal that this is a collaborative effort amongst a host of federal agencies and departments, again, including the National Park Service, U.S.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: Forestry, and the Department of the Interior.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: The chamber will continue to monitor closely and keep you up to date as timelines take shape.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: You can stay current at nps.gov slash BLRI.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: That's the Blue Ridge Parkway's direct website.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: And we will keep links to relevant topics regarding this project at Boonechamber.com as well.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody's talking about what their takeaways were from this meeting, quite a bit.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Of chatter after the meeting.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know that one.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_01: The meeting after the meeting.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: Quite a bit of discussion about this after the meeting Thursday night.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: Here are a few of the takeaways that we came away with.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: This meeting, first of all, included about a hundred members of the public, several local public officials and environmental agencies were in the room throughout the evening.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: Transparency.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: That is going to be paramount moving forward.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: When we talk about debris removal, there was plenty of conversation about what would be taken away, whether that was on the ground or vegetation still standing, how crews intend to get to some of these locations.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: Transparency and communication.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: Those will be the watchwords.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: If federal monitors are to be a part of the process to ensure environmental integrity, how will their work be reported, good and bad?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: And what does the method of communication look like between project leadership and the general public?
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: Those are questions we hope to see answers to soon.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: Timelines.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: Nothing definitive here yet.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: This depends on contractor availability.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: The best bet as of now to anticipate a late summer start date with strategic planning to ensure popular areas are as distraction-free as possible during fall leaf season.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: There are going to be expected lane closures and slowdowns due due to equipment maneuvering as the project moves forward.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: And again, those will come into shape once the timeline is established.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: What comes after the clean out of material?
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: Where does it go?
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: How will the forest be restored?
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: And who is doing that work?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: All questions that were asked with partial answers.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: The Parkway website does feature some information about the multi-year nature of the restoration, especially what happens after debris has been removed.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: There's an anticipated one to two year process on the debris removal and an expected one to two year process on restoration.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: That wasn't talked about as much as the debris removal in the public meeting, largely because the debris removal is going to come first.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: However, restoration of these public lands is going to be incredibly important to this region, especially for those of us that recreate on the parkway.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: You want to know how it's all going to be put back together.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: Finally, what local inputs exist here?
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: Is there an opportunity for local job creation with secured contractors to ensure some local representation is on the cruise that may better know these areas?
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: Also, how will federal agencies and partners communicate with local environmental advocates like Mountain True, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, and the Blue Ridge Conservancy, among others?
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: These are areas that we will continue to monitor.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: The chamber's continued advocacy within the state and federal levels as it relates to this project will be at the forefront on our minds.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: So while we can't answer every question right now, we can at least tell you what some of those questions were in the room, and you can rest assured that as we find out information, we will pass it along to you in as timely a fashion as possible.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_01: For more information, again, stay tuned to Boonchamber.com.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_01: You are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_02: Are you a young professional looking to expand your network?
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_02: The High Country Young Professionals, affectionately dubbed the High Country YoPros, is a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40 serving in various industries across the high country.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_02: Join us for our casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m.
• 25:27
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• 25:29
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• 25:31
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• 25:37
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• 25:39
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• 25:48
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• 25:49
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• 25:55
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• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: The theme of transportation continues to move its way through this episode.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: Specifically now, the agenda for the seventh annual Vision Northwest North Carolina Economic Development Summit, which is set for Thursday, May 21st at the Wataga campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, right here in Boone.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: Doors open at 8 in the morning.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_01: The day runs through 3 o'clock in the afternoon with breakfast, lunch, and afternoon reception, and a full day of conversation about transportation in between.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: Think about some of the things that we've covered on this week's episode.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: The Blue Ridge Parkway.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's of course a transportation corridor.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: Debris removal and restoration along the parkway.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's a logistics conversation.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: The Tri-Share program.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: At their core, all of these discussions are about making sure workers can reliably get to work.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: Transportation is the underpinning of all of this.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: And that's exactly why this year's theme of Vision Northwest North Carolina is called Driving Regional Progress, and it feels very well timed.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: This year's summit, once again, presented by Skyline SkyBest and Carolina West Wireless, with additional support coming from DMJPS, Life Store Bank, ERX Emergency Restoration Experts, Beach Mountain Resort, Spangler Restoration, New River Light and Power, and First Horizon Bank.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: The event is organized by a regional partnership that includes multiple chambers of commerce across Northwest North Carolina, the Watauga Economic Development Commission, Appalachian State University, the High Country Council of Governments, our good friends at AppleCart, the High Country Workforce Development Board, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: That's the kind of heft that you want in the room when we're having conversations about such an important piece of our economic picture.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: Now, here's what the day is going to look like.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: The morning keynote, sponsored by Carolina West Wireless, will feature two speakers.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: Kenny Flowers, the Chief Deputy Secretary at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, will open the day for us.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_01: Kenny led the state's rural economic development division for nearly a decade.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: His team generated more than$715 million in grant awards, supporting over 2,000 projects and 28,000 jobs across North Carolina during his tenure.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: He knows how money moves through the state toward communities like ours, and he's going to set the table for the day ahead, included in that, the North Carolina Department of Commerce new strategic plan and how transportation lays into that.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: Joining him is Joe Malazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance out of the Research Triangle Raleigh area.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's an organization that has advocated for and seen through more than three billion dollars in transportation priorities.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: Joe has built a playbook for how regional business communities push transportation projects across the finish line.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: And that's some of what we're talking about trying to do here in Northwest North Carolina.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_01: From there, the day moves into blocks of breakout sessions, three tracks in each one running parallel, each covering a distinct angle on transportation and its impact on the region.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: That first block includes a session called All Roads Lead to Money, and it's being offered twice during the day because of anticipated demand, which tells you a little something about tax dollars.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: This one is about how transportation is funded in North Carolina and where that funding model is headed.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: The gas tax, the largest driver of NC DOT funding, is under pressure as vehicles become more fuel efficient and electric vehicles grow in number.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: What replaces that revenue stream?
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_01: This session will feature Mark Newsome, Chief Financial Officer of North Carolina DOT, along with Patrick Woody of the North Carolina Rural Center and economic strategist Dan Gerlock.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: If you care about how Northwest North Carolina gets infrastructure dollars and transportation dollars in the years ahead, this is the room you want to be in.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: The second session in that first block of breakouts is called Ways Business Moves Throughout the Region.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's a look at economic interdependence of freight, trucking, and regional mobility.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: Getting goods, workers, and customers where they need to go is foundational to every sector of our economy.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: And this session puts that conversation front and center with panelists from the Wilkes Economic Development Commission and GE Aerospace in Ash County.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: The third session of the opening block is called Planes, Trains and Greenways, a conversation about regional airports in the area, greenway systems, and the alternative transportation networks that are opening new pathways across Western North Carolina.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: Panelists include representatives from the G5 Trail Collective, Ash County Airport, and Transportation Planning Consultants.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: If your view of transportation extends beyond the road, this is where you want to be.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: The second breakout block that will run from 11 till just before noon offers three more sessions.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_01: All roads lead to money will be repeated here by what we anticipate to be popular demand.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_01: Alongside that, pathways to employment takes on transportation as a workforce issue directly, because without reliable access, workers cannot reach jobs and employers cannot fill those jobs.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: The session looks at transportation barriers, CDL licensure, and how construction intersects with regional workforce development, with panelists from Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute's truck driver training program, LN Performance Automotive Repair from Blowing Rock will be featured, as well as representatives from Baxter Pharmaceuticals down in the Marion area.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: The third session in that block is called The Road Traveled, Lessons Learned.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_01: This is where panelists share firsthand experience with corridor development, community trust, and what happens when the process is actually followed.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_01: And what happens when sometimes it's not exactly followed.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: We'll have some stories of success from NCDOT's Division 11, in case you're curious.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's our division.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll get some insight into future projects from leaders of Caldwell County as they contemplate 321 widening in and around Lenore and beyond.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_01: After lunch and networking, the afternoon breakout block brings three final sessions before the closing keynote.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: What makes a successful project will feature planning organization leaders from across the region, including the High Country Council of Governments, mapping out how transportation projects move from concept to completion and what community buy-in actually looks like in that practice.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_01: We can't build our way out of congestion.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_01: Takes a hard look at demand management, public transit options, and how businesses can help move more people with fewer vehicles on the road.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: Apple Cart Director Craig Hughes will be in that session along with leaders from Eagle Market Street's development, and we'll get the local business perspective from Scott Garland out at Stonewalls in Banner Elk.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: The third afternoon session: communicating around the detour.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_01: This is one that should hit close to home for people in this community.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's how local businesses and residents are often among the last to know when a project affects their area, and how better communication can change that.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: That panel features Carolyn Ward of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Jesse Pope of Grandfather Mountain, two leaders who know as well as anyone what it means to operate a major destination around transportation disruption.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: We'll also hear directly from North Carolina DOT on that panel with our Division 11 Board of Directors member, Megan Phillips.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: The day wraps up with an afternoon keynote presented by Skyline SkyBest, featuring Patrick Norman, Chief Engineer of North Carolina DOT, along with a closing panel that includes Matt Calabria, director of the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, and leaders from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and Carolina Corps, as we discuss the real decision-making authority in the room and the kind of conversation that can shape what comes next in terms of transportation priorities for the entire Northwest region.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_01: Admission is$110 for Vision Northwest North Carolina.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: That includes everything breakfast, lunch, the afternoon reception, recordings from all of the sessions for later viewing, and plenty more.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: Registration is open now at Boonchamber.com.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_01: This is the conversation about how the region moves quite literally and economically.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_01: And we want to see a full house on May 21st.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_01: We are back to wrap this episode.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: After this, you are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: We will close out this episode as we often do with a few things worth having on your chamber calendar.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_01: First results in from last week's Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Classic at Jefferson Landing.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_01: By all accounts, a great day on the course.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_01: Congratulations to our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_01: James Miller include the winning team.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_01: Actually broke a tie for first place with our friends from Appalachian Mini Story, the Maxies right there until the end.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_01: James Miller and the team victorious, thanks to all teams that participated and every sponsor that made the day possible.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_01: Proceeds directly support the community work of the Food Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: And we are grateful for that.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_01: Next week, another busy one business after hours schedule for Thursday, May 14th.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: We are heading to Grandfather Mountain.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: If you've never attended a multi-chamber event, this is the one you want to come to.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: Ash County, Avery County, the Food and Blowing Rock area, Burke County, among those chambers in attendance so you can amplify the message of your business throughout the region.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: Register online today at Boodchamber.com.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_01: We expect a couple hundred people in attendance at that event.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_01: And just as we talked in detail, we're not too far away from Vision Northwest, North Carolina.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_01: That's the following week, May 21st.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_01: If you have not registered yet, do that today.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_01: Space is limited.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_01: You can do that online at boothchamber.com.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: That does it for this episode of MindYour Business.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_01: This program was written and produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks to WATA for putting us back on the airwaves each and every week.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_01: And thanks as always to James Milner and the victorious golf team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you are not yet a subscriber, search for Mind Your Business wherever you get those podcasts.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_01: You can also visit us online anytime at Boonechamber.com.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_01: Until next week, so long, everybody.