Vision Northwest North Carolina: Driving Regional Progress

  
Economic Development Summit Focused on Northwest North Carolina presented by SkyLine/SkyBest and Carolina West Wireless.

 
The 7th Annual Vision Northwest North Carolina Summit convened on Thursday, May 21, at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute - Watauga, bringing together thought leaders from across the region to tackle one of the most fundamental forces shaping daily life: transportation infrastructure. 

We are grateful to everyone who joined us for the day, and particularly honored by the presence of state leadership whose engagement underscored the significance of these conversations beyond regional borders.

Digital Booklet
Agenda, Speaker Biographies and Information

 

 
Morning Keynote Session

 

 

Featured Guest: Kenny Flowers, Chief Deputy Secretary, North Carolina Department of Commerce

NC COMMERCE FIRST IN OPPORTUNITY STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

 

Keynote Speaker: Joe Milazzo, Executive Director, Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA)

MILAZZO KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
 Click the "+" symbols to expand speaker information, breakout videos, and additional resources.
Morning Breakout 1 

  

Transportation funding and gas tax are shifting, and the State needs new strategies to sustain infrastructure investment for decades ahead. Examine how transportation is financed and future funding models that could replace today's policies. 

Panelists:

  • Dan Gerlach, Economic Development Strategist
  • Mark Newsome, Chief Financial Officer, NC Department of Transportation
  • Patrick Woodie, President/CEO, NC Rural Center

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAXES     NCDOT NC FIRST COMMISSION REPORT

Getting goods, workers, and customers where they need to go is foundational to every sector of our economy. Explore the economic interdependence of trucking, freight, and regional mobility. 

Panelists:

  • LeeAnn Nixon, President, Wilkes Economic Development
  • Chris Roland, Plant Fulfillment Leader, GE Aerospace
From regional airports to greenway systems, alternative transportation networks are opening new pathways across Western North Carolina. Learn how these assets connect communities and attract investment. 

Panelists:

  • Dan Gurley, Principal, DGR Solutions, LLC
  • Eric Payne, Airport Manager, Ashe County Airport
  • Christina Redman, Camp Grier/G5 Trail Collective

 

Morning Breakout 2

 

Transportation funding and gas tax are shifting, and the State needs new strategies to sustain infrastructure investment for decades ahead. Examine how transportation is financed and future funding models that could replace today's policies. 

Panelists:

  • Dan Gerlach, Economic Development Strategist
  • Mark Newsome, Chief Financial Officer, NC Department of Transportation
  • Patrick Woodie, President/CEO, NC Rural Center

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAXES          NCDOT NC FIRST COMMISSION REPORT
Transportation is a workforce issue: without reliable access, workers can't reach jobs and employers can't fill them. This session looks at transportation barriers, CDL licensure, and how construction intersects with regional workforce development. 

Panelists:

  • Scott Hartley, CCC&TI - Truck Driver Training
  • Brian Smith, Director of Environmental Health Safety and Sustainability, Baxter Pharmaceuticals
  • Lucas Underwood, L&N Performance Auto Repair

THE TECHNICIAN SHORTAGE IS A WORKFORCE EMERGENCY
Real projects come with real complications. Hear from firsthand experiences with corridor development, community trust, and what happens when the process is followed (and when it isn't).

Panelists:

  • Ivan Dishman, NC Department of Transportation - Division 11
  • Shane Fox, Town Manager, Caldwell County
 Click the "+" symbols to expand speaker information, breakout videos, and additional resources.
Afternoon Breakout
From community buy-in to funding structures and realistic cost planning, map how transportation projects move from concept to completion across the region's planning organizations. 
VIEW CASE STUDY PRESENTATION

Panelists:

  • David Graham, High Country Council of Governments - Rural Planning Organization
  • Magnolia Long, Foothills Council of Governments - Rural Planning Organization
  • Averi Ritchie, Western Piedmont Council of Governments - Metro Planning Organization
Infrastructure alone won't solve traffic challenges. Take a look at demand management strategies, public transit options, and business incentives that can move more people with fewer vehicles on the road. 

Panelists:

  • Craig Hughes, Director, AppalCart
  • Stephanie Twitty, CEO, Eagle Market Streets Development Corp
  • Scott Garland, Stonewalls Restaurant & Catering

 

Afternoon Keynote Session

 

 

Keynote Panelists:

Matt Calabria, Director, Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC)

GOV ADVISORY COMMITTEE PRESENTATION HELENE PHASE 3 SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES

 

Loren Hill, Economic Development Director, Carolina Core

HILL PRESENTATION

 

Patrick Norman, P.E., Chief Engineer, NC Department of Transportation

NORMAN PRESENTATION

 

Melissa Smith, Senior Vice President, Business Recruitment & Development, EDPNC

Photo Album

Thank you, Sydney Gail Photography!

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD HERE

Please credit Sydney Gail Photography and mention the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce on social media! Thank you for sharing.

 

The event was organized by a regional partnership that includes the Boone Area, Blowing Rock, Alleghany, and Ashe County Chambers of Commerce, Watauga County Economic Development Commission, Appalachian State University, High Country Council of Governments, AppalCART, High Country Workforce Development Board, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Special thank you to DMJPS PLLC, NC Innovation, Lifestore Bank, ERX Emergency Restoration Xperts, Spangler Restoration, Beech Mountain Resort, New River Light & Power, and First Horizon Bank for the additional event support.