Helping Communities Shine

Whether researching and implementing ways to shape a community's economic development plan or partnering to create ways to put people to work, CREC connects researchers and policymakers with:

• Data training
• Custom portfolios that aid regional competitiveness

Project Profile

Future Forward Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Implementation

Future Forward Workforce Alliance of Western North Carolina
Start Date: Oct 2004 — End Date: Oct 2009

The Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER) and the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) was engaged by the Future Forward Economic Alliance Board on a multi-year assignment to help in implementing key elements of the strategic plan.

The work under this project included: an industry growth analysis; a brownfields survey; developable site identification, and facilitation of board and committee activities. CREC was also charged with helping to facilitate the development of key leadership networks throughout the region. As part of this effort, CREC and C2ER helped to leverage $500,000 from federal, state and other sources to support the initiative. Other initiatives related to Future Forward have already attracted approximately $2 million in federal, state, and foundation funding to the region.

About the Client

Future Forward Workforce Alliance of Western North Carolina

Future Forward is a regional economic development initiative aimed at creating a comprehensive economic development strategy for twelve counties in the Western Piedmont and Mountains of North Carolina located in the 10th and 11th Congressional Districts.