It Is All About The
Partnerships
H. James Owen and Lee Proctor
Piedmont Community College
RCCI 2006 Institute
Piedmont Community College
• PCC is a multi-campus two-year college with a technical
emphasis serving the North Carolina counties of Person
and Caswell, with a consolidated population of
approximately 60,000 persons. The College is located 40
miles north of the booming Research Triangle Park and
50 miles northwest of the Piedmont Triad. PCC has an
enrollment of approximately 2100 FTE, with an annual
budget in excess of $19 million. It is one of 58 colleges in
the North Carolina Community College System. Over
8,500 people are served annually through the College's
programs.
College Mission Statement
The mission of Piedmont Community
College, a public two-year institution that
provides diverse educational opportunities
in a learner-centered environment, is to
serve the citizens of Person and Caswell
counties by improving the quality of life by
providing life long learning opportunities
and acting as a catalyst for economic
development.
Caswell County
• Caswell County is located in the northern
Piedmont region of North Carolina,
bordered by Virginia to the north, Person
County to the east, Orange and Alamance
Counties to the south, Guilford to the
southwest and Rockingham to the west.
The county seat Yanceyville is home to a
beautiful ante-bellum courthouse built
around 1861. Both Milton and Yanceyville
boast National Register historic districts
Caswell County Continued…
• Low-wealth County
• Tier 1
• 76% of working population leaves the
county to work
• Economy tied to Tobacco and Textiles
• Largest Employer is state and local
government
Person County
Person County borders the State of Virginia to its north. It is
bordered by Caswell County to the west, Durham and Orange
counties to the south, and Granville County to the east. Person
County is a 20 mile by 20 mile square. Roxboro, the county
seat, is at the geographic center.
Person County residents live within a one-hour drive of two
large and growing metropolitan areas: the Triangle (Raleigh,
Durham, and Chapel Hill) and the Triad (Greensboro, WinstonSalem, and High Point). A major international airport, RaleighDurham International, and North Carolina's "high-tech"
industrial center, Research Triangle Park (RTP), are also only
minutes from the heart of Person County.
Person County Continued…
• Tier 3
• 40% of working population leaves the
county to work
• Economy tied to Tobacco and Textiles and
the Auto Industry
• Largest Employer is a Provider of Textiles
for the Auto Industry
First Mistake
Two Counties together for one Project
• Hard Feelings
• Going Different Directions
• No Natural Tie to One Another
Caswell County Project
• North Carolina Department of Commerce
enters the project with a 21 Century Grant
• Strategic Planning Group Re-worked
• County Commissioners join project
• Work begins on Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan Major Areas
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Marketing and Promotions
Agriculture
Outreach
Economic Development
Education
County Infrastructure - Water and
Broadband Deployment
Marketing and Promotions
21st Century Development Corporation
• Combined existing Non-profit Corporation
with the 21st Century/RCCI project. The
purpose is to carry on the projects
identified in the Strategic Plan
Agriculture
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Caswell County Agro-Expo
Partnership with NCSU, NC A&T
Leadership from Ag Extension Office
Fall of 2005 – Second Annual
Outreach
• Expand the base of involvement in the
project
• 21st Century Development Corporation
involves a more diverse group
Economic Development
• DOC and County partner to develop
industrial park
• Economic Development Office and PCC
partner for Tourism Grant from RCCI
• DOC, Yanceyville, and PCC partner for a
Public Safety Training Facility
Education
• PCC Partners with a number of state
agencies to develop a certified work force
with the NC Career Readiness Certificate
• DOC, PCC, and Yanceyville Partner to
develop training facility
Infrastructure
• Broadband Foundation
• Project has yet to materialize following
creation of the Caswell Broadband
Foundation
Person County
• Partnered with Kenan-Flager School of
Business at UNC to develop Strategic
Plan
• Project still on-going
• Preliminary Report by end of Spring
• Dr. Johnson’s involvement
Sharing of Stories
Conclusion
• Positive Outcomes
• Things We Would Have Done Differently
• Where We Go From Here