NC Lt. Governor Walter Dalton's Blog

November 18^th marked the first regional meeting of the Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission.  The meeting was held at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston and was attended by more than 150 people.  During the meeting, the commission heard presentations from many people from the Northeast regional community ranging from economic developers to educators.  Some of the people we heard from included: 

·         Vann Rogerson, President and CEO of the Northeast Commission, who discussed the different economic development clusters of the area and current and future projects in those areas

·         A panel discussion which looked at ways to foster “Future-Ready Graduates.”  The panel included Dr. Tony Habit, Director of the New Schools Project; Johnny Jacobs controller of Nucor Steel; Dr. Tom Daly, Superintendent of Martin County Schools; Dr. Willie Gilchrist, Chancellor of Elizabeth City State University; and Dr. Ervin Griffin, President of Halifax Community College

·         Dr. Chip Zullinger, Superintendent of Bertie County Schools, and  Jim Guard also discussed an agriculture-based early college program in Bertie County

The input that we received from the presenters and members of the audience shows us that we are on the right track.

The event was covered by multiple news organizations, including WITN television, which posted the following video: http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/70418567.html

Over the coming months, we will be holding six more regional meetings across the state.  Our next meeting will be December 11^th in Kannapolis at the North Carolina Research Campus.

If you would like more information about the JOBS commission and its plan of work, the following is the legislation establishing the commission: http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2009/Bills/Senate/PDF/S1069v5.pdf

Through a partnership between the Golden LEAF Foundation, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and the Center for Community Self-Help, a program has been established which will provide loans to assist small businesses during difficult economic times.  Both the Golden LEAF Loan Program and the Rural Center Loan Program will be administered by Self-Help and will be able to provide roughly $27.5 million in loans to North Carolina business owners.

I worked diligently with the General Assembly to have $500,000 appropriated to the Rural Center for programs to benefit small businesses and I am glad to see that it is being used in conjunction with this larger initiative.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and this is a great program to assist them in remaining viable during times of hardship. 

For more information about how to apply for these loans, please contact Self-Help Senior Loan Officer Jane Hatley at 828-771-2817 or by e-mail at jane.hatley@self-help.org

I'm excited to announce that today, Governor Perdue and I launched the North Carolina e-Learning portal.  This website provides links connecting students, parents, teachers and citizens with the numerous electronic and web-based learning opportunities offered by various educational partners across the state.  Through the site students of all ages will be able to access educational curriculum outside of the traditional classroom setting.  The site is certainly a dramatic step forward for education in North Carolina, and as chair of the e-Learning Commission, I hope to continue to grow the educational opportunities provided to all North Carolinians through the utilization of technology.

The site can be found at http://www.elearningnc.gov

Excitement is building about the launch of the JOBS Commission on Monday, October 12.  JOBS stands for Joining Our Businesses and Schools, and it’s a new legislative commission that will explore how to more closely link the curricula of early college high schools with business needs in the state’s economic development regions.  I’ve been traveling the state visiting early colleges and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen.  Last week I visited the Wake Early College Health and Sciences on the WakeMed campus in Raleigh, and it’s a great example of a public/private partnership that works.  I think we need to see more of marriages of private sector resources with the public schools as we go forward, with the curriculum tied more tightly to workforce needs.

The Commission also is going to be focusing on how to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education in the public schools.  All of this is intended to help prepare students for 21^st Century jobs and to raise the level of the workforce.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone, and it’s what we need to do to stay ahead of the competition for new jobs and development.

I chair the JOBS Commission, and we’ll be launching with an orientation session in the state capital on Monday and Tuesday and getting out to all of the state’s economic development regions within the next year.  I hope to see you at one of these regional meetings to talk about how we can strengthen the ties between education and business.

We all know the dangers associated with cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.  Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in America.  Cardiovascular disease is a strain on our health care system as well as our citizens and families.  The estimated direct and indirect cost of coronary heart disease is $165 billion annually.   

The best way to keep our hearts healthy and avoid cardiovascular disease is to follow a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a good diet.  That’s an area where we can all do better.  You can lower your heart disease risk by as much as 82 percent through your nutrition, fitness and health choices.  Your heart is in your hands.

To encourage all of us to take care of our hearts and stay fit and healthy, the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association has launched The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge.  It is a 12-week program where you can work toward heart health through fitness choices, health choices or both.  You earn points for participating in physical activities or for making smart nutrition choices.  At the end of 12 weeks, each participant who meets the points goals receives a medal.

 Take the challenge today and get started on the path to staying fit and healthy.

Last week I traveled to Duplin County to visit James B. Kenan School of Engineering in Warsaw. This high school is one of ten statewide targeted to focus on science, technology, engineering and math as a way to improve academic performance.

I had a chance to meet with teachers, students, parents and administrators about the school and the changes it has undergone. Teachers told me how the interactive teaching method used in the school, where classrooms are filled with discussion and hands-on learning, has helped them reach students in ways they never thought possible. Students told me how they had lost interest in academics before this new approach to teaching and learning drew them back in. Parents told me about the hope that they feel for their children as they learn new skills and gain confidence.

As a member of the State Board of Education and a longtime advocate for public schools, this was an exciting visit for me. It showed me what is possible when we look for innovative ways to reach students. It also showed me that these pilot schools are doing a great job of preparing students to compete in the global economy, by arming them with skills that will translate into jobs.

Continuing to strengthen our public schools is both a passion and a priority of mine. I look forward to seeing more success like I saw at James Kenan.

Welcome to my new blog. This is a place for me to update you about my work in Raleigh and around the state.

We all know that we face difficult economic times. Too many of our families are struggling to make ends meet. That’s why each and every day, I am focused on what I can do to move North Carolina forward – leading in the new economy, giving our children the skills and tools for the future, giving our families access to the American Dream.

As lieutenant governor, it is important to me to travel the state and hear directly from North Carolinians like you. Speaking to our citizens in their communities and about their concerns helps me do a better job for you and the entire state. It gives me the opportunity to hear firsthand about the issues that matter to you.

So, this is a space for me to share with you the experiences and stories from my travels around the state, as well as the important debates taking place here in Raleigh. I hope you will follow this blog and share your ideas with me at lt.gov@nc.gov.

I also hope you’ll explore the rest of my website to learn more about our state and the issues facing us all.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Walter