Continuing on in our series about disconnected youth and the Pathways Initiative, we highlight the McNair Mentors program and its efforts to increase the number of students seeking out educational opportunities after high school in Rutherford County. Listen in on our conversation with Monica Lee, Executive Director of the McNair Educational Foundation, as she discusses the impacts that a small group of caring and involved community members can have on multiple generations of students, as well as how counties can set out on facilitating a similar program.

Relevant Links
* Monica Lee - Contact Information
* McNair Educational Foundation - More Information
* Pathways Initiative - More Information
* Pathways Report - PDF

When Yadkin County Commissioner Kevin Austin launched the Pathways Initiative as president of the NCACC in late 2019, it sparked a movement to tackle the issues plaguing counties throughout North Carolina where youth find themselves disconnected from both educational advancement and employment opportunities. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges become increasingly pronounced and the need for innovative thinking to equip counties to guide youth towards meaningful and sustainable outcomes is more important than ever. Task force co-chairs Karen Howard, a Chatham County Commissioner, and Mike Labrose, a Caldwell County Commissioner, join the show alongside Laurel Edwards, NCACC Manager of Strategic Initiatives.

Relevant Links

• Kevin Austin - Biography Page
• Karen Howard - Biography Page
• Mike LaBrose - Board of Commissioners Page
• Laurel Edwards - Biography Page
• 2019 NCACC Map Book - PDF File
• Pathways Report - PDF File
• MyFutureNC - More Info

Take a jog, stroll, or bike ride on your local greenway, and you’re more likely to encounter a traffic jam of exercisers than ever before as more people make time outdoors a part of their new normal. Many times, these trails are the result of county partnerships and initiatives that have been decades in the making, and Wake County Vice Chair Sig Hutchinson discusses his passion for and knowledge of the establishment of these trails in this episode. 

• Sig Hutchinson Profile (Wake County website)
• Trails and Greenways of Wake County (PDF guide)
• Greenspace app (App Store link)
• "Setting Sights High" Burke County’s Journey to Jumpstart Fonta Flora State Trail (CountyQuarterly Spring 2018)
• East Coast Greenway, NC section (East Coast Greenway website)

What can county leaders expect for relief funding? Where can county staff look for resources as they continue to provide essential services during the pandemic? To discuss how all levels of government are responding to and leading us through this global crisis, we talk to Leslie Mozingo, CEO and owner of Strategics Consulting, and Jim McCleskey, Director of the NC Washington Office for Governor Roy Cooper to provide insight on how congress is addressing the needs of North Carolina counties.

Relevant Links

• Leslie Mozingo Profile
• Jim McCleskey Profile
• NCACC COVID-19 Resources
• Short Sugar’s Bar-B-Q

What’s at stake in the 2020 census? Why does it matter for North Carolinians, and what are the implications for NC counties? From financial resources to legislative representation to economic development, census data will powerfully shape our communities. We revisit our conversation from season one with guests Bob Coats, Census Liaison and State Data Center Coordinator, and Mike Cline, State Demographer, as well as Dominique Walker, former Assistant to the County Manager in Bertie County, and Paige Worsham, Associate General Counsel with the NCACC.

Relevant Links

• CountyCast S1 Episode 21
• NC Office of Budget and Management Staff Directory
• Bertie County Government Website
• Paige Worsham Biography Page
• North Carolina Self-Response Rates
• North Carolina’s Hard-to-Count Communities Map

So much of the work of county government is built on the day-to-day pursuit of practical solutions to systemic and seemingly insurmountable challenges. To promote some of these stories, host Amber Harris and producer Ben Christoph relive the highlights from previous episodes featuring LGFCU Excellence in Innovation Award winners.

• LGFCU Excellence in Innovation Awards
• S1 Episode 9: How can counties promote foster/adoptive services? | “Seeing the light coming back”
• S1 Episode 10: Are counties working to combat recidivism in county jails? | “Building a network of care”
• S1 Episode 12: Parks and recreation getting creative in a rural NC county | Why does community buy-in matter?
• S1 Episode 14: An Inventive EMS Service | A Lifetime of Service in Emergency Management
• S1 Episode 23: Economic development and the underemployed | “Putting your money where your mouth is”

On this episode of CountyCast, we set out to dig up more information on an often overlooked organization—the Cooperative Extension. Listen in as we talk to Dr. Rich Bonanno, the Director of NC State Extension, as well as Wake County Extension Director Katherine Williams and Beaufort County Extension Director Rod Gurganus about the relationships they cultivate in their communities, and the critical services the Extension provide in North Carolina.

Relevant Links

• Dr. Rich Bonanno profile
• Rod Gurganus profile
• Katherine Williams profile
• TurfFiles
• Homegrown

What motivates young leaders to step up to serve in local government? How can the next generation be inspired to accept the call of being a county leader? Three fellows from the NCACC County Management Fellowship Program join the show to
discuss how their experiences in North Carolina counties have helped build a personal foundation of leadership. Joining us are Caleb Cone from Rutherford County, Allysa Rouse with Washington County, and Darian Cobb from Cumberland County, as well as Jason King, NCACC Director of Education and Conferences, who oversees this initiative built to cultivate the future of county leadership.

Relevant Links

• NCACC County Management Fellowship Program
• International City/County Management Association
• Jason King Biography Page
• Debt Setoff - More Info
• Parks and Recreation (TV show)

The right to vote is a fundamental part of democracy, a right that people have given their lives to protect. Fair and secure elections don’t just happen on their own. Currituck County Commissioner Kitty Etheridge and State Board of Elections Public Information Officer Patrick Gannon join us to talk about the hard work and collaboration between counties and state agencies that make this entire effort work.

Relevant Links

• Currituck County Board of Commissioners - co.currituck.nc.us/board-of-commissioners/commissioners-profiles/
• NC State Board of Elections - www.ncsbe.gov/index.html
• Currituck BBQ Company - currituckbbq.com/
• Weeping Radish Brewery - www.visitcurrituck.com/restaurants/family/weeping-radish-farm-brewery-and-eco-farm/

To wrap up season one, we headed to Bertie County where host Amber Harris met with commissioners John Trent, Ron Wesson, and Tammy Lee to talk about their “Tall Glass of Water” project, which is a county-owned public beach access on the Albemarle Sound and represents countless opportunities for recreation, education, and entertainment for the region.

Relevant Links:

• Commissioner John Trent - Profile Page
• Commissioner Ron Wesson - Profile Page
• Commissioner Tammy Lee - Profile Page
• Highlights from Bertie Beach Day 2019
• “Bertie County Manager to Retire” - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald
• Site X - Coastal Land Trust
• Bunn's BBQ - Facebook Page