The Connector

With experienced operators, engineers and inspectors retiring faster than they can be replaced, the water industry is facing a critical workforce crisis–one that directly threatens the state’s public health and economic development. Meanwhile, younger workers increasingly view careers in the water sector as less viable paths.

In thisWater Wednesdays episode, IEI Policy and Program Manager Jessica Solis Aguilar welcomes City of High Point Laboratory Manager Bill Frazier, Carteret Community College Vice President of Workforce Continuing Education Perry Harker and Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority Executive Director Daniel Manring to discuss the challenge of rebuilding the talent pipeline. They explore solutions such as community college training, apprenticeships, certification reforms and industry partnerships.

This episode is a continuation of the conversations sparked at the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Water.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

From the mountains to the coast, extreme weather events, like Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal, are reshaping North Carolina’s water systems. Additionally, rapid population growth, labor shortages and aging infrastructure are also placing immense pressure on the state’s water landscape. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2026 Report Card for North Carolina’s Infrastructure underscores these challenges, grading drinking water at a C+, stormwater at a C-, and a D+ for dams and wastewater.

To continue the momentum from the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Water, we are kicking off to a special series of The Connector podcast–Water Wednesdays. In this episode, IEI Policy and Program Manager Jessica Solis Aguilar sits down with three guests: North Carolina Coastal Federation Coastal Management Program Director Kerri Allen, GROW NC Deputy Director for Engagement Scott Elliott and Haw River Assembly Executive Director Emily Sutton. Together, they dive deeper into these challenges, sharing insights on how practitioners and local leaders can prepare our water systems for a more resilient future.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In memory of former Governor James B. Hunt Jr., IEI is rereleasing previous episodes of the First in Future podcast featuring Governor Hunt. This episode was released on Jan. 2, 2018.

Episode Summary:  As we move into the new year, we sat down with former Governor Jim Hunt to try to extract some of what he has learned during his lifetime – about how to get change done, what North Carolina should aspire to be, and where he thinks we might still go as a state. This week’s conversation with Governor James B. Hunt is all about leadership, what he has learned about getting stuff done, focusing priorities, the role of religion in public life, and how he learns new ideas.

Original release date: Jan. 2, 2018

Host: Former IEI Director Leslie Boney

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In memory of former Governor James B. Hunt Jr., IEI is rereleasing previous episodes of the First in Future podcast featuring Governor Hunt. This episode was released on Dec. 26, 2017.

Episode summary: Throughout his long service to the state, even former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt’s opponents admit that he was a man perfectly suited to be Governor, and in his sixteen years as governor of North Carolina, he changed the state. This week, we sat down with Governor James B. Hunt and talked about one big idea he had – starting the Emerging Issues Forum. Why he did it. What we can learn from how he thought about it. And how we can apply that to the way we learn.

Original Release Date: Dec. 26, 2017

Host: Former IEI Director Leslie Boney

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

Earlier this year, IEI’s Energy Infrastructure Advisory Council (EIAC) released Strategies for Strengthening Our Energy Infrastructure – recommendations designed to help North Carolinians address the energy challenges in their communities and take advantage of opportunities in workforce development, affordability and infrastructure investments.

In the season two finale of “The Connector,” IEI Policy and Program Manager Tarik Woods sits down with three EIAC members: NC Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary of Workforce Solutions Andrea DeSantis, NC Chamber Senior Director of Infrastructure Competitiveness Dana Magliola and NC Justice Center Senior Energy Policy Advocate Claire Williamson.

Together, they reflect on the impact of the recommendations so far, exploring what sets them apart from typical infrastructure plans and how they can be used to meet the demands of the state’s growing population and future energy landscape. The four also highlight real-world examples that showcase the applicability of the recommendations and how this program of work connects to the Future Forward Infrastructure series, which will also address water and housing challenges across the state.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

Financial barriers are among the most common hurdles to accessing education. Earlier this year, a federal law was passed expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include short-term workforce training programs. It was also announced that the expansion of the Short-Term Workforce Development Grant would include registered apprentices who are actively participating in an apprenticeship and are enrolled in Workforce Continuing Education courses. By making these programs more accessible, North Carolinians are able to obtain jobs in high-demand fields like data science, engineering, healthcare, information technology and manufacturing.

In this episode of “The Connector,” IEI Director Sarah Hall and NC Community College System Associate VP of Workforce Strategies Dr. Andrew Gardner break down the significance of these funding opportunities for North Carolinians and the state’s community colleges, and how this helps drive progress toward the state’s workforce development and educational attainment goals.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

The digital divide–the gap between people who have digital access and those who do not–impacts every facet of life, including healthcare, workforce opportunities, disaster response and more. To help address this issue, the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Office of Digital Opportunity recently released the North Carolina Digital Skills Standards, designed to equip North Carolinians with the digital tools and competencies necessary to thrive in today’s connected economy and society.

In this episode of “The Connector,” IEI Digital Opportunities Initiative Lead Jess Epsten talks with three digital opportunity leaders: NC State William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation Director of Digital Learning Emma Braaten and Digital Literacy Coordinator Becky Evans-Wilson, and NCDIT Office of Digital Opportunity Director Maggie Woods. Together, they take a deep dive into the standard’s six key areas of focus and how practitioners across sectors can use them.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

Great teachers are at the heart of successful workforce development. Celebrating a quarter-century of impact since its inception in 2000, NC State’s Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership (KFP) recognizes the vital role educators play in empowering students and shaping the workforce of tomorrow. Partnering with industry experts and community leaders, KFP offers K-12 educators innovative immersion experiences within local industries, community organizations and higher education institutions, giving them firsthand insights into career pathways and relevant workforce skills. These insights are then translated into programs and resources that bridge the gap between classrooms and the workforce.

In this episode of “The Connector,” IEI Director Sarah Hall is joined by KFP Director Dr. Vance Kite and Associate Director Mark Townley to explore the program’s history, how its unique industry immersions work, success stories of educators who have participated in the program and what’s next as KFP continues to evolve.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

Today's youth are the workforce of tomorrow. In this episode of "The Connector," IEI Director Sarah Hall sits down with two leaders who are revolutionizing high school education and workforce development: SparkNC President Dr. Lynn Moody and District C CEO Dan Gonzalez, to talk about their unique model for empowering high school students to build skills and explore careers in the tech industry. Now in more than 25 school districts across the state, SparkNC ignites students' passions through learner-centered, industry-relevant experiences, while District C's re-imagined internships, known as "teamships," provide students with a hands-on, team-based approach to solve real-world problems.

Hall, Gonzalez and Dr. Moody also discuss the outcomes of the inaugural SparkNC Exchange, which brought together more than 130 high school students at UNC Wilmington to explore tech fields and build valuable professional skills.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

Imagine getting a raise, only to lose more in vital public assistance for necessities like food, housing and childcare. This is referred to as the “benefits cliff,” a concept many North Carolinians learned about at the 2024 Emerging Issues Forum on financial resilience. Public assistance programs often lack a gradual reduction in benefits as a household's income increases, leading to an abrupt “drop off” once a certain income threshold is met.

In this episode of “The Connector,” Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont Stakeholder Engagement Manager Justin Taylor joins IEI Communications and Marketing Director Jennifer Heiss to talk about the basics of the benefits cliff, how the cliff impacts the financial well-being of households, and strategies organizations can use to navigate the cliff and better support their communities. Taylor also shares the Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster, also known as CLIFF tools, to help employees and job seekers understand how higher earnings affect public benefits so they can make informed decisions.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.