RALEIGH — The NC Rural Center will host its signature event, the Rural Summit, on March 21-22 at the North Raleigh Hilton, focused on building a stronger tomorrow.
This event, presented by Truist, is attended annually by leaders from across the state, and will provide educational resources, discussion, and peer learning so that participants leave feeling equipped with the tools and resources to work toward resiliency for the future. Sessions for the two-day conference will center around building and sustaining equitable communities and the interconnectivity it takes to ensure a thriving future, from education and agriculture to small business, broadband, and more.
“The world around us is changing rapidly, and the stakes are high to ensure that our rural leaders have access to what they need on the local level for success,” said NC Rural Center President Patrick Woodie. “We’re looking forward to unpacking some important questions at this year’s summit, including — how can we use what we’ve lived through over the last few years to think differently about the future? How do we lean into our similarities and differences to work together toward an innovative and resilient future?”
Becky McCray, co-founder of SaveYour.Town and lifelong small-town entrepreneur, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Rural Summit. McCray will share insights from her real-world experience as a business owner and cattle rancher, and will deliver practical steps that can be put into action right away to shape the future of a town. This year’s event has an agenda full of speakers, workshops, and panels planned, including Rebecca Ryan, futurist & founder of NEXT Generation Consulting, Inc., who will outline strategies in community planning, economic development, and workforce development that ensure communities are well equipped for future trends and challenges.
Other breakout workshops and panels will cover a range of topics, including how churches can create resilient communities, school-community partnerships, a presentation on the 2020 Census and what it means for the state’s future, integrated care in NC, and many more.
The NC Rural Center will also continue its tradition of recognizing outstanding achievement in the following categories: Rural Leader of the Year, Rural Entrepreneur of the Year, Excellence in Regional Collaboration, and Community Bank of the Year. In addition, 2022 marks the 35th anniversary of the Center, which will be celebrated throughout this year’s event.
View the full Rural Summit 2022 agenda here: https://web.cvent.com/event/71ffbfb5-f543-49a9-848a-beb0c15e5e19/summary. Ticket sales end on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.
