RALEIGH — Two of North Carolina’s longest-serving and most respected statewide elected leaders will serve as new co-chairs of the N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness.
N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler have agreed to lead the Coalition, which is a partnership of private and public sector leaders focused on enhanced global engagement. Both Marshall and Troxler have broad international experience, strong records of achievement, and a commitment to bipartisanship.
“North Carolina has a distinct opportunity to strengthen our position as a global leader by working together to enhance our competitiveness in business, education, health care, technology and many other crucial sectors to our economy,” said Marshall. “I’m honored to work with Commissioner Troxler to continue building on North Carolina’s reputation as a great place to live, work, invest and visit.”
“With 95 percent of the world population living outside the United States, global trade is essential to North Carolina’s long-term agricultural success,” Troxler said. “My goal is to help position North Carolina’s farmers and agribusinesses to meet the global demand for food and fiber and to continue to grow our state’s No. 1 industry. The work of the N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness offers a tremendous opportunity to benefit many North Carolinians and I look forward to working with Secretary Marshall to help steer us to a stronger future in international trade and global partnerships.”
In 2015, North Carolina was the first state to develop a roadmap for global engagement across all sections — education business, government, and community. In 2020, leaders from all around North Carolina provided input to shape the updated N.C. Blueprint for Global Engagement 2020, which focuses on strategic areas crucial to the advancement of global engagement.. The Coalition also created the N.C.’s Global Engagement Snapshot an online tool, to track the state’s path and progress toward global engagement. The Coalition was founded in 2013 and was previously chaired by former N.C. Commerce Secretary Jim Fain (2013-2020).
In addition, the Coalition recently concluded its 2nd annual N.C. Global Advantage Forum, which convened thought leaders from a variety of sectors to engage around global opportunities in education, workforce development, economic and community development, and entrepreneurship.
