On Thursday, January 28, 2010 I had the privilege of representing Craven County as a delegate for “Smart Start, Smart Investing: When Communities Thrive Children Thrive” Forum. This 8th and final forum included many other counties in Eastern NC such as Lenoir and Pamlico.
After a group activity where every County attending got to introduce their communities through the delegates, it was down to business providing feedback through discussions and break-out sessions on various topics.
The goal of the Forum, sponsored by Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, was to learn, share, and find common ground regarding what the children of North Carolina need to thrive.
The most important take away from the Forum was that while every County is unique, we all have the same common virtues and want the best for the children of North Carolina to succeed and critical development must start at an early age.
The data gathered at the 8 Forums will be presented at 3 Summits across North Carolina. We hope to see you on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at the Greenville Summit. To learn more about Smart Investing please visit: www.smartinvestingnc.org
Craven County Delegates:
Top from left: Bill Green (BB&T), Mike Davis (Confidential Records Management), Tate Johnson
Bottom from left: Janet Sockwell (Craven Public Schools), Pat Purnell (Craven Smart Start Executive Director),
Amy Bryant (Easter Seals UCP), Connie Davis (Head Start Center Manager)