Critical Conversations with Scott T. Hamilton, featuring NCEDA Foundation Chair Dr. Patricia Mitchell | Eastern NC Now

Press Release:

    Recently, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton sat down with the Chair of the North Carolina Economic Development Association Foundation Dr. Patricia Mitchell via Zoom and filmed an episode of Critical Conversations. In this series, Scott talks with professionals about economic development issues affecting the state.

    Dr. Mitchell is the North Carolina Economic Development Association Foundation (NCEDA) Chair.

    Created in 2020, the NCEDA Foundation serves to advance the economic development profession, enhance the knowledge and skills of economic developers, and strengthen the broad, statewide economic development community in North Carolina through funding professional development activities, research, and education programs. With over 850 development professionals, the foundation serves distressed, rural counties and economic developers across the state of North Carolina.

    Dr. Mitchell shared that she taught at East Carolina University in the Master's of Public Administration program. She then decided to work in economic development. She served nine years in Ashe County in economic development as the Economic Developer in Ashe County for the first seven years and then as the County Manager the last two years. She served for many years at the NCEDA and is a past president of NCEDA.

    NCEDA Foundation's four areas of work include: Scholarships, Research, Awareness, and Fundraising. Dr. Mitchell said that the NCEDA Foundation is also developing a fellowship program.

    The NCEDA Foundation funds professional development scholarships to enhance the knowledge and skills of economic developers. Scholarships are available statewide for a wide range of professional development training and target under-represented people and professionals working in underserved and distressed areas. Any of the members of NCEDA can apply for the scholarship programs. The six scholarships NCEDA offers include:

• The Dan Stewart BEDC Scholarship, which pays $670 for tuition, plus reimbursement for all travel, lodging, meal, and ancillary expenses, to attend the one-week Basic Economic Development Course held annually at UNC Chapel Hill.
• The Jack Ervin IEDC Scholarship, which pays up to $1,000 toward tuition, plus reimbursement for travel, lodging, meals, and ancillary expenses for one course offered by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
• Governor James E. Holshouser Professional Development Scholarship, which pays up to $1,800 per year for up to three years toward tuition, plus reimbursement for all travel, lodging, meal, and ancillary expenses, either at the Economic Development Institute (EDI) at Oklahoma University or three annual courses offered by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
• NCEDA Presidential Leadership Scholarship, in honor of NCEDA Past Presidents, which pays up to $4,000 for seasoned executives to experience training at the Advanced Economic Development Leadership training course. Scholarship recipients will be reimbursed for all tuition, travel, lodging, meals, and ancillary expenses.
• IEDC Certification Scholarship, which pays up to $825 for the exam registration fees associated with the Certified Economic Developer designation.

    In the area of Research, the NCEDA Foundation supports research projects that advance the economic development profession and inform public policy. One of the research areas included a study of the tax system. A second study was also completed that supported this research. Dr. Mitchell shared that these studies were used to discuss with legislators a tax system that promotes economic growth.


    Dr. Mitchell also talked about how the NCEDA Foundation is doing more to promote awareness of economic development by funding scholarships for elected and community leader training, building relationships with universities, and providing stipends for economic development organizations to hire interns. Scholarships for elected and community leaders are targeted to under-represented people and leaders representing underserved and distressed areas.