Angelou visits region to research economy

By ROBBY LUCKE
Staff

Representatives of Angelou-Economics made their first visit to Alleghany and seven other northwestern North Carolina counties last week.

The Northwest North Carolina Comprehensive Economic Develop-ment Strategy (CEDS) committee — a group composed of leaders from Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties — has hired the Austin, Texas-based firm to assess the region and develop a five-year economic recovery plan, for counties individually as well as for the region as a whole.

"I thought it went very well," said CEDS Chairman Patrick Woodie of the visit. " I think we've got a lot of work cut out for us, and I think this group's going to give us a fresh look at it."

Woodie is also director of New River Community Partners and an Alleghany County Commissioner.

The project is being funded through a $400,000 grant award, mostly in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Angelou Economics staff members Amy Holloway, Chris Engle and Jeff Forsythe spent most of last week in the region. Holloway is Angelou's vice president of economic development, while Engle is a research analyst. Originally from Raleigh, Forsythe is a member of the project management team.

Meeting in Sparta

Woodie described the visit as an orientation tour, or "get-acquainted" visit. The Alleghany County part of the group's trip was Dec. 12. The three met at the county office building that morning with Woodie; Leanne Murray, director of the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce; County Manager Don Adams; County Planner Jack Conaway; and Bryan Edwards, member of the Alleghany County Economic Development Commission and chairman of the Blue Ridge Business Development Center board. Woodie, Murray and Adams are members of the CEDS committee. During that meeting, Holloway said the CEDS project will last 10 months. She said Angelou will make six additional visits to this region. Two teams will make the next trip, she said, for a "kick-off" event planned for February 2003.

Holloway described the project as consisting of three phases:

research, collecting data, including details of the economy;

recommending industries that would be well-suited to the area, industries which are looking to grow; and

the economic development strategy, a five-year road map

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