BURGAW- The deadline for nominations for the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award is approaching quickly.

“The deadline is Feb. 13, so there is still a little time remaining to submit nominations for the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award,” said Tammy Proctor, the Pender County Coordinator for the 2023 Volunteer Service Awards.

The awards program, created by the Office of the Governor in 1979, recognizes North Carolina’s most dedicated volunteers. Through the years the award has been bestowed on thousands of North Carolinians who have shown concern and compassion for their neighbors by volunteering in their local community.

“Each county selects up to 10 individuals, businesses, groups/teams, and one paid director of volunteers to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to our community,” said Proctor.

One of the nominees will be nominated for the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service, awarded to approximately the top 20 volunteers. A local committee evaluates the nominations.

“We have a number of amazing volunteers in Pender County,” said Proctor. “We urge every organization, director, or business to nominate someone today.”

Printed nomination forms are available in Pender County at the Pender County Tourism office, 106 E. Wilmington St. in Burgaw.

Nomination forms are available online at www.volunteernc.org.

Nomination forms are also available via email by contacting tproctor@pendercountync.gov.

The deadline to submit Pender County nominations is Feb. 13, 2023.

Award recipients will be recognized during National Volunteer Week, April 16-23, 2023.

Henderson Field contributes significantly to the local economy

PENDER COUNTY – The North Carolina Department of Transportation released its annual report, The State of Aviation, on Monday. The report highlights the contribution of airports across the state.

“The 2023 North Carolina State of Aviation Report highlights the positive impacts North Carolina’s airport system has on our economy,” said Gage King, Henderson Field Airport manager in Pender County. “With a total economic impact of more than $72 billion, it is clear that aviation and our airport system are a vital part of our state’s economy.”

King said Henderson Field Airport is continuing to positively impact Eastern North Carolina’s local economy by supporting 60 jobs and generating $13,350,000 in economic activity annually.

It is often viewed that General Aviation airports such as Henderson Field in northern Pender County are burdens on the taxpayers, but this report relays the exact opposite.

“It’s important to know that this report is generated from data collected in 2021 which was highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said King. “While many other industries and sectors struggled through the pandemic, it is clear that aviation was very resilient and played a major role in the economic recovery.”

King points out that one of the key reasons for aviation’s role in the economic recovery was that small airports, including Henderson Field Airport, allowed businesses and vacationers to travel more safely with less human interaction. Additionally, he cited that our region is experiencing strong residential and business growth that has ultimately contributed to growth in our economic impact by more than 150 percent compared to the last aviation report in 2019.

“This report reaffirms the viability of investments made at the airport from both the local and state level,” said King. “We expect nearly $30 million in projects and development at Henderson Field Airport over the next five years. These investments will allow us to facilitate larger aircraft from further away, ultimately expanding access to our community for tourism, business, and industry.

“It will be exciting to see our local communities grow in the coming years and see Henderson Field Airport grow as an economic engine for our economy,” added King.

To read the State of Aviation report visit https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/aviation/pages/state-of-aviation.aspx.

Take Action by January 13, 2023: Check Your FCC Broadband Map Data

As the statewide workforce system, NCWorks provides no-cost services and programs to businesses in North Carolina, connecting Employers with Talent. In addition to our Career Centers across the region, our online hub, NCWorks, connects Employers and Talent to an extensive network of workforce professionals who understand the specific labor force, training opportunities, and challenges in the community. The Cape Fear Workforce Development Board encompasses New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, and Columbus counties and is looking to innovate and expand the reach of our services across the region.

Beginning in Pender County, the CFWDB has shifted from a single-site methodology to a wide-net strategy. We are eliminating the single point-of-service, brick-and-mortar site in favor of multiple Access Point locations across the county. The Access Points will be hosted at Community Partner locations and will be staffed by Mobile Career Advisors providing career services at scheduled times. In addition to these in-person service opportunities, Employers and Talent will have access to a wide array of Virtual Services. All of the Access Points and Virtual options will be supported and connected to our centralized flagship, New Hanover NCWorks Career Center.

The Access Points, coupled with Virtual services, allow collaboration with our NCWorks partners such as the Community College System, Departments of Health and Human Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other community-based service providers while helping to alleviate potential barriers to access resulting from transportation challenges in rural areas.

The attached schedule outlines the current schedule and address of the various Access Points to be utilized beginning December 15, 2022. In addition, this schedule will be available on our social media outlets, including https://www.facebook.com/PenderNCWorks, and our websites https://capefearcog.org/workforce-development/ and www.ncworks.gov. Lastly, a variety of workshops will be available to the public at no charge at each of the Access Points. The workshop schedule will include such topics as resume preparation and interview strategies. These events can be found on our Facebook page as they become available.

For more information about this release or other programs offered through NCWorks Career Centers, contact Rhonda Royster at 910-465-7813 or rroyster@capefearcog.org.

Various county departments submitted their project progress and activities.