Sen. Berger’s Greetings from Raleigh


In this week’s newsletter I want to talk to you about the Golden LEAF Foundation, what kind of impact it has had on our district and a new appointment to its board of directors, Reverend Lacy Joyner, from Granville County.

I also wanted to remind you about our district forum next week and give a special thanks to my Research Assistant, Ericka Shearin, for her work in putting it together.

GOLDEN LEAF FOUNDATION

In 1998, 46 states entered into a settlement agreement with the four major cigarette manufacturers to settle the lawsuits by the states against the tobacco companies. That settlement agreement awarded the states at over $200 billion over a 25 year span. North Carolina’s share is estimated to be over $130 million annually. This amount depends on many factors, some of which include the population of the state, the amount of Medicaid dollars the state spends on tobacco related illnesses and the amount of cigarettes sold in the state.

As a result, the State of North Carolina established the Golden LEAF Foundation in 1999. The foundation administers one half of North Carolina’s share of the funds. Its goal is to support projects with the most potential for bolstering North Carolina’s long-term economy, especially in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and/or rural communities. Golden LEAF’s priority areas include agriculture, job creation and retention, and workforce preparedness. The foundation also supports projects that provide educational opportunities and increase economic vitality.

The Golden LEAF Foundation is run by a 14 member board of directors, made up of North Carolina citizens from all over the state. Those members are appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the North Carolina House and the President Pro Tem of the North Carolina Senate.

The Golden LEAF Foundation has a series of initiatives that it has established to achieve its goals. These initiatives focus on rural areas of North Carolina, where help is needed the most. For more information on the Foundation, you can visit their website.

GOLDEN LEAF IN OUR DISTRICT

Sen. Berger's Greetings from Raleigh 01-26-10
Pictured are representatives of Warren County Schools (above) and Warren County (below) receiving ceremonial checks from Golden LEAF, Sen. Doug Berger and Rep. Michael Wray. Warren County Schools received $1.15 million for its “Digital Classrooms & Technology Support for High School Reform” project and Warren County received $800,000 for its “Warren County National Guard Armory Renovation Project”.

Sen. Berger's Greetings from Raleigh 01-26-10

Golden LEAF has awarded 18 grants totaling over $5.5 million to organizations in Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties for projects that address job training; expanded markets and alternative agricultural products; tourism; technology infrastructure; and marketing, water/sewer infrastructure and site certification for business development and recruitment.

One of the programs available to Warren and Vance counties is the Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative. This Initiative targets North Carolina Tier 1 counties and provides up to $2 million in direct support for projects that significantly enhance the quality of life for citizens within those communities.

“Through this process, citizens prioritize the needs of the community and submit proposals for projects that will help to stimulate economic activity or provide assistance in overcoming barriers to economic transition or community progress,” said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF President. “The Golden LEAF Board of Directors has recently awarded approximately $2 million for two projects in Warren County and will be considering the top four proposals from organizations in Vance County at its February meeting. The Foundation stands committed to helping communities overcome economic adversity and pledges to continue to work with citizens in District 7.”

In addition to those programs for Vance and Warren County, Golden LEAF has also reached out to Franklin and Granville Counties. In Granville County, Golden LEAF provided $200,000, which was used to purchase almost 1000 new laptop computers for Granville County’s high schools. Golden LEAF funds were also used to support the JobsNOW program at the Granville County campus of Vance-Granville Community College, a program that provides a 6 month training course in high demand occupations. The Granville County program currently focuses on high demand jobs in the health care field.

In Franklin County, Golden LEAF has helped to fund 77 scholarships for local students. These scholarships will allow students from Franklin County to continue on in their academic careers and prepare to become productive members of our state’s workforce. Golden LEAF also awarded a grant to the Tar River Land Conservancy for the “Paddle the Tar” tourism development project in the amount of $35,000. Golden LEAF is also in talks with the Triangle North Project in Franklin County about ways the foundation can provide assistance.

Further potential projects in the Franklin and Granville County areas are currently being discussed among both citizens and civic leaders, as well as in potential opportunities in Vance and Warren Counties. These projects will likely be aimed at helping the District transition through the current economic situation.

REVEREND LACY JOYNER

Sen. Berger's Greetings from Raleigh 01-26-10

Pictured are Rev. Lacy Joyner and Senator Berger at the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration held at Cole Springs Baptist Church this past weekend.

On Tuesday, the President Pro Tem, Senator Marc Basnight, appointed Reverend Lacy Joyner to serve on the Board of Directors for the Golden LEAF Foundation. I am proud that Reverend Joyner was tapped for this opportunity and I believe that he will make a significant difference during his time there. His term begins immediately, and will run until 2013.

Reverend Joyner is a prominent member of the Granville County Community, working with both civic and spiritual organizations for the betterment of the County. He had this to say about his appointment: “I am extremely thankful to Senator Berger for his efforts in providing this opportunity to me. It is a wonderful honor to be appointed, and I am very excited about the prospects of this new endeavor. This position will allow me to do what I value most, and that is to help the people of North Carolina.”

Reverend Joyner is a tireless worker, who has a profound desire to help his community. I have no doubt that he will carry that work ethic with him when he takes his position with the Golden LEAF Foundation. He will bring a unique perspective to the Board of Directors, one which will serve the Foundation, our District and all the people of North Carolina.

A SPECIAL THANKS

My Research Assistant, Ms. Ericka Shearin, is currently preparing for this year’s annual district forum which will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010. The forum will be at Civic Center on Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus in Henderson, beginning at 10:00am. This year’s theme is “Job Creation and Economic Growth: Moving Past the Recession”. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there.

Sen. Berger's Greetings from Raleigh 01-26-10

Erika Shearin

Ericka wears many hats in my office. She has been working in my office for three years now, and she has strengthened my ability to accomplish more for the constituents of our district.

Ericka’s daily activities include researching information and creating PowerPoint presentations to inform constituents and my fellow legislators about the proposed legislation that I introduce. She also attends legislative sessions, committee meetings and the Domestic Violence Commission quarterly meetings. She is also in charge of the press releases that are sent to our district newspapers.

Most importantly, she assists me with monitoring my proposed bills to ensure that they make it successfully through the legislative process to become law. This past long session we successfully passed 5 bills as a team. Ericka also trained and supervised 4 interns during the 2009 legislative session.

Having Ericka in the office has increased my ability to connect with my constituents, making sure their voices are heard. She schedules and plans district meetings with the Boards of Commissioners, the Boards of Education, ministers, senior citizens and other local organizations in an effort to achieve this goal. Over the past three years, she has done an excellent job with planning, organizing and facilitating grant writing workshops to assist constituents with applying for state funding. She has also planed town hall meetings to inform citizens about various topics, including health care reform.

I wanted to extend a special thanks to Ericka for all the hard work she has done in arranging this year’s forum. The forum would not be the same without her help.

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As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments on the issues discussed in the newsletter. Please feel free to respond to any issue whether it was covered in the newsletter or not. It is an honor to serve as your State Senator, and I will do everything in my power to live up to that honor.

Sincerely,

Signature

Doug Berger