The Henderson City Council voted unanimously to approve the Economic Development Commission’s (EDC) 2010-2014 Strategic Plan during its regular meeting yesterday evening.
Before approval, EDC Chairman Sam Watkins addressed the council regarding the plan.
Watkins enumerated the members of the EDC board. They include Paul Harris, Andrea Harris, Tom Church, Jim Kearney, John Foster, Henderson City Council member Mike Rainey, County Commission member Terry Garrison, Chuck Teeter, County Manager Jerry Ayscue, and City Manager Ray Griffin.
Watkins said that since the council appointed the EDC board it has been working to bring as much support to economic development as possible. He named the Maria Parham Medical Center, Vance County Schools, the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and other organizations as supporters.
Watkins noted that in the development of the plan 131 questionnaires were sent out and approximately 30 were received.
The EDC chair and local businessman also noted that on October 27, 2009 around fifty people spent eight to nine hours in a planning retreat crafting the work. He named North Carolina Rep. James Crawford as one of those present at the retreat.
Watkins endorsed the plan as “excellent”, and added that “if we could do half of those things [in the plan], we’d be in much better shape than we are today”.
Watkins told members that the EDC needs for the city council to approve the plan so that it can go to work solving the problems.
The plan was approved unanimously and without discussion after an introduction by member Mary Emma Evans and a second by member George Daye.