It’s been a busy start to the holiday season at the Institute for Emerging Issues!

On Friday, Oct. 31, we celebrated 26 new graduates of the Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative. North Carolina is consistently rated as the best state in the country for business. In partnership with the Workforce Leadership Institute and other statewide partners, the SWLI develops capable leaders prepared to strengthen their regional workforce ecosystem. Congratulations to the latest class of Strategic Workforce Leaders!

Registration for the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Water, opened on Nov. 5. Tickets are now available for the forum in Asheville, Winston-Salem and Morehead City on Feb. 25, 2026. We look forward to seeing you there!

On Nov. 18, we welcomed leaders from faith communities, nonprofits and other community-focused organizations at Guilford Technical Community College for the Faith & Community Initiative annual conference. The theme, Rooted & Rising, framed the discussion on hope and resilience. I enjoyed connecting with these leaders committed to addressing emerging issues in their local communities.

And finally, our BAND-NC team is hard at work preparing for the December 2025 NC Digital Opportunity Gathering in partnership with the NC Department of Information Technology. Tickets are sold out for the Dec. 4 event, but you can still sign up for the waitlist on our website.

As you can see, we have been hard at work in several issue spaces. In honor of the season of gratitude, I want to take this moment to recognize everyone who has invested in IEI’s work over the last year.

First and foremost, I want to thank my team at IEI. From pivoting when winter weather required us to reschedule the 2025 Emerging Issues Forum, to diving headfirst into bringing a new forum model into communities in the coming year – while also navigating shifts in other areas of our work- every new obstacle was faced with professionalism and dedication. I’m so proud to be a part of this incredible team.

I also want to thank our National Advisory Board, donors, sponsors, and everyone who helped us make a connection, shared insights, gave of their time, informed programming or participated in one of our events this year. Your contributions, no matter how large or small, have helped us make significant strides towards our goal of an economically vibrant North Carolina.

Best wishes for a safe and restful Thanksgiving!