Tourism, regional economic development and behavioral-health providers report progress and priorities to Pitt County commissioners

Several outside partners briefed the commissioners on ongoing programs and regional initiatives during the March 24 meeting.

Why it matters: The updates highlight how marketing, regional economic development and behavioral-health networks interact with county economic development, workforce and public-health goals and help explain the county’s investments in tourism and community supports.

Greenville–Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau Andrew Smith, president and CEO of the Greenville–Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau, told the board the bureau’s FY 2025 marketing budget includes $250,000 allocated to promote Pitt County tourism to leisure travelers, sports events, conventions and media. Smith described targeted campaigns such as a Pitt County “Brew and Q Trail,” streaming and audio ads with high completion rates, and a destination guide distributed in digital and print form with more than 50,000 copies circulated. Sports tourism drew recent large events: Smith said a gymnastics tournament brought about 800 gymnasts and a robotics event hosted roughly 1,200 participants; sports events are used selectively for higher-profile advertising such as a 30‑second commercial during the softball world series. (Andrew Smith, President and CEO, Greenville–Pitt County CVB.)

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Kevin Leonard, executive director of the NCACC, described the association’s role in advocacy, education, research and member services. Leonard previewed the association’s 118th annual conference to be hosted in Pitt County in August and promoted a District 2 meeting to be held locally in April. He highlighted statewide initiatives — including opioid-death reduction work, property tax research and the association’s support for county cost‑savings programs. (Kevin Leonard, Executive Director, NC Association of County Commissioners.)

NC East Alliance Trey Goodson, introduced by Kelly Andrews of Pitt County economic development, outlined NC East Alliance’s five initiatives: education (STEM East outreach to schools and community colleges), community development, workforce development, economic development (site promotion and recruitment), and lifestyle/branding to retain and attract residents. Goodson noted STEM East’s workshop model that equips teachers with industry-aligned lesson plans and cited partnerships across 29 eastern North Carolina counties. (Trey Goodson, Chief Information Officer, NC East Alliance; Kelly Andrews, Economic Development Director, Pitt County.)

Trillium Health Resources Dave Peterson of Trillium Health Resources presented an annual report on behavioral-health services. Trillium is a managed-care organization serving 46 counties; Peterson said Trillium administers tailored plans for about 51,000 high‑need individuals and noted broader Medicaid and uninsured populations it interacts with. He described local activities including substance-use prevention in schools, naloxone distribution, reentry simulations for people leaving incarceration, mobile clinics and community opportunity centers. Peterson emphasized the organization’s stakeholder governance structure and local advisory presence in Pitt County. (Dave Peterson, Trillium Health Resources.)

Ending Commissioners thanked presenters and asked follow-up questions; no board actions were taken on these presentations. Staff will continue coordination with partner organizations as those efforts — tourism marketing, regional workforce development and behavioral-health services — proceed into the FY 2025‑26 budget cycle.