Secretary of State visits Gates County to promote Rural RISE; NC East Alliance outlines $15 million boost for regional economic work

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall told Gates County commissioners and attendees that the Rural RISE initiative is focused on connecting new business creators to county‑specific resources, counseling and referral networks to improve survival and growth rates. Marshall cited statewide business formation figures, recent record months for filings and survey findings that show new entrepreneurs most often need funding access, help with government regulation, credit‑readiness and broadband to succeed.

"Rural RISE stands for resources for innovators, startups and entrepreneurs," Marshall said, explaining county bulletin access and how the Secretary of State’s office sends county‑specific bulletins to new filers. She noted that since 2020 the office has seen a historic rise in business registration and that early outreach matters because a sizable share of new business creations fail within years without support.

Donna Phillips, vice president of economic development at NC East Alliance, followed with a presentation about the Alliance’s work across 29 counties. Phillips described three core program buckets — community development, economic development and workforce development — and highlighted a recent $15 million state appropriation the Alliance received for regional capacity building. She offered support for Gates County on site‑identification studies, grant writing, workforce programs (including STEM East) and marketing assistance.

Phillips outlined a pilot site‑identification study in Currituck County and encouraged Gates County to package potential industrial or commercial sites and infrastructure data so the region can respond rapidly to project inquiries. "Clients are about time," she said. "If you have product to respond with — water, sewer, gas, highway access — it's easier to attract projects."

Commissioners asked about funding models, program timelines and how NC East Alliance coordinates with local entities such as the Albemarle Commission and community colleges. Phillips said the Alliance combines state appropriation dollars with private investment, member contributions from school systems and community colleges, and grant writing to leverage additional funding.

Both presentations were framed as informational: there were no formal county commitments during the meeting. Commissioners expressed interest in following up with a roundtable work session to explore site readiness, workforce training and childcare as an element of economic development.

Next steps: commissioners asked county staff to coordinate follow‑up meetings and a possible work session with NC East Alliance and local stakeholders to develop any site identification or workforce initiatives and to pursue grant opportunities identified by the Alliance and Secretary of State staff.