Greater Raleigh Chamber Blog

The Raleigh Chamber got several shoutouts at this year’s State of the County address for the work we’ve done to make our community stronger. Wake County Commission Chair Shinica Thomas highlighted the economic development work our team has done to bring companies and jobs to the region and praised the Triangle DEI Alliance for their work on the A Better Wake Initiative. Likewise, Wake County Public School Board Chair Lindsay Mahaffey highlighted our annual Inter-City Visit and Leadership Conference as a great opportunity to build regional partnerships and demonstrate how well our communities collaborate compared to many others across the country. ​

We look forward to continuing our work to give our elected officials even more victories to celebrate at next year’s address!

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

The City of Raleigh invites you to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our city by participating in Listening Sessions for the FY25 Budget, where staff aim to provide an overview of how the budget process works and foster discussion around business community priorities. One feature of these sessions is an activity where attendees will participate in a voting process to directly influence the allocation of resources by choosing projects they believe should be funded in the FY25 budget.
 
To get involved, please sign up for a Listening Session using this registration link.
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In-Person Listening Sessions:

• Thursday, October 19, 6 - 7:30 p.m., District E Glen Eden Park Community Center
• Tuesday, October 24, 6 - 7:30 p.m., "Budget & Brews!" at Trophy Brewing on Morgan Street

 
Virtual Listening Sessions:

• Saturday, October 21, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 21, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
• Monday, October 23, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 25, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 26, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 26, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

​Time for a humble brag: thanks to the work of the Raleigh Chamber and area businesses helping pass the City of Raleigh Parks Bond in 2022, the City is getting to determine how best to physically shape Dorothea Dix Park to serve our residents and maximize its impact on our quality of life. This week, the Council heard from City staff and Dix Park Conservancy members on some proposed improvements, including removing 50+ buildings to make way for more green space and future infrastructure to improve the park’s programming and amenities.

They also discussed creating a Municipal Service District, (called an MSD,) around the park that would levy an additional tax on nearby businesses and (non-single-family) properties to create services that otherwise don’t exist. If that sounds familiar, it’s exactly how the Downtown Raleigh Alliance is run, and the idea is the same: local businesses and property owners fund services that enhance the area and benefit the city as a whole by boosting the area’s attractiveness.
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The Council already has many questions on how all of this will be implemented, but the conversation can happen at all thanks to the people of Raleigh overwhelmingly approving the parks bond last year. It’s just another example of how the Chamber is working to make sure our quality of life remains one of the best in the nation.

As we’ve touched on before, downtown safety, (and the perception of it,) are a major concern for the Chamber as we continue to position Raleigh as a vibrant and safe place for people to live, work and play. On Tuesday, October 17, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance held a community meeting with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) where some important news was shared.
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1. Drop-in “day shelters” will be coming online in early November, where persons experiencing homelessness will be able to find shelter during daylight hours. Currently, Raleigh only has shelters at night, so those who aren’t actively working with social services often have nowhere to go except public spaces. This will give those individuals somewhere to go and provide another potential point of contact for government and nonprofit organizations to interact with them.
2. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance will be contracting with a private security firm to provide additional personnel who will work with RPD to provide additional oversight of public spaces and resources for RPD officers. Unarmed private security will run from October 31, 2023 through June 30, 2024, operating from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
   

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

Our September workshop from the BRT Business Resource Collaborative was a success as multiple small business owners gathered at Martin Street Baptist Church to learn more about the local financial resources available to them.

Small business owners received professional advice and insight from a variety of financial experts. Members were reminded of the BRT Business Resource Collaborative's  Business Resource Guide and received more information on how this guide can take their business to the next level. They also heard exclusive updates regarding New Bern Avenue’s Bus Rapid Transit system from Het Patel, City of Raleigh’s Senior Transit Planner. Attendees were excited to see pictures of the new bus system and hear about Wake Transit Plan’s four big moves which include providing Wake County residents with frequent and reliable transportation.

Guests at the workshop also enjoyed learning about grants that will help their business be successful. The City of Raleigh’s Small Business Development Coordinator, Ferdinand Rouse, encouraged small business owners to apply for Building Up-fit Grants, which are matching reimbursement grants awarded to owners looking to improve their small business owners, and broke down each process of the application process. Ferdinand ended his presentation by telling our members “The City of Raleigh wants to make sure that you know about this opportunity so you can be successful.” The next round of applications for the Building Up-fit Grant begins this Friday, Sept. 15.

Frank Del Villar of Carolina Impact Community Fund and Scott Wolford of the U.S. Small Business Administration also discussed counseling services available to small businesses and explained how their business's financial opportunities can aid in our leader's future success. Attendees at the workshop were interested to hear Frank discuss Kiva, a small business financial tool, which gives owners 0% interest loans that are community crowdfunded. There was also a panel with all the guest speakers where attendees were able to ask important questions about how to access financial opportunities specific to their industries.

Those who joined us left the workshop prepared to take advantage of the variety of financial resources discussed. Find more takeaways, quotes, and images of the event using our social hashtag #WakeBRT, and if you are a small business owner looking to prepare for your future success, then join us at our next workshop on Oct. 5 to learn about small business lending!​

By Michael Haley
Executive DIrector, Wake County Economic Development
Senior Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Raleigh Chamber




​Over the past two months North Carolina and Raleigh have been recognized as the best places for business by Forbes. The Raleigh metro was named the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers for 2017. A month later, Forbes ranked the State of North Carolina as the No. 1 Best State for Business in 2017. 
 
These prestigious rankings alone are enough to be proud of—and we certainly are! But I found something more important in these articles. Something that better relays what our community really is. Both of these articles noted—and “marveled at” might be a better description—the consistency of our economic performance. 
 
“The Tar Heel State is the only one to rank among the top five on Forbes’ Best States for Business for 12 straight years,” noted the article naming North Carolina No. 1. When Forbes ranked Raleigh as the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers, the article said the “Raleigh metro area has by far been the most consistent performer in our annual survey, finishing in the top three each of the past 15 years.”
 
Any of us living here over the past 15 years—or even if you are new to the region— would agree. This is one the strongest regional economies in the United States. But why? How can we better understand this prolonged, “consistent” excellence?
 
For me, these articles hone in on the same attributes that we focus on every day when describing our community to entrepreneurs, new companies that want to call Wake County home, or existing companies that want to expand: Talent; Innovation & Collaboration; Business Environment; and Quality of Place.    
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​Talent
With over 189,000 people enrolled in higher education in our region and over 53,000 graduates each year, this is one of the most educated communities in the U.S. That’s exactly what Forbes noted in both of its articles about North Carolina and Raleigh. The magazine describes the population as “a young, educated workforce” and says that we “boast one of the country’s most educated labor forces.” 
 
When describing why Raleigh was named the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers, Forbes points to our continued ability to attract high levels of in-migration. We’ve all heard that Wake County is growing by 67 people every day and 47 (70 percent) of those are people moving into our community.  That’s nearly 25,000 people a year. Here’s another interesting note about our growth. Did you know that the number of people who move to Wake County every day from another part of North Carolina is about the same as the number of people who move here from another country?
 
Innovation & Collaboration
It’s impossible to talk about our community without talking about higher education. North Carolina State University, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke University are three of the most prestigious schools in the world—and they are less than 30 miles apart in the Research Triangle. Not only do we have three tier one universities within close proximity, we also have a surrounding higher education ecosystem that drives our region. Schools like Wake Tech Community College, William Peace University, Shaw University, Meredith College, St. Augustine’s University, North Carolina Central University, and Campbell University all contribute to this thriving market. 
 
Business Environment
Wake County is known as a leader in information technology, life sciences, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing. This past year we’ve  seen expansions at Credit Suisse, INC Research, Citrix, MetLife, and many other companies, as well as new companies coming into our market like Trilliant and Infosys. In fact, Forbes highlights Infosys’ decision to create 2,000 new jobs in Raleigh as one of the key points in the decision to name us the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers. 
 
Quality of Place
Of course a great place to work is nothing if it’s not a great place to live and explore. With over 160 miles of greenways, museums, state parks, 35 breweries and counting, and 85 music venues we’ve got something for everyone. 

Being named the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers and the No. 1 State for Business is amazing. And it’s not without much consideration that both articles recognize the longstanding strength, the sustained excellence, and consistency of performance of our community—that’s the real story. 

Find more information on recent area rankings here.

First responders work tirelessly and risk their lives every day for our health and security. On Sept. 20, the Greater Raleigh Chamber/CPI Security First Responders Appreciation Breakfast convened local business, community, and elected leaders to express gratitude to the men and women who keep our families, friends, and communities safe.
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The breakfast honored members of the City of Raleigh Fire Department, the City of Raleigh Police Department, the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center, Wake County EMS, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol – Troop C, District III. 

Special recognition was given to members of each agency who went above and beyond the call of duty. Congratulations to the recipients of the 2017 Outstanding Service Awards.

Captain Grant Williams
Lieutenant Steven Nipper
Senior Firefighter Jeffrey Warren
Firefighter Christopher Patterson

On Jan. 10, Engine 1 responded to a structure fire call at a home on Marble Street. When they arrived, they found that the outside meter base was shorting out and had to be disconnected. As a result, the house had no power or heat—on a day when temperatures dipped into the 20s. Three adults and three children—two under the age of two—living in the home were displaced. Emergency assistance organizations were unable to respond to help the family because of weather and road conditions. 

Captain Grant Williams and his crew—Lieutenant Steven Nipper, Senior Firefighter Jeffrey Warren, and Firefighter Christopher Patterson—took it upon themselves to take the family to the Comfort Inn and get them a room for the night.

The crew of Engine 1 was willing to go outside the normal parameters to insure a family was taken care of. They truly displayed a deep understanding of the department’s core mission: Unselfish, Dedicated, and Service.

Master Officer E.E. Tansey

​The City of Raleigh Police Department, which is internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, employs over 800 personnel including more than 700 sworn officers. The teamwork these men and women employ daily as well as the respect and trust they have for one another has led to exceptional service within our community.
 
On Feb. 16, officers responded to a call related to a suicidal subject threatening to jump off the Rock Quarry Road overpass. On the scene, officers learned that the subject, a 16-year-old female, was deaf. Officer E.E. Tansey was one of the responding officers and was fluent in American Sign Language.
 
When Tansey arrived and first approached the subject, she climbed onto the wall separating the overpass from the interstate below. After 20 minutes of signing, Officer Tansey was able to convince her to step down from the wall onto the shoulder of the overpass. She stayed very close to the wall, refusing to allow officers closer. Officer Tansey continued to sign to the subject, working with negotiators to both gather information from and relay information to her. This encounter lasted another hour before the subject voluntarily walked with Officer Tansey from the overpass into a safe area.
 
Officer Tansey showed excellent judgement, compassion, and exceptional skills and abilities in preventing a suicide. 

(Pictured: Director Dominick Nutter)
Laura Alvarez
Guanica Collazo
Jason Compton
John Franks
Karlton Genwright
Danielle Gregg
David Gonzalez
Jonathon Leal
Latasha McGirt
Rodney Melvins
Paul Nicholson
Camara Pruett
Tieneisha Robinson
Stephen Ryan
Melissa Teen
Kristyna Ward
Heather Whitaker
Marcus Wells

Raleigh-Wake County Emergency Communications Center provides 9-1-1 service to over 868,000 people, provides safety communications to seven municipalities in Wake County, and dispatches for five EMS agencies, eight law enforcement agencies, and 21 fire departments. They truly add the “public” in public safety by providing the interface between citizens and first responders.  

On March 16, at 10:02 p.m., a call came into the Raleigh Wake 911 Communications center. Little did the center know that this call would be a national news breaking media event. The caller reported that there was a fire on the roof of 214 North Harrington Street in downtown Raleigh. Other calls began pouring in—118 within 45 minutes, to be exact.

More than 100 pieces of apparatus from local agencies were sent to the scene of what turned out to be a 5-alarm fire. The center was responsible for getting the help needed, including finding surrounding agencies to fill-in for the Raleigh Fire stations left vacant due to this event. The center employs a diverse staff, including a full-time fireman who was able to provide inside knowledge and help.

As we all know the business of 911 doesn’t stop just because there is a 5-alarm fire. The center still fielded calls ranging from the routine to the not-so-routine. There were 19 staff members on duty at the center at this time, including three employees in training. Every now and then a call comes through where Communications Center employees are allowed to show what they are made of—and that night was one of those times.

Avery Brown
Shawn Noyes
John Porter
Robert Walters

Last year Wake County Emergency Services responded to over 78,000 requests for service and transported more than 65,000 patients. EMS teams are often forced to make quick critical decisions that could mean the difference between life and death.
 
In addition to first responders, others also put themselves in high risk situations for the greater good of our community—including construction professionals. 
 
The dangers they face were reinforced late one morning this past spring. As a load of steel beams was delivered to a construction site in Raleigh, some fell, trapping a map underneath. Co-workers acted quickly and were able to free him, but the injuries to his arms and legs were severe.
 
EMS 3 with Shawn Noyes and Robert Walters arrived quickly. The Raleigh Fire Department was on scene too, and were followed by EMS 5 with Avery Brown and John Porter.  
 
The victim was critical, and his life was in immediate danger. In recent years, EMS continuing education has included a focus on the use of tourniquets to control severe bleeding. Shawn placed a tourniquet immediately and begin controlling the bleeding. Avery and John worked to stabilize the other injuries, and together with crews from the Raleigh Fire Department, they were able to prepare the victim and move through the large construction area and out to the ambulance. 
 
Shawn placed a secondary tourniquet which, was effective in getting the dangerous bleeding stopped. As Robert navigated them to the trauma center, Shawn and Avery worked to get other treatments started in the back of the ambulance.
 
Shawn, Robert, Avery, and John, along with the Raleigh Fire crews, demonstrated strong teamwork in a critical situation to help save the victim’s life. He and his family continue to work with rehabilitation professionals toward the best outcome.

Justin Hastings
Steven O’Byrne

The Sheriff’s Office includes five divisions including Patrol, Investigation, Judicial Services, Detention, and Administrative with over 360 personnel. This office provides patrol and investigative services as well as crime prevention, service of civil process and courtroom security. Sometimes our deputies are called to do so much more, as you will learn from this story. 

On the morning of July 13th, First Class Deputy Steven O'Byrne and Deputy Justin Hastings were on routine boat team patrol of Shearon Harris Lake. Both deputies were at the boat launch where they witnessed three people taking a white Carolina Skiff out of the water. One subject was in the boat pulling it onto the trailer while a woman was standing between the truck and the trailer attaching the winch to the boat. A woman driving the truck began to pull the trailer out of the water. However the boat was not securely attached. The truck started rolling backwards into the water, and the woman was run over and trapped under water. The female driving the truck became trapped between the truck door and the boat dock.   

Deputy O'Byrne quickly ran over and jumped in the truck, applying the brake to keep it from completely rolling into the lake. Deputy Hastings reached over and placed the boat in neutral, stopping the motor, and then jumped in the water and pulled the female from under the truck. EMS responded to the scene and transported both ladies to Duke Hospital. The female that was trapped between the truck door and the boat dock received minor injuries. The female submerged in water trapped under the truck was transported as a trauma. Both are expected to recover from their injuries. If it was not for the quick actions of both Deputy O'Byrne and Deputy Hastings the outcome of this incident could have been much worse. 

Sergeant Robert Maynard

​Established in 1929 the Highway Patrol’s primary mission is to reduce collisions and make the highways of North Carolina as safe as possible. Troop C District 3 troopers are dedicated to ensuring this mission in Wake County. 

On July 25th, Sergeant Robert Maynard was eating lunch at Chick-fil-A in Garner when he heard an employee yelling his name. The employee pointed to a woman a few tables away who was choking. Sgt. Maynard ran to the women and said, “I’m here to help you.” The woman was not breathing and her face was purple.

Training kicked in, and Sgt. Maynard began to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the woman. As he gave the abdominal thrusts, he could hear her fight for air. After about the 12th to 13th thrust, he heard and saw her spit out a small piece of food onto the table in front of her. She immediately gasped for a huge breath of air and turned toward him, her eyes watering. Sgt. Maynard says he was just in the “right place at the right time,” but it’s clear that his training and quick reaction saved the woman’s life.

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce announced today that Adrienne Cole has been named as its new president and CEO. She has recently served as the Chamber’s senior vice president of Economic Development and executive director of Wake County Economic Development.
 
“Adrienne possesses the expertise to lead the Chamber to accomplish all of our goals,” said Greg Winkler, chair of the Chamber Board of Directors. Last year the Chamber developed a new strategic plan and established five top priorities which include creating jobs and economic investments, advancing transportation solutions, fostering diversity and inclusion in the business community, expanding the Chamber’s foundation, and growing value for its members.
 
“As the first female president of the Chamber, Adrienne will bring a fresh perspective to its 129-year history,” Winkler said. “Her unique talents and creativity will be a great asset to advance our region.”
 
Cole brings more than 20 years of business leadership experience to her new role. Under Cole’s guidance, Wake County Economic Development and the Greater Raleigh Chamber announced more than 30 corporate relocations and expansions totaling over $250 million in capital investments and creating more than 5,000 new jobs.
 
Cole’s additional career accomplishments include:

• Worked to secure and improve state and local economic development incentives
• As an RDU Board member, assisted in the recruitment of the Delta Paris flight
• Recruited Campbell Law School to Raleigh
• Facilitated Red Hat’s headquarters expansion to downtown Raleigh
• Served as economic development leader in Pamlico and Carteret counties and for the city of Raleigh

 
Jill Wells Heath, president and CEO of CALYX Engineers + Consultants and past chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, chaired the search committee that worked with Waverly Partners, LLC. “Our national search of chamber executives provided very competitive candidates,” Heath said. “Adrienne’s wide breadth of knowledge and experience was unmatched.”
 
“I’m so excited to serve the community my family and I have called home for many years,” Cole said. “I am very proud to lead the Greater Raleigh Chamber and to continue the tradition of collaboration that makes Raleigh, Wake County, and the Triangle region special.”
 
Cole is a graduate of Meredith College and received a master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University.

The following statement has been released by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce: 

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is encouraged by the bipartisan effort to repeal the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, known as HB2. We advocate swift action that builds our economy and enhances the quality of life for all citizens. 
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​It’s amazing how quickly the world is transforming around us as a result of new technology.
Open Source, The Cloud, the Internet of Things—all are making an impact on the things we do every day.
 
Transportation is no exception. Transportation could, in fact, be the industry where we see the most evolution over the next 5 – 10 years through the convergence with technology.
 
I am pleased to serve as the RTA’s 2016/17 Emerging Technology and Paradigms chair—the first chair of this new focus area for the regional business community’s voice on mobility solutions.
 
I hope you’ll join me to learn about the innovations that are changing the possibilities for our transportation future at the RTA’s 15th annual meeting on Dec. 15.
 
Executives from Cisco, IBM, and Meridian Autonomous will discuss advancements and emerging concepts in connected transportation, intelligent systems, automation and more.
 
In the Research Triangle, we are perfectly positioned to become a leader in applying transportation innovation due to the strength of our technology employment cluster, the research and ideas from leading universities, and the living laboratory of our dispersed, rapidly-growing region.
 
We have the opportunity to use new technology to make better decisions and smarter investments in our transportation system, both now and as we grow.


Sign-up here to join me at this special 15th anniversary event. You can still become a sponsor for $999.
 
I look forward to seeing you there!
 
Let’s get moving,
Matt
 
Matt Parson
RTA Emerging Technology and Paradigms chair
Red Hat

​What does this really mean in the practical sense? Well, here goes my attempt:

• It means LISTENING twice as much as SPEAKING, so as, to hear what the other person is really saying.    
• It means, QUIETLY, doing things in the community, UNOTICED, like buying a meal for a stranger, or befriending someone at the Healing Place, the Soup Kitchen, or Salvation Army.    
• It means SCHEDULING TIME in your day for the UNEXPECTED. Seeing a homeless person on the street can be construed as “I do not have time.” Yet, let us all try, hard, to learn to stop, to get to know the other person and see him or her AS A GIFT.  
• It means treating the custodian in your building with the same respect as you would the CEO.  
• It means tipping, APPROPRIATELY, all the time – no questions asked, no thanks needed.    
• It means putting FAMILY FIRST. Life is too short to be concerned with accomplishments. It is much richer in the moments where love is extended, people are blessed, and community is shared. That is what I have tried to be for Mary Ann, my children, Gregory Poole employees, my friends, and this community. I have not always succeeded, but I keep trying to be a man who reflects the love that has been bestowed on me.  

Thank you for this honor. And I want to thank all of you in this room, who have played important roles in my life. You have allowed me to share this special evening with all of you. Thank you.

Video by Thomas Babb Photography

By Joe Milazzo II, PE
Executive Director
Regional Transportation Alliance



​
​Thursday, the campaign to pass the fall Wake transit referendum held its kickoff event at Shaw University.

The approved transit plan for Wake County envisions a dedicated, locally-controlled half-cent sales tax as its primary local funding source. The voters of Wake County will decide on the sales tax in a November 2016 referendum.

The four co-chairs for the campaign, listed below (pictured above), spoke this morning about the benefits of enhanced transit in our market:

• Tashni-Ann Dubroy, President, Shaw University
• John Kane, CEO, Kane Realty
• James Roberson, Mayor of Knightdale
• Mark Stohlman, Mayor of Morrisville

However, if they were to summarize the primary goal and benefit of the approved Wake Transit Plan, it would simply be this:  the plan provides more transit—that is, more travel options—for more people, more quickly.

Many groups, businesses, and educational institutions—including the Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition—have endorsed both the plan and referendum. Join us in endorsing the referendum if you have not already done so.

We urge you to vote for the referendum, for enhanced public transportation, and for your community and region’s future this fall.

The Wake County Board of Commissioners, the Go Triangle Board of Trustees, and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization all unanimously approved the new Wake County Transit Plan in spring 2016.

The approved, bipartisan plan calls for the creation of an enhanced and improved regional transit system serving all of Wake County in a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

We can likely identify a number of goals for enhancing transit in this market, or any growing region for that matter. They might include:

• Create alternative to driving, congestion, parking
• Increase travel options as we continue to grow
• Expand access to jobs, healthcare, education, civic life
• Focus land use, support sustainable/walkable development
• Attract/retain talent in our growing community

Here is a simple chart that compares our current situation in Wake County, and the corresponding element of the plan:

Our situation                                       Approved plan

High growth market                             Rapid expansion

Growing traffic congestion                  Peak relief

Dispersed county, region                     Network approach

Inconvenient travel options                Frequent service

Limited funding                                    Scalable system

Rapid technology change                   Short-term completion

Each element in the approved plan is a strong benefit for our region. Taken together, they comprise a strong response to the challenge of growth and congestion in our market.

More information about the benefits  of the plan and referendum is available at letsgetmoving.org/waketransit. Thank you for your support of regional mobility, and thank you for supporting the referendum this fall.

This blog originally appeared here on Sept. 8.