Enhanced by Community

Barnhill Contracting Co. and an anonymous corporate donor each donated $25,000 to help fund labs in the new Center for Innovation on the Tarboro campus of Edgecombe Community College. The new facility will focus on advanced manufacturing and is slated to open for classes in 2020.

Local Companies Supporting New ECC Facility through Naming Opportunities

Edgecombe Community College is banking on its new Center for Innovation to help pave the way for the future of skilled manufacturing workers, and local businesses are pitching in.

A study by the National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Institute showed that as many as 2.4 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2028, in part because of the lack of skilled workers.

The Center for Innovation, a $6.1 million project under construction on the Tarboro campus and projected to open for classes in 2020, will address the local need for more workers who are proficient in leading-edge manufacturing technologies.

A majority of the construction and equipment funds are coming from the state, county, and grants from various organizations, such as the Golden LEAF Foundation. Area industries also are playing an important role in helping ECC complete the project.

Barnhill Contracting Co. in Rocky Mount and an anonymous corporate donor each donated $25,000 to help fund a hydraulics and pneumatics lab and an electronics lab.

The Center for Innovation will house the College’s industrial-related programs, including manufacturing technology, industrial systems technology, and electrical/electronics technology, as well as global logistics and supply chain management.

“The donations are helping us outfit the building to ensure we’re doing things in line with industry standards,” says Michael Starling, dean of Business, Industry, and Technologies at ECC .

Equipment like oscilloscopes, multimeters, hydraulics and pneumatic training stations, programmable logic controllers, and mechatronics trainers will allow the students to troubleshoot, build, repair, and operate systems that are found in manufacturing settings across the country, Starling explains.

“A lot of industries are using these same types of systems,” he adds. “We want to be as close to a real world situation as possible so the students can not only work on the systems, but also troubleshoot and perform maintenance on them.”

To learn more about supporting workforce training by making a gift to the College, please contact Lynwood Roberson, executive director of the ECC Foundation, at robersonl@edgecombe.edu or (252) 618-6650.

Lamm Building Honors Former President

The name of former Edgecombe Community College president Dr. Deborah Lamm, who retired in May 2018, was installed in January 2019 on the front exterior of the health sciences building, which has been known as the Biotechnology and Medical Simulation Center.

The ECC Board of Trustees voted to name the building in her honor shortly before her retirement.

The Lamm Building opened on the Rocky Mount campus in January 2016. The three-story, 45,000-squarefoot structure cost more than $9.7 million to build and over $2.5 million to furnish. The facility houses 18 programs of study in health sciences, including curriculum and continuing education programs.

The facility maximizes the use of current patient simulation technology and mimics a hospital setting. In 2018, nearly 1,500 students used the Lamm Building.

The facility is a shining example of the capacity of broad-based community support. Edgecombe County citizens passed a quarter cent sales tax in 2012, providing a funding stream for the facility.

The Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners fully supported the project and recognized the training needs of the county and region. The Rocky Mount City Council also backed the initiative and understood its role as a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Rocky Mount.

Golden LEAF Foundation, Horizon Health Partners, PNC Bank, and Urban Research Park were funding partners who invested in workforce training and an enhanced quality of life. Also, private donors created a legacy while investing in the education of area citizens.

The health sciences building on the Rocky Mount campus honors Dr. Deborah Lamm, president of ECC from 2004 until her retirement in May 2018.

Norris Tolson, CEO and president of Carolinas Gateway Partnership, delivered the keynote address at Advisory Board Night.

Advisory Boards Inform Programs

About 200 area leaders in education, health care, business, and industry joined Edgecombe Community College faculty on the Tarboro campus for Advisory Board Night held February 28, 2019.

Norris Tolson, CEO and president of Carolinas Gateway Partnership, provided the keynote address on economic development investments in Edgecombe County.

“Edgecombe County will be inundated with construction workers over the next three to four years,” he said, citing construction surrounding the Corning facility underway at the Kingsboro Megasite, the CSX project in Rocky Mount, and the planned Triangle Tire plant.

“We anticipate that Edgecombe and Nash counties are on a significant roll, and we will continue to see that for the foreseeable future. We are the envy of the state right now,” Tolson added.

ECC advisory boards consist of professional leaders, community members, and faculty who are experts in the subject area of their board. More than 70 businesses and organizations are represented on the boards.

Advisory boards are in place for 30 program areas of the College, such as public safety training, ophthalmic medical personnel, and college transfer. Six to ten members sit on each board.

Stressing the value of guidance and recommendations from advisory board members, ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod told the audience, “Your advice directly and positively impacts our programs and ultimately the success of our students in the workplace, and we are grateful for these partnerships and for your participation.”

More than 175 job seekers attended Edgecombe Community College’s annual Job Fair on March 15, 2019. Shown above are Jean Nash (left), safety manager of Nash Building Systems, Inc., and Ronnell Battle. Fifty-eight employers, including representatives from manufacturing, health care, and public safety, were on the lookout for qualified applicants at the ECC Job Fair. Four of these companies conducted interviews during the event. Also, College employees provided resume review services.

In January 2019, the Edgecombe Community College Board of Trustees recognized Edgecombe Early College High School Principal Matt Smith, who was named 2019 North Central Region Principal of the Year. He was one of eight finalists for the title of North Carolina Principal of the Year. The Edgecombe Early College High School is located on ECC’s Tarboro campus. Through the NC Career and College Promise program, Early College students have an opportunity to complete an ECC associate degree or earn up to two years of tuition-free college credit. Shown are Matt Smith (left) and Dr. Jerry Price, chair of the ECC Board of Trustees.

Peter Hans, president of the North Carolina Community College System, and other state leaders visited Edgecombe Community College in January 2019 and met with Dr. Greg McLeod, president of the College. Hans became president of the community college system in May 2018, and his visit to ECC was part of an effort to tour all 58 community colleges statewide. Shown from left are Trey Lewis of Senator Thom Tillis’ office and an ECC graduate; Peter Hans; Betty Jo Shepheard of Senator Richard Burr’s office and an ECC trustee; and Dr. Greg McLeod.