The NC STEP program is a new program of the North Carolina Rural Center. It is a $10.5 million, broad-based strategy for addressing small-town issues. The plan is designed to help towns recover their prosperity and improve the quality of life for its citizens. It is being funded primarily by the N.C. Rural Economic Infrastructure Fund, a grants and investment program.

The Towns of Bladenboro, Clarkton, Elizabethtown and White Lake are participating as a cluster in the NC STEP (NC Small Towns Economic Prosperity) program.

The four towns chose to apply as a cluster because the resources in our communities cross town boundaries. For example, folks in Bladenboro may work in Clarkton, and many residents in White Lake may attend church and shop in Elizabethtown. A family in Elizabethtown often has friends and family members in White Lake, Clarkton, and Bladenboro. Our towns have boundaries, but our community and our community resources do not.

Individually, some of our cluster towns may have had trouble organizing resources to participate in the NC STEP program as an individual applicant; however, by pooling our combined leadership and resources, we hope to benefit all four towns in a cooperative effort. By working together as a demonstration site, we offer the NC STEP program a higher probability for success.

Anyone interested in volunteering with NC STEP is more than welcome to participate. Attend the next regular meeting, or contact:

Bladen's Bloomin'
Bladen County Economic Development Office
P.O. Box 2203
Elizabethtown, NC 28337

(910) 645-2292

Bladen's Bloomin', Inc. submitted the NC STEP cluster application on behalf of the towns of Bladenboro, Clarkton, Elizabethtown and White Lake. Bladen's Bloomin' will administer the NC STEP funds / programs.

Bladen's Blooming is a non-profit corporate organization administered by Chuck Heustess (the Bladen County Economic Developer) and his staff to promote the development of Bladen County by encouraging and assign industry in location and/or expansion. The organization administers a revolving loan program and is governed by a board of directors made-up of three Bladen County Commissioners and four other members from the private sector.

A NC STEP Leadership Committee reports to the Bladen's Bloomin' Board. The Leadership Committee is made-up of four representatives from each town, as well as one representative from the Bladen's Bloomin' Board (who is Linda Croom).

The Leadership Committee is made-up of an elected official, two community representatives and a manager / staff representative. The people who comprise the NC STEP Leadership Committee are as follows:

Bladenboro: Livingston Lewis, Steve Cox, Lisa Hester& Delane Jackson
Clarkton: W. D. Neill, Keith Croom, Susan Goodwin & Alton Boswell
Elizabethtown: Rufus Lloyd, Tomye Glenn, Marcia Viatoro & David Bone
White Lake: Jeff Corbett, Kitty Nye, Dean Hilton & Brenda Clark

Additional community leaders have been asked to serve on each of the Sub-committees. We thank everyone who is serving on the Leadership Committee and on the Subcommittees.

Roger Sheats is serving as the "Coach" for the Bladen County Cluster. Roger will be in attendance at most (if not all) of our Cluster meetings.

It is the coach's job to be a guide, a facilitator (at times), a resource, and a counselor.

Roger currently is a consultant and works as a part-time Interim Executive Director for the Cape Fear River Assembly. He is the former Executive Director of the Mid-Carolina Council of Governments, former Vice-President of the NC Rural Center (which is funding the NC STEP Program), and is a former Deputy Secretary for the NC Department of Transportation. He knows the in's and out's of State government and will be a great resource for us as we move through this three-year program.

The role of a "Coach" is to be a resource to the communities as we move along in this process. He will give us feedback and provide suggestions.

Roger is also the Coach for the Columbus County Cluster (which includes the Bladen County town of East Arcadia, as well as Sandyfield and Bolton) and the Town of Maxton.