On April 27, 2009, public officials and financial experts met at Guilford Technical Community College to discuss the federal stimulus funding opportunities available to the citizens of Guilford County. North Carolina state Senator Katie Dorsett, a leader of the Guilford County Legislative Delegation that invited the speakers to attend, briefly introduced each speaker while quickly summarizing each topic on the agenda.
"The people scheduled to speak before us today are the men most qualified in the state of North Carolina to tell us how best we here in Guilford can take advantage of the stimulus money," said Dorsett. "I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on all of the details of the American Recovery and Investment Act, but these guys don't have to pretend, because they are all experts in their given fields. That's why we brought them here today."
Dempsey Benton, Governor Perdue's Director at the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Economic Investment, opened the forum by breaking down where the money coming to North Carolina was obligated to go, and further explained how people and businesses could apply for stimulus funds. Benton explained the goals of the stimulus are to stabilize state budgets, create jobs, and provide an economic safety net for those most in need. Gene Conti and Keith Crisco, Secretaries of Transportation and Commerce, respectively, represented Governor Perdue's cabinet at the event.
The Golden Leaf Foundation President, Dan Gerlach, spoke on the health of North Carolina's economy, while informing attendees that the Golden Leaf Foundation was working to fill holes left by the stimulus in rural economic development. Gerlach praised Senator Dorsett's organization of the event, calling her an "unsung hero in the General Assembly" for her diligent work ethic and her unwavering commitment for serving her constituents.
Senator Don Vaughan, a freshman Senator from Greensboro and member of the recently formed Senate Committee on Economic Recovery, offered his insight into the stimulus package. "This will have a great economic impact on Guilford County and we must take advantage of it. Whether or not you like the politics behind the stimulus package, it's here and we in Raleigh are going to work extremely hard to make sure as much money as possible reaches North Carolina from Washington."
For additional information on how you or your business can take advantage of stimulus funds,
contact your state Senator's office.
Image: Senator Katie Dorsett
Image: Senator Don Vaughan