1. Lumber River Workforce Development Board Newsletter
STAR
The Lumber River
JULY 2011
Overdorf Heads Up Literacy Campaign
Shana Overdorf is the missioned by the BRAC is to engage and support
new consultant and man- FBR—have found, litera- underemployed and at-
ager for the joint Lifelong cy and reverence for edu- risk residents to acquire
Learning and Literacy cation are challenges the literacy, education and
project and ―Get ‗NOT‘ across the region, includ- job skills necessary to
Out of Your Life‖ out- ing Bladen, Chatham, succeed in the 21st centu-
reach and commu- ry jobs being cre-
nications campaign. ated throughout
the region. One Inside this issue:
The initiative is an piece will include
effort of the All an innovative so-
American Gateway cial marketing of New Workforce & 2
Workforce Region helping people Economic Dev. Website
Collaboration - a eliminate the word
partnership be- ―NOT‖ from their Richmond Joins Lumber 2
tween Fort Bragg vocabularies. River WDB Service Area
Regional Alliance Jennifer Facciolini, 2010-2011 NC Teacher
of the Year; Tim Moore, Fort Bragg Region-
and four regional al Alliance; Kendall Jordan, NC Public The partnership Partnership Releases 3
Workforce Devel- School Forum ; and Shana Overdorf, Life- recently held its Recruitment Videos
long Learning and Literacy Consultant
opment Boards, 2nd Annual Gate-
including Lumber way Workforce Beating the Heat with 4
River WDB, Regional Cumberland, Harnett, Region Literacy Summit Home Upgrades
Partnership WDB, Cum- Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, on June 29, 2011. Ap-
berland County WDB and Moore, Richmond, Robe- proximately 100 commu- Program Opens Farmers 5
Triangle South WDB. As son, Sampson, and Scot- nity and business leaders Market in Pembroke
various reports and stud- land counties. (continued on page 4)
Ramey Elected President 7
ies—including those com- The goal of the initiative
of Steering Committee
LRCOG Website Has New Look
The Lumber River Coun- board members can be access annual reports,
cil of Governments‘ web- easily located on the newsletters, audit reports
site—www.lrcog.org— About Us page. Addi- and more.
has a new look and feel to tionally, the site provides
make it easier for you to information about the Feel free to check out our
access information about LRCOG member govern- new site. We hope that
the region. ments as well as links to you enjoy it and please let
each by county. us know if you have any
The newly remodeled site comments or suggestions.
offers five main areas: In an effort to keep our
About Us, Member Gov- users updated, the site You can also follow us on
ernments, Programs and features a column on the Facebook, where all you
Services, LRCOG Staff home page for current need to do is click the
and Links. news and quick links. ―Like‖ button on the page www.lrcog.org
Navigation is much easier and all updates will feed
The mission statement and the content is rich. to your home page.
and listing of current Visitors will be able to

2. THE LUMBER RIVER STAR Page 2
New Workforce and Economic Development Website
The four Workforce Develop- security, and other related jobs sets available throughout the
"The ment Boards (WDB) serving and skill needs) and to maxim- region and larger All American
the 11-county BRAC growth ize the benefits to the region Defense Corridor. Our new
collaboration region, together with the Fort and state. regional portal site - allameri-
Bragg Regional Alliance cangateway.com - reflects this
of our (previously BRAC Regional This new website is just one approach with a central entry
Task Force), launched a brand product of an on-going three- to workforce and related re-
new workforce and economic year collaborative effort by the sources," said Dana Powell,
organizations
development website. The site Administrator of the Lumber
- www.allamericangateway.com - is River WDB.
offers the best designed to help align, inte-
grate, and publicize education, The multi-page website pro-
assets available training, workforce and eco- vides information about and
nomic development across the links to resources within the
throughout the four local workforce service All American Gateway Work-
areas: Lumber River (Bladen, force Region such as JobLink
region and Hoke, Richmond, Robeson, five organizations through a Career Centers, economic clus-
Scotland); Triangle South NC Department of Commerce ters and occupational sectors,
larger All (Chatham, Lee, Harnett, Division of Workforce Devel- regional collaboration accom-
Sampson); Regional Partner- opment grant to encourage plishments, other partners and
American ship (Montgomery and such regional partnerships. assets, plus PipelineNC.com
Moore); and Cumberland. Other regional initiatives have and the NC Employment Se-
Defense included holding the first ever curity Commission's Job Con-
Over the next several years, the joint workforce board meeting nector tool.
Fort Bragg environs will see in Fayetteville, sponsoring a
Corridor.” - substantial gains of direct mili- regional literacy summits in The regional partnership is also
tary and civilian personnel as Lumberton, virtually connect- planning for the launch of a
Dana Powell, the US Army moves its Forces ing and equipping the four Lifelong Learning and Literacy
Command (FORSCOM) and board meeting rooms with campaign in September to co-
Lumber River Reserve Command (USARC) video-conferencing capabilities, incide with National Literacy
from Fort McPherson, GA to and branding the 11-county Month. -www.bracrtf.com
WDB Fort Bragg. Workforce plan- area as the "All American
ning and preparation is re- Gateway Workforce Region". Please check out the website at
Administrator quired to deal with the growth www.allamericangateway.org.
challenges (including more "The collaboration of our or-
high-pay defense, homeland ganizations offers the best as-
Richmond County Joins Lumber River WDB Service Area
The Lumber River Workforce Development Board is proud to announce its newest addition - Rich-
mond County. Previously, the County was affiliated with the Pee Dee Workforce Development for
about a decade since the accompanying council of governments dissolved and it joined the Lumber
River COG. Richmond‘s elected officials were already a part of the Lumber River COG and the
agency was already providing other services in Richmond County, so it was a natural fit to bring the
county‘s workforce development services under the same consortium. The Employment Security
Commission in Rockingham will continue to be the host agency of the Richmond County JobLink
Career Center. The JobLink Center will provide WIA Adult & Dislocated Worker services. Both
Richmond County Community Support and Rockingham District Partners in Ministry will provide
WIA Youth services.

3. Page 3 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
Partnership Releases Videos to Promote Allied Health Professionals
During its grant period, the to-fill Allied Health jobs. The is also available at the JobLink
Southern NC Allied Health video is now available on Career Centers in the partner-
Regional Skills Partnership YouTube at http://youtu.be/ ship area.
successfully produced two qPUDxypbYxY or can be
videos that helped showcase its viewed at any of the JobLink The funding for the partner-
partnership area—Bladen, Career Centers in the partner- ship ended on June 30, 2011;
Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, ship area. however, it is preparing to
Richmond, Robeson and Scot- transition to a new model of
land counties. The second video is a recruit- self-management with volun-
ment video to help displaced teer leadership and in-kind
The first video ―Southeastern or dislocated workers to con- support. Alyssa, a Respiratory
NC: Plant Your Roots, Grow sider retraining for health ca- Therapist, shares her
Your Career‖ features Allied reers. ―Can You See Yourself “Southeastern NC: Plant Your story in the “Can You See
Yourself in a Health
Health employees in each of in a Health Career?‖ features Roots, Grow Your Career” Career?” Video
the health care systems in the short testimonials from local http://youtu.be/
partnership that have relocated individuals in the region who qPUDxypbYxY
here from out of the region. lost their jobs but successfully
Through their stories, the vid- completed training at local ―Can You See Yourself in a Health
eo shows the unique benefits community colleges and got Career?”
of living and working in south- jobs in health care. The video http://vimeo.com/24690618
eastern NC and will serve as a is intended to inspire job seek-
marketing tool to showcase the ers to consider and ask for
region to individuals that are more information about health
considering a move here for careers, health training pro-
work. The video is intended to grams and jobseeker resources.
help employers in their efforts The video can be viewed at
to recruit for some of the hard- http://vimeo.com/24690618 and
LRWDB Bids Farewell to Team Members
Andrena Scott announced her retirement effective January 1, 2011. Andrena was the
Executive Director of Career and Technical Education at Hoke County Schools and
Director of the WIA Youth Program in Hoke County. She also served on the Lumber
River Youth Council.
Vickie Tate announced her retirement effective June 1, 2011. Vickie was the Assistant
Vice-President for Basic Skills at Robeson Community College and Director of the WIA
Out-of-School Youth Program in Robeson County. Vickie was the first Workforce De-
velopment Administrator for the Lumber River region.
Sylvia Pate began her retirement effective July 1, 2011. Sylvia served as Director of the
UNC Pembroke Regional Center for Economic, Community and Professional Develop-
ment and oversaw the WIA In-School Youth Program in Robeson County and the Sus-
tainable Agriculture Program under the State Energy Sector Program grant. Sylvia was
the second Workforce Development Administrator for the Lumber River region.
Please join us as we wish Andrena, Vickie and Sylvia all the best in their retirement!

4. THE LUMBER RIVER STAR Page 4
Literacy Campaign (cont.)
(Continued from page 1) for August 24, 2011 to discuss eracy Month. For more infor-
from the 12-county area were the making of a regional litera- mation or to join the fledging
in attendance and represented cy council. ―Establishing a Regional Literacy Council,
community colleges, county regional literacy council within please contact Shana Overdorf
literacy councils, education, the 12 counties would a t (9 1 0) 80 8 -4 67 1 or
economic development, cham- strengthen collaboration be- soverdorf@bracrtf.com. –
bers of commerce, libraries, tween regional organizations www.bracrtf.com
workforce development, de- and enhance their influence,‖
partment of social services and said Shana.
vocational rehabilitation. From
this summit, a network of part- By September, the partnership
ners was established and a plans to launch the campaign
meeting has been scheduled to coincide with National Lit-
Beating the Heat with Home Performance Upgrades
The heat is on! With power affected, but with our economy lems that pertain to the home‘s
plants delivering reliable energy struggling to adapt to a new era health, comfort, and safety.
and air conditioning keeping us of global competition, more of This may include: carbon mon-
cool, thank the ingenuity and the middle class also feels the oxide spillage, moisture prob-
hard work of the people who pinch. Professional Energy lems, mold, excessive dust, gas
provide these modern conven- Auditors diagnose problems, leaks, poor air quality, uncom-
iences. Heating & Air Condi- recommend affordable solu- fortable rooms, high energy
“Approximately tioning (HVAC) ranks high on tions and help you develop an bills, and other issues.
my list, right beside other tech- action plan – whether it‘s sim-
60% of the nological friends such as Personally, I‘m far more con-
trucks, grocery stores, the in- cerned with the air my preg-
ternet and cellphones. nant wife is breathing from our
first floor air
moldy old asbestos-piped
These things we often take for crawlspace below. Sure, I save
in most homes granted – at least until the mo- a kilowatt dollar when I can,
ment they stop working, or but guarantee you that I‘ll be
comes form the begin to thin wallets. Unless spray foaming to define my air
you live at the beach, where barrier long before I replace
crawlspace, ” new units are eaten and quickly Students Constructing “Insulated windows with over-marketed
Tents” for Recessed Lights
corroded in as little as five Low-E sashes.
- Ryan Nance years by salty air, a service call ple do-it-yourself projects or
and tune-up may be all that‘s hiring the right specialist. Knowing that 60% of the first-
needed. But what do you do floor air you breathe in most
when the HVAC technician But to think of your home‘s homes comes from the
confirms that the system is performance upgrade strictly in crawlspace, or, that nearly 30%
working properly and your terms of energy savings misses of homes in our region have
home is still uncomfortable, the wider scope of benefits. An detectable gas leaks may help
the air is moldy stale, or the Energy Auditor is a trained and to explain the cause of certain
electricity bill is still out the certified building scientist – or health problems.
roof? what I think of as the 21st cen-
In terms of high energy bills, tury home inspector. They take So whether it‘s high energy
the poor and elderly on low, the ―house-as-a-system‖ ap- bills or poor air quality, there
fixed incomes are certainly proach when analyzing prob- (Continued on page 5)

5. Page 5 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
Upgrades (cont.)
(Continued from page 4) and repairs to nearly 400
are local professionals that can homes‖. The program serves a The Lumber River Workforce
help. Energy Auditors and larger 7-county region and will Development Board continues
some traditional HVAC con- end on March 30, 2012. to partner with our region‘s
tractors have fine-tuned their community colleges and moti-
services and incorporated new Mr. Fran Meinert‘s home was vated construction profession-
methods to help boost your one of those 900 success sto- als. Visit our Facebook page
home‘s performance, and its ries. A Council of Government for a list of contractors and
ability to beat the heat. Board member of Parkton, Mr. auditors that participate in
Meinert achieved a 30% reduc- these initiatives, as well as oth-
Success stories have become tion in his utility bill following er practical resources for
routine from the Weatheriza- a home performance upgrade homeowners.
tion Program that Four County by one of the program‘s weath-
Community Services adminis- erization contractors. If you are interested in training
ters. Eligible to families in opportunities leading to certifi-
need, the program helps make Home Performance services cations within these specialized
homes more energy efficient are common in the more urban fields, scholarships are still
through air sealing, insulation areas where renovation and available. Please call
and education. remodeling strategies for older (910) 272-5078 or email
According to John Spence, homes encompass more than Ryan.Nance@lrcog.org to in-
Program Manager, they have just a facelift. Now, residents quire. -Ryan Nance, Workforce
―completed over 900 of 1,550 of our region have the same Development Staff
homes…and furnished heat services available from local
and air conditioning systems contractors.
Program Opens Pembroke’s First Farmers Market
The Sustainable Agriculture ―This is a new opportunity for enrolling more students, we
Program, a project of the UNC these small farmers to market can increase the volume and
Pembroke Regional Center, their produce and supplement variety of produce for the mar-
sponsored Pembroke‘s first their income.‖ Produce in- ket.‖
farmers market, which opened cluded cucumbers, potatoes,
mid-May. squash, string beans, sweet The Sustainable Agriculture
peas, cabbage, onions, cauli- Program is a 48-hour certifi-
The market, located at the flower, mustard, turnips, kale, cate program coupled with
UNC Pembroke‘s Distance potted plants, hanging plants work experience that focuses
Education parking lot on the and flowering plants. on new trends in agriculture
corner of University Road, has and new ways to produce agri-
been a great spot for area The program plans to enroll cultural income. It is funded
growers to sell their produce, a more students over the next by a grant from the U.S. De-
plus for the students who com- year. ―More and more people partment of Labor to NC De- Some of the produce offered
by local growers at
pleted the first SA class. ―On these days are eating healthier, partment of Commerce‘s Divi- Pembroke’s Farmers Market
the first day, four of our stu- which in turn boosts the de- sion of Workforce Develop-
dents set up their produce in mand for fresh fruit and vege- ment for a State Energy Sector
crates and buckets and sold tables and therefore directly Partnership grant and contract-
them right from their tail- impacts the farmers and ed to UNCP through the Lum-
gates,‖ - said Emily Locklear, the markets,‖ says Emily. ber River WDB. –www.uncp.edu
the program coordinator. ―Therefore we hope that by

6. THE LUMBER RIVER STAR Page 6
Labor Market Information Update
Unemployment Rates
Labor Force
COUNTY June 2011 June 2010
June 2011
Bladen 12.5% 12% 15,713
Hoke 9.7% 9% 21,171
Robeson 13.2% 12.7% 56,842
Scotland 17.1% 17.1% 13,434
Lumber River
13% 12.4% 127,604
Local Area
North Carolina 9.9% 10.5% 4,502,076
Source: NC Employment Security Commission
Team Member Updates
Ryan Nance, the new Energy Sector Program Coordinator at the LRCOG, will be responsible for
the successful completion of the Lumber River State Energy Sector Partnership Grant. The goal of
the grant is to train and certify workers with advanced skills in green construction, sustainable agri-
culture, and other green energy fields.
Emily Locklear is the Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator at UNC Pembroke. She coordinates the
Sustainable Agriculture Certificate program, contracted through the Lumber River WDB, which fo-
cuses on new trends in agriculture and new ways to produce agricultural income.
Damian Cloeter is the new Green Construction Project Coordinator at the LRCOG. Damian coor-
dinates Green Construction activities and works with training institutions to develop and implement
training and employment opportunities in the Green Construction.
Ryan Nance
Energy Sector Tammy Beasley was promoted from Employment Consultant I to Employment Consultant Super-
Program Coordinator
visor I/WIA Supervisor at the Robeson County JobLink Career Center/ESC.
David Bullard was promoted from Employment Consultant II to Employment Consultant Supervi-
sor I/WIA Supervisor at the Scotland County JobLink Career Center/ESC.
Jessica Hendrix works at Hoke High School as one of its newest WIA Youth Specialists.
Harlena Kershaw is a new WIA Youth Specialist at Hoke High School.
Lee Newkirk was promoted from Veterans‘ Supervisor in Fayetteville to Assistant Manager at the
Robeson County JobLink Career Center/ESC.
Scotland County WIA Youth Program Staff (Vondia Caple, Mary Blue and Jessica McLeod)
have moved to a new location: Shaw Academy, 1800 Old Wire Road, Laurinburg, NC, 28352 (910)
276-6541.
David Bullard Dr. Johnny Hunt, LRWD Board Member, was awarded the UNC Pembroke Outstanding Alumnus
Scotland County Award.
JobLink CC/ESC
Evan Davenport, LRWD Board Member, was named the recipient of the Distinguished Service
Award at UNC Pembroke.

7. Page 7 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
Ramey Elected President of Steering Committee
Michael Ramey, the Business Recognizing the need for net- ideas from all NC Business
Services Coordinator for the working and collaboration, the Services Representatives for
Lumber River WDB, was re- committee was developed to key topics of emphasis.
cently elected as President of plan statewide business ser-
the NC Business Services Rep- vices activities, trainings and Michael will work together
resentatives Steering Commit- special projects. The commit- with Workforce Development
tee. tee has been instrumental in Directors and JobLink Manag-
policy development regarding ers in the state regarding busi-
Business Services is a broad on-the-job training and local ness services projects, as well
range of holistic, comprehen- incumbent worker training. as provide summary reports of Michael Ramey
sive, system-wide, human re- meetings. Business Services
Coordinator
source services offered to busi- Michael will be responsible for
nesses, including consultation, submitting reports to the NC Congratulations Michael!
recruitment, retention, and Dept. of Commerce Business
training. Local workforce de- Services Division, coordinating
velopment areas tailor services committee meetings, and serv-
specifically for their area. ing as a consultant to solicit
2011 State of the NC Workforce is Now Available
The State of the NC Workforce 2011-2020 provides an in-depth analysis of the supply of available
workers and the workforce demand in the state. The report evaluates the impact of the Great Reces-
sion on North Carolina's labor force and revisits ongoing structural economic trends identified be-
fore the recession. The Commission on Workforce Development stands at the ready to foster and
facilitate the conversations necessary to reach our goal of making North Carolina the most business-
friendly state in the country, offering the skilled workforce necessary for business creation and ex-
pansion. The full report can be accessed online at www.nccommerce.com/workforce/report.
In Remembrance of Dr. Stanley A. Richardson & Judy Leggett
The death of Dr. Stanley A. Richardson on March 10, 2010 and the death of
Judy Bowen Leggett on March 17, 2011 was a tragic loss for the Lumber River
Workforce Development Board.
Dr. Stanley Adolphus Richardson, longtime educator from Bladen County,
served as the Chairman of the Youth Council, a committee of the Workforce
Development Board. He was an avid advocate for youth and education during
his tenure. He is sorely missed by his fellow WDB members, Youth Council
members, staff, and contractors in our four-county region. The board decided
to honor Dr. Stanley A. Richardson by naming the WDB Board Member of the
The late Dr. The late Judy
Year Award in his name. As a result, the spirit and memory of Dr. Richardson Stanley Bowen
will remain strong. Richardson Leggett
Judy Bowen Leggett served as an Employment Consultant for the Robeson County JobLink Career
Center/ESC. With over 30 years of experience, she had a passion for helping others. She will be
truly missed by all who knew her.
Subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter - email holly.hunt@lrcog.org
Comments, suggestions and articles for publication are always welcome.
Email your submission to holly.hunt@lrcog.org along with your name, organization, address, and phone number.

8. Economic
Education Employment
Development
Upcoming Events
www.lumberriverwdb.org August 18 September 11-14
COG Board Meeting @ 7:00 Southeastern Employment &
p.m. Training Association Fall
Lumber River Workforce Development Board Conference—Savannah, GA
Newsletter August 24 www.seta.org
Lumber River Council of Governments Gateway Regional Literacy
30 CJ Walker Road, COMtech Park Council Meeting @ 10:00 September 15
Pembroke, NC 28372 am—Hoke County Library COG Board Meeting @ 7:00
Phone: 910.618.5533 p.m.
Fax: 910.521.7576
E-mail: holly.hunt@lrcog.org
August 23
Robeson County Business October 12-14
Services Team Meeting @ 12 NC Workforce Development
noon—UNCP Regional Ctr Partnership Conference—
Greensboro, NC
August 25 www.nccommerce.com
Workforce Development
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Board Meeting @ 12:00 noon Our Calendar is Online!
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to www.lumberriverwdb.org
individuals with disabilities. September 5
(800) 205-9916 TTY (800) 205-9915 Voice CLOSED for Labor Day