Leaders from government, business and nonprofits across Western North Carolina will gather with economic development experts and others to discuss solutions leading to sustainable economic and community development at LEAD:WNC, a one-day summit set for Wednesday, Nov. 12,  at Western Carolina University.

With the theme “Connecting Leaders: Building Regional Success,” the summit also will include the participation of economic forecasters, business development specialists and entrepreneurs. 

“This event is a call to those who look to be a part of the sustainable growth and economic strengthening of Western North Carolina,” said Tony Johnson, executive director of Millennial Initiatives at WCU. “Those who gather at LEAD:WNC will be asked to be part of setting the agenda for future events as we work together to meet the region’s potential.”

Summit activities are set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Although summit activities will begin at 10 a.m., a pre-summit session has been set for 9 a.m. at the Ramsey Center for a discussion titled “Working Together to Expand Broadband.” Leaders from the N.C. departments of Commerce, Public Safety and Public Instruction will be on hand to discuss that topic.

Registration, including lunch, is $59 per person through Friday, Oct. 31, and $99 per person after that date. For more information or to register, go online to leadwnc.wcu.edu, call 828.227.3014 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Planning for the event has been ongoing for the past year, and it is an outgrowth of a regional engagement retreat that brought together about 100 university and community leaders in October 2013 to examine strategies for strengthening partnerships between the university and region. Launching an annual conference of regional leaders and thinkers to work collaboratively on solving regional issues was among the pledges made by WCU Chancellor David O. Belcher in his March 2012 installation address.

“Western North Carolina is not a homogenous whole,” Belcher said. “It is a region defined by the haves and the have-nots – some areas where people are struggling to survive economically and other areas that are thriving with commerce and investment. We hope this summit and future events on WCU’s campus will ultimately lead to a regionally focused strategy for economic and community development that will enhance the quality of life for all of the region’s citizens.”

The summit keynote speaker will be Michael L. Walden, the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University. Walden will speak at 11 a.m. on the state’s most pressing economic challenges and opportunities, with a focus on the role WNC will play in future development.