The Greenville-ENC Alliance, Pitt County’s public-private economic development partnership, launched the public phase of its inaugural capital campaign Tuesday, November 12 with a kickoff reception at the Hilton Greenville. The campaign leadership announced to the crowd of roughly 150 people that as of November 12, $2,470,000 has been pledged in the campaign’s quiet phase. The campaign goal is $2,750,000.

Campaign Co-Chairs Lance Clark and Thomas Taft hosted the event along with the campaign leadership group. Both co-chairs spoke about why they believe in the new public-private partnership and why their companies invested at such a significant level. They also extolled the other early investors who have set the campaign on a course for success.

East Carolina University, Vidant Health, and TowneBank have each pledged significant lead investments at the Diamond level ($250,000 or more) over the five years of the initiative. Early Platinum level investors ($100,000-$249,999) include Bill Clark Homes, Taft Family Ventures, The Jefferson Group and Hyster-Yale. Early investments by fourteen other companies and organizations complete the $2,470,000 pledge total to date.

Greenville – ENC Alliance board chairman Michael Overton told the large gathering that the Alliance has already been very active during its early days. Overton referenced the Alliance  heading a collaboration to help secure grant funds for a potential second airline at Pitt – Greenville Airport, providing financial support for the Town of Bethel to upgrade its downtown marketing efforts and securing state certification of the remaining sites at Indigreen Corporate Park.

Overton also noted that, with the successful conclusion of the capital campaign, the Greenville – ENC Alliance will have raised nearly $8,000,000 for operations and programs over the next five years. The City of Greenville and Greenville Utilities Commission have each committed $2.5 million for Alliance operations. All the funds raised by the capital campaign will go directly to the economic development programs outlined in the Alliance’s five-year strategic plan.

Christopher Chung, CEO of the North Carolina Economic Development Partnership, told the group that he considered the formation of the partnership to be an important move for the area and looked forward to working closely with the new organization.  

Dr. Ron Michelson, Interim Chancellor at East Carolina University, expressed the school’s strong support for the Alliance. He told the assemblage of the school’s own commitment to economic development in Pitt County and throughout the region and the great potential for quality growth the new public-private partnership represents.

Taft concluded the program with a call to action, encouraging those present to join the early investors in supporting the campaign to empower this new dynamic enterprise to help build the kind of future they all want for their community.