Special to IFN
RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein and the N.C. Department of Commerce on Wednesday announced North Carolina’s new “First in Opportunity” Strategic Economic Development Plan – a comprehensive statewide roadmap designed to guide North Carolina’s next phase of economic growth, strengthen long-term competitiveness, and expand opportunity statewide.
“The ‘First in Opportunity’ Plan is about ensuring North Carolina remains competitive while creating opportunity in every corner of the state,” Stein said. “As our state continues to grow, we must invest in our public schools and workforce development efforts, attract and sustain thriving businesses, and drive economic success for all our people.”
Secretary Lee Lilley and Assistant Secretary Reginald Speight visited Wilson alongside local and regional leaders to highlight how strategic investments in rural communities are helping drive economic growth and opportunity across North Carolina. The visit illustrated how coordinated investments in downtown revitalization, tourism, infrastructure, housing, workforce development, public-private partnerships, and long-term community investments can strengthen local economies.
“Every region of North Carolina must have the tools and resources to foster economic opportunity and drive generational prosperity,” Lilley explained. “The ‘First in Opportunity’ Plan challenges us to develop a dynamic and durable workforce, strengthen infrastructure, spur innovation and entrepreneurship, and invest in critical economic foundations like housing, child care, and health care so communities across North Carolina can compete, grow, and thrive.”
The “First in Opportunity” Plan serves as North Carolina’s Comprehensive Strategic Economic Development Plan and establishes a unified four-year vision for economic development across the state. The plan builds upon the success of the state’s 2021 “First in Talent” strategy while broadening its focus to address today’s evolving economic drivers and priorities through a more holistic approach to economic development.
The plan reflects extensive stakeholder engagement and input from communities across North Carolina and recognizes that while North Carolina remains one of the nation’s top-performing states economically, continued success will require intentional efforts to ensure every community has the opportunity to benefit from that growth.
The plan also acknowledges the rapidly changing environment facing North Carolina, including population growth, workforce pressures, infrastructure demands, technological change, and the continued impacts of severe weather events such as Hurricane Helene. At its core, the plan is focused on ensuring North Carolina’s growth is sustainable, resilient, and broadly shared.
To support that vision, the framework is organized around four strategic goals:
♦ Modernizing and fortifying infrastructure to strengthen resilience, improve connectivity, and support long-term growth.
♦ Accelerating economic competitiveness by strengthening innovation ecosystems and supporting industries that position North Carolina to compete globally.
♦ Enhancing community well-being by expanding access to housing, child care, and health care so that more North Carolinians can fully participate in the economy.
♦ Building a resilient, future-ready workforce through stronger statewide coordination across education, workforce development, and economic development systems.
♦ Developed under the leadership of Secretary Lilley in partnership with Governor Stein, the plan was shaped through an extensive, data-driven, and community-centered planning process that included regional listening sessions, stakeholder engagement, economic analysis, and collaboration with leaders from business, education, workforce development, local government, and nonprofit organizations.
Gov. Stein and Secretary Lilley convened a Strategic Economic Development Plan Steering Committee made up of leaders from business, education, workforce development, local government, and nonprofit organizations to help guide development of the plan. The committee, chaired by Lilley, supported outreach and engagement efforts, reviewed stakeholder feedback, and helped shape policy and program recommendations designed to strengthen economic opportunity across North Carolina.
The Department of Commerce partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government’s ncIMPACT Initiative during the community engagement phase of the planning process. The ncIMPACT Initiative led nine public listening sessions across North Carolina’s Prosperity Zones and facilitated a statewide webinar that engaged approximately 650 participants representing 91 counties.
The Department of Commerce also partnered with KPMG during the research and plan development phase to analyze stakeholder feedback, benchmark national best practices, and help organize the plan’s long-term strategies and implementation framework.