Appalachian Regional Commission

The Commission is a regional economic development agency representing a unique partnership of federal, state and local governments. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, the Commission is composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) and a federal co­chairman who is appointed by the president. Each year Congress appropriates funds, which ARC allocates among its member states. The Appalachian governors, consulting with local development districts, draw up annual Appalachian development plans and select, for ARC approval, projects to implement them. Twenty-nine western North Carolina counties receive ARC funding.

Division of Community Assistance

A division of the N.C. Department of Commerce, DCA provides aid to local governments and non-profit community organizations in the areas of community development, growth management, economic development and public management through the Community Development Block Grant program, the Main Street program, and through direct technical assistance to local governments. DCA offices work closely with regional councils on local planning and technical assistance projects. Regional councils frequently serve as grant writers and administrators for CDBG grants for their local governments.

National Association of Development Organizations

A public interest group founded in 1967, NADO provides training, information and representation for regional development organizations in small metropolitan and rural America. It is the largest and leading advocate for a regional approach to community, economic and rural development and provides a network for its members to share ideas and innovations.

National Association of Regional Councils

Established in 1978, this membership organization includes regional councils from across the country and represents their interests at the national level. Among its accomplishments, NARC is credited with promoting the innovative provisions of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, which give local governments and Metropolitan Planning Organizations greater flexibility and authority in how federal transportation funds are used in their communities. NARC and its member councils are involved as well in economic development, water quality, water supply, air quality, aging, housing, workforce training, solid waste and many other program areas.

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners

The Association serves as the counties' advocate before the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government, striving to protect the authority and ability of county governments to deliver their services. All of the 100 county boards of commissioners are eligible for membership, and have been members of the Association since the early 1900s. Staff provides expertise in the areas of lobbying, fiscal and legal research, communications, intergovernmental relations, information technology and insurance.

North Carolina League of Municipalities

The League is a federation of 519 cities, towns and villages representing more than 99 percent of the state’s municipal population. Founded in 1908 by municipal officials, the League’s purpose is to promote the common interests of its members. A board of municipal officials sets League policy, and the organization’s staff provides a variety of consulting, research, information and advocacy services to municipal officials.

North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center

The private, non-profit organization, also known as The Rural Center, was established in 1987 to lead the state’s movement to build economic strength in the state’s 85 rural counties. The Center conducts research into rural issues; tests promising rural development strategies; advocates for policy and program innovations; trains and informs rural leaders; secures and directs resources to rural communities; and administers business finance and community development programs.

Partnerships for Regional Economic Development

North Carolina is divided into seven regional partnerships: AdvantageWest, Carolinas Partnership, Piedmont Triad Partnership, Research Triangle Regional Partnership, North Carolina’s Southeast, North Carolina Eastern Region and North Carolina's Northeast Economic Development Partnership. These partnerships were created to help regions compete effectively for new investment and to devise effective economic development strategies based on regional opportunities and advantages.

SouthEast Regional Directors Institute

The SouthEast Regional Directors Institute (SERDI) is a voluntary professional development association for regional council executive directors in a ten-state region of the southeastern United States. SERDI contracts with the Fanning Institute and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government for staffing. The faculty is very involved in the field of regionalism, some having direct administration and policy experience with regional councils locally, regionally, and nationally.