Robbinsville – After 11 years as director of GREAT (Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team), Rick Davis literally handed over the mic to the organization’s new director, Michelle Shiplet, during Thursday’s meeting at The Hub Restaurant.
Davis spoke of the “tremendous strides in the county” that had been made possible by “pulling different groups together.” Shiplet, formerly of The Church Mouse Ministries, has been involved with GREAT since 2012, and Davis predicts that as director, she will “take it to greater heights.”
“Rick has done a great job,” said Shiplet. “He blazed a trail.”
The new director then echoed her predecessor’s focus on community.
“It takes each and every one of us,” she said. “There is great strength in unity and great unity in diversity. As an African proverb says: When spiders unite, they can tie up a lion.”
In closing, Shiplet said, “Remember that it’s not about the projects or the profits; it’s about the people of Graham County.”
The Sept. 19 meeting also touched on a variety of subjects, including but not limited to:
* Continuing work on the Strategic Tourism Plan Implementation Phase II. The $100,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission funds way-finding signage, downtown Wi-Fi, online mapping and marketing, and the Buy Local campaign.
* A summary of the 2018 Tourism Economic Fact Sheet from VisitNC, which shows a $1.26 million increase in visitor spending in Graham county. This represents a 4.5 percent rise over 2017.
* The Rural Community Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Grant, which awarded $1 million to Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers for three years to battle the opioid crisis in Graham, Cherokee, and Clay counties. The Health Department is developing a peer support and crisis network for those with substance abuse issues as well as for those in recovery.
* The new access road to Robbinsville High should open Nov. 1, pending installation of the traffic light at Rodney Orr Bypass.