By WECT Staff | December 30, 2019 at 11:35 AM EST – Updated December 30 at 11:58 AM
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – New Hanover County leaders plan to visit Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. next month to discuss the development of the Cape Fear region’s future workforce and ensure that county students have the best tools available to them.
According to a news release provided by Commissioner Julia Olson-Boseman, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce is coordinating the visit to the tech giant’s headquarters on Jan. 13-14.
“The meeting will be an opportunity to learn about the impact mobility is having on the world of work and learning, emerging technologies, potential workforce pipelines for our community, and innovation in education,” the news release stated.
Commissioner Woody White, who will be a member of the envoy to Cupertino, was initially approached by Apple following Hurricane Florence as the company discussed ways it could assist the county with recovery and to learn more about the state of New Hanover County Schools.
“Technology is impacting our bricks and mortar approach to funding schools, with more and more students opting to learn online and from distances, in non-traditional ways,” White stated in the news release. “So, it’s increasingly important that our schools’ technology is not only preparing students for the modern world but also accommodating students in new and different ways to facilitate more productive, tech-centered learning environments.
“New Hanover County is committed to making a more meaningful impact on technology that will benefit our students and our schools, and this trip is an opportunity to learn how we can do that.”
Natalie English, president and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, added: “The New Hanover County School system is strong today, and there is always an opportunity to improve what we are doing. We need to think proactively about the future of education so that our next generation’s workforce is prepared for the jobs of the future. A strong diverse talent pool is one of the key elements to making New Hanover County a more desirable place to do business.”
Those making the trip will include:
- Natalie English (Wilmington Chamber of Commerce President & CEO)
- Julia Olson-Boseman (New Hanover County Commissioner)
- Woody White (New Hanover County Commissioner)
- Chris Coudriet (New Hanover County Manager)
- Lisa Estep (New Hanover County Board of Education member)
- Nelson Beaulieu (New Hanover County Board of Education member)
- LaChawn Smith (New Hanover County Deputy Superintendent)
- Dawn Brinson (New Hanover County Schools Chief Technology Officer)
- Jose V. Sartarelli (UNCW Chancellor)
- Michael Lee (UNCW Board of Trustees member)
- Dean Van Dempsey (UNCW’s Watson College of Education Dean)
- Jim Morton (CFCC President)
- Kate Groat (Live Oak Bank’s Director of Corporate Philanthropy)
Copyright 2019 WECT. All rights reserved.