In February and March of this year, ncIMPACT partnered with the NC Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO) and the North Carolina Regional Councils of Government (NCARCOG) to host sixteen focus groups, one in the region for each of the state’s councils of government, on the topic of pandemic recovery. On March 18, 2024, Emily Nicholson, Executive Director of the Land of Sky P20 Council, participated in the pandemic recovery focus group for the region covered by the Land of Sky Regional Council, which includes the four counties of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania.
(Our connection to ncIMPACT goes back to the beginnings of our history, when we began as the Land of Sky Educational Attainment and Workforce Collaborative, one of fifteen Local Education and Attainment Collaboratives (LEACs) across the state. Check out ncIMPACT’s LEAC report to learn more about the successes and challenges of this two-year program.)
Earlier this month, ncIMPACT released a report with the findings from these focus groups. The full report includes both statewide and regional insights and documents both common themes and top concerns gleaned from the sixteen focus groups plus six expert interviews. Part of the intention of the project is to improve preparedness for the next crisis.
Focus group participants also shared their thoughts about their region’s responses to the NC Community Engagement (CES) Survey. The NC Pandemic Recovery Office conducted the survey from May of 2022 to May of 2024. Monthly and quarterly surveys solicited insights on community wellbeing, and monitored and measured the economic and social impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Land of Sky Regional Summary
ncIMPACT also released regional summaries, shorter reports that covered a single council of government’s region. The thirteen participants in the focus group for the Land of Sky region came from Buncombe, Madison, and Transylvania counties. Although no one came from Henderson County, seven of the participants worked for a regional organization that represented all four counties in the Land of Sky region. Housing for families, housing for the elderly, and food for the elderly were the top concerns identified in the two-year CES. Focus group participants agreed that both housing and food in general were still top concerns in the region.
In the focus group, participants identified many pandemic-related concerns for the Land of Sky region:
- Housing
- Food
- Childcare
- Worker retraining
- Transportation
- Broadband access
As for business-specific concerns, the group agreed that lack of workers was the greatest concern. The discussion also addressed vulnerabilities specific to the region that had been identified by the Social Vulnerability Index that was jointly created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The report notes:
The rapid influx of high-wealth individuals into the area was again noted for its impact on economic and social disparities.
Lastly, the team discussed lessons learned from the pandemic and agreed on three strategies to improve preparedness for the next crisis:
- Maintain collaboration
- Meet transportation needs
- Support workforce development
