ANNUAL MEETINGS
Each year, Wilson Forward hosts an Annual Meeting for local partners and community members. This meeting is designed to focus on specific challenges and opportunities presented to the Wilson community while also highlighting the work of many existing partnerships and collaborative efforts dedicated to making Wilson a great place to work and live.
Registration is offered first to our community partners and then made available to other interested parties as space is available. The event is free of charge due to the support of many community partners.
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Your generosity and partnership make it possible for us to continue our work in improving educational opportunities, health and wellness, and workforce development in Wilson. Because of your support, we are offering Wilson Forward partners an early invitation to register for the Wilson Forward Annual Meeting on October 14th, 9-11:30am.
2025 ANNUAL MEETING SPEAKERS
Reginald Speight
Asst. Secretary, Rural Economic Development at NC Department of Commerce
Reginald Speight serves as the Assistant Secretary for Rural Economic Development (REDD) at the N.C. Department of Commerce, leading efforts to strengthen and support rural communities across the state. Prior to joining the REDD team, Reginald served as the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development State Director. In this role, he served as the State Chief Executive over the Rural Development portfolio, which included financing for: housing development and rehabilitation, construction of community facilities and essential services facilities, broadband and telecom projects, water and wastewater facilities, rural energy efficiency programs, and business development programs. During his 3-year tenure, the organization funded over 15,000 projects with over $5.9 billion in investments. Under his leadership, the organization hired the first Tribal Relations Specialist. He also drafted North Carolina Rural Development's first Cooperative Agreement with the N. C. Commission of Indian Affairs, promoting housing rehabilitation and new construction in tribal communities. Reginald served a decade in various leadership positions within the Office of Congressman G. K. Butterfield of the 1st Congressional District in North Carolina. His roles included Economic Development Director, District Director, and Team Lead/Acting Chief of Staff. Reginald also brings over 25 years of nonprofit management experience, including 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of a community action agency and as a Program Analyst for the North Carolina State government. A Pitt County native, Reginald resides in Wilson County with his wife, Debbie, and received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tom White
Director, Economic Development Partnership at NC State
Tom White serves as Director of the NC State Economic Development Partnership, where he leads initiatives to connect NC State University with local, regional, and state economic and workforce development efforts. He fosters strategic partnerships that generate new jobs, attract capital investment to North Carolina, and create valuable opportunities for students and faculty. Prior to joining NC State in 2008, Tom was Division Director for Employment and Training at the NC Department of Commerce. He previously served as President and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, where he guided business growth and community development initiatives. Tom’s leadership extends beyond his professional roles, he is Vice Chairman of the NC Coalition for Global Competitiveness, served as Chairman of the Research Triangle Foreign Trade Zone Rates, Tariff and Legal Review Board, and is a longtime member of the Capital Area Workforce Development Board of Directors and Executive Committee. A graduate of Duke University, Tom earned his Master of Public Affairs from NC State University.
Dr. Nathan Dollar
Director, Carolina Demography UNC at Chapel Hill
Dr. Nathan Dollar is the Director of Carolina Demography. His work helps leaders across North Carolina make sense of population-level changes throughout the state. Dollar, a population health demographer by training, has decades of experience in research and program implementation across North Carolina and abroad. Most recently Dollar served as a research scientist and Project Director for the Dynamics of Extreme Events, People, and Places (DEEPP) survey at the Carolina Population Center. There, he worked with an interdisciplinary team of researchers investigating the factors that shape how people and communities in eastern North Carolina, prepare for, are affected by, and recover from extreme weather events. Dollar previously served in the U.S. Peace Corps in El Salvador and as Executive Director of Vecinos, Inc. Farmworker Health Program in western NC. Since 2014, he has served on the Governing Board for the NC Farmworker Health Program within the NC Office of Rural Health. Through these experiences, Dollar has gained a deep understanding of our state institutions and the complex issues shaping population changes in North Carolina. A native of Wilson, Dollar received his BA in Sociology and Spanish from Western Carolina University, his MA in Sociology from Colorado State University and his PhD in Sociology from UNC-Chapel Hill.