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.
REGISTRATION IS FULL
2026 Wilson Forward Annual Meeting
Thank you for your interest in attending the 2026 Wilson Forward Annual Meeting. Regrettably, the event has reached full capacity. We truly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. By completing the registration form below, you'll be added to our waitlist. In the event of cancellations or additional capacity, we will notify you promptly if and when space becomes available.
Thank you for your support of Wilson Forward and for your understanding. We sincerely hope to have you join us on October 13th.
If you have any questions or need to update your registration status, please don't hesitate to contact Cameron Cochran (ccochran@wilsonforward.org) or Ashley Harris (aharris@wilsonforward.org)
2026 ANNUAL MEETING SPEAKERS
Chris Estes
Chief Program Officer, NC Rural Center

Chris Estes is chief program officer of the North Carolina Rural Center. He oversees the Center’s work on leadership, advocacy, capital lending, faith community engagement and communications. He’s a national rural development leader focused on equitable, sustainable, and holistic approaches to strengthening rural communities. Chris has strong policy expertise and practice experience at the community, state, and federal levels on poverty, housing, disaster, and community development. He spent the previous five years as co-director of the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group in Washington, D.C. He co-led the creation of CSG’s reports on natural disaster, outdoor recreation, funding flexibility needed in rural, rural health and development as well as numerous case studies, all featuring the voices and wisdom of rural development practitioners. Before moving to D.C., he had a 20-year career in North Carolina, including leading the North Carolina Housing Coalition for nine years.
Vincent Ginski
Senior Director of Workforce Competitiveness, NC Chamber Foundation

Vincent Ginski is the NC Chamber Foundation’s senior director of workforce competitiveness, responsible for driving the workforce portfolio issues outlined in NC Leads, the Foundation’s five-year strategic plan. Through this plan, work is focused on advancing three core priorities: removing barriers to employment through policy innovation, closing the job supply-and-demand gap by scaling proven employer-led and community-based models, and addressing acute worker shortages through high-impact solutions that can be replicated statewide. Ginski plays a key role in advancing the Foundation’s multi-pronged approach to workforce competitiveness. He is at the forefront of advancing employer-led solutions under the U.S. Chamber’s Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) framework—helping North Carolina communities aggregate data on critical industries, align education and training programs, and implement replicable strategies that tap every source of available talent. A Fellow and Faculty Member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management program and a recognized talent finance innovator, Ginski brings a proven track record of leading cross-sector initiatives designed to enhance regional economic competitiveness. Working closely with the NC Chamber Foundation President, he provides counsel on education and talent public policy. A graduate of Belmont Abbey’s Honors College and the MBA program in Charlotte, Vincent frequently speaks at workforce conferences, serves as a guest lecturer for various institutions, and mentors early-career professionals.
Wilson Education Panel
Moderator Cecilia Holden
President and CEO, myFutureNC
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Cecilia Holden serves as the President and CEO for myFutureNC, a statewide initiative focused on the state’s educational attainment goal. Among other public service, she served as the Chief of Staff for the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Director of Government and Community Affairs for the State Board of Education. Her private sector experience includes a career with IBM, as well as a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Holden holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Duke University, a certificate in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina School of Government and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Business from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Panelists:

Dr. Ben Williams
Superintendent of Schools
Wilson County Schools

Dr. Jami Woods
President
Wilson Community College











