Chancellor Philip L. Dubois continued the effort to strengthen connections throughout the region by spending the day in Statesville on Wednesday, April 23, to speak with civic and business leaders. This trip to the Iredell County seat was the most recent stop in a series of visits to the 12 counties that comprise the greater Charlotte region.
The day’s agenda included meetings with elected officials such as North Carolina Sen. David Curtis and Rep. Rena Turner and a group of local officials. He also met with alumnus and CEO of Energy United Wayne Wilkins (’76) and Mitchell Community College President Tim Brewer.
Alumnus and Iredell County Manage Ron Smith (’94) introduced Dubois as the luncheon speaker to the economic development group Greater Statesville Committee of 100, where he highlighted the connections between UNC Charlotte and Iredell County. UNC Charlotte is the campus of choice for local students with 27 percent of all Iredell County students in the UNC system enrolled here.
Dubois emphasized that UNC Charlotte is not just a convenient choice, but one that affords a quality academic experience and opens doors for students in the region. He also underscored UNC Charlotte’s pivotal role in economic development.
A powerful testament to Dubois’ messages was a meeting later in the day with executives at Doosan Portable Power. Doosan President Mike Ballweber spoke highly of UNC Charlotte interns and graduates they hire, which helps the company keep its commitment to sourcing local talent.
The day wrapped with a reception for Iredell County alumni at Twisted Oak American Bar & Grill, where they got to hear from the Chancellor and Football Coach Brad Lambert. Roughly 3,000 UNC Charlotte alumni live in Iredell County.
Dubois’ next stop will be in Stanly County on Thursday, May 8.
Photo: Chancellor Dubois with Mike Ballweber and John Ziegert from the Lee College of Engineering