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SOURCE: Greenville (NC) Daily ReflectorAUDIENCE: 91,060 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings]
DATE: 05−11−2011HEADLINE: Editorial: Legislation hurts broadband access
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Editorial: Legislation hurts broadband access
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Ample evidence indicates that access to high−speed broadband Internet service encourages economicdevelopment in a number of areas. In addition to linking communities to markets around the world,empowering students with an education in technological proficiency makes them more attractive to potentialemployers when they enter the job market.
It therefore makes no sense that North Carolina lawmakers would approve one bill and consider a provisionin next year's budget that would severely restrict the growth of broadband access to rural corners. Instead ofproviding a pathway out of poverty for thousands of state residents, these decisions promise to leave them inthe dark for years to come.
With significant margins in both the House and Senate " including all five members of Pitt County'slegislative delegation " the General Assembly approved a bill last week that would harshly limit communities'ability to construct broadband networks for their residents. The law was written in response to cities likeWilson entering into direct competition with cable providers, despite the fact that cable provides have beenreluctant to extend affordable, reliable access to cities like Wilson. The bill now awaits the signature of Gov.Beverly Perdue.
Last week also saw the N.C. House give approval to its version of the state budget, sending the spendingframework to the Senate for its consideration. Included in the budget is a measure stripping the Golden LEAFFoundation of future funding from the 1998 Federal Tobacco Settlement. The foundation was empowered bythe agreement to provide grants to tobacco−dependent communities enduring the economic hardship of losingtheir cash crop.
One promising initiative of the Golden LEAF Foundation is its Rural Broadband Initiative. The foundationhas awarded $24 million in grants to be paired with $76 million in federal money to install the infrastructureneeded to extend access to rural communities across the state. The project expects to bring high−speedbroadband fiber to 69 counties.
In both cases, North Carolina is failing to prepare for the future and needlessly harming the state's neediestcommunities as a result. Extending reliable, high−speed broadband access to a greater share of residents couldbe a cornerstone for economic development and greater prosperity for all.
Instead of striving to reach that goal, the legislature is actively working against it. It should reconsider itsapproach and chart a more reasonable course that recognizes Internet access as an invaluable infrastructureresource for the state's future.
Copyright 2010 The Daily Reflector. All rights reserved
Highlights: NC, NORTH CAROLINA, North Carolina, N.C, Golden LEAF, Rural Broadband Initiative
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ACG Presents Giving Back Annual Food Bank Fundraising Breakfast on June 9
Triangle - Corporate Social Responsibility is not just a branding exercise but is a concept that businesses are embracing as part of their growth strategy. Join the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Raleigh Durham for its final meeting before summer break to hear from Ed Carney, Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Systems and Chairman of the Board of the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina, to learn how Cisco has embraced this philosophy as an integral part of its business strategy. The breakfast meeting on Thursday, June 9 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham will benefit the regional Food Bank. ACG Raleigh Durham will guarantee that the total donations made by sponsors and attendees, along with a contribution from its ACG Chapter, represents a $5,000 donation to the Food Bank. Carney leads Cisco’s Enhanced Customer Aligned Testing Services (eCATS) organization in Customer Advocacy. eCATS unifies test engineering and architecture experts into a single team focused on working in tandem with Cisco and Enterprise Customer organizations to design validated Cisco solutions. These solutions improve the deployment success of Cisco products, services and architectures for the company’s most strategic global Enterprise Customers through a joint Cisco-Customer model that is foundational to the company’s next generation Enterprise Customer relationship. Among his many ancillary responsibilities, Carney sits on the Architecture Board of the company’s Enterprise Business Council – one of 11 corporate councils tasked with leading successful business change in line with the company’s key global strategies. He was also a Cisco Fellow with the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina – an independent, nationally recognized United States non-profit that uses advanced technologies and systems to improve learning and collaboration throughout the state’s research and education communities. ACG Members $25, non-members $50. Registration: www.ACG.org/RaleighDurham by June 7. There is no phone registration or registration at the door. About ACG Raleigh Durham The Association for Corporate Growth®(ACG®) Raleigh Durham Chapter is “The People Who Drive Mid-Market Dealmaking and Corporate Growth in the Triangle.” ACG is the global community for middle market M&A dealmakers and business leaders focused on driving growth. ACG members have access to data, content and networking to access capital, make deals and drive corporate growth. Founded in 1954, ACG has grown to more than 13,000 members organized in 55 chapters throughout North America, Europe and Asia. www.ACG.org/RaleighDurham
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In searching the publicly accessible web, we found a webpage of interest and provide a snapshot of itbelow. Please be advised that this page, and any images or links in it, may have changed since we createdthis snapshot. For your convenience, we provide a hyperlink to the current webpage as part of our service.
Our Purpose Established in 1999, the Golden
LEAF Foundation was created to manage one-half of North Carolina’s share of funds from the Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco companies. Golden LEAF supports tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and rural communities in North Carolina working to transition to more prosperous and stable economies.
Applying for a Grant Golden LEAF focuses grantsmaking
in areas that show the most promise for assisting targeted communities with economic transition or diversification. Priority areas include agriculture, job creation and retention, and workforce preparedness. Golden LEAF makes grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental entities. Click here to read information about our programs and application process.
Open Door Policy Golden LEAF welcomes eligible
entities to request funding for projects that are consistent with Golden LEAF’s priorities. The Foundation encourages potential applicants to visit our website to read more about program priorities and to contact programs staff to discuss project ideas or other issues before submitting a grant application or letter of inquiry. Call 888-684-8404 or click here for a list of programs staff.
In 2010, the Golden LEAF Foundation took bold steps to maximize the benefit of its work for tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and rural communities.
Golden LEAF awarded a $24 million grant to MCNC to help leverage over $75 million in federal broadband funds that will help bring middle-mile fiber to hundreds of community anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries, hospitals, community colleges, and even universities, across 69 counties. The federal grant to MCNC was one of the largest in the nation, and Golden LEAF’s ability to provide the necessary local match will help advance broadband access to the most remote areas of our state by years.
It is also expected that the presence of the middle-mile fiber will allow private companies to serve even more businesses and homes in rural North Carolina than ever before.
The Foundation also had a record-setting year in its Community Assistance Initiative, which serves North Carolinians living in our most distressed counties through community-based grantsmaking. Projects in 11 counties were awarded grants in 2010, and this torrid pace will continue in 2011 and 2012. Education, economic development, infrastructure and health care are common priorities that local citizens share during this process, and through this initiative, they are able to see their input make a difference in Golden LEAF grantsmaking in their communities.
As we continue to recover from the recession, we were excited to see that economic development opportunities began
growing in 2010, a trend that is continuing into 2011. The Foundation made a number of grants to help job creation projects come to reality from Robeson County in the southeast to Graham County in the far west. We take pride in our strategic and targeted grantsmaking that fills the funding gap that state and local governments cannot provide and results in jobs for North Carolinians that otherwise would have been lost to another state or nation.
Agriculture, our traditional strength as a state, has remained a strong economic sector even in these tough times. Through special grant cycles in local foods and agri-biotechnology, Golden LEAF is providing support to help farmers diversify and add value to their products, thereby supporting North Carolina’s economy.
We also provided new opportunities through our Golden LEAF Scholars program. 100 Golden LEAF Scholars from 74 counties chose to obtain leadership training, learn about rural North Carolina, and to begin internships in their home communities this summer. This effort culminated two years of analysis and evaluation about how to help talented North Carolina students stay connected to rural North Carolina, and possibly locate in rural areas to pursue careers after graduation.
In total, Golden LEAF awarded 159 grants totaling over $73 million in 2010. Our ability to continue to award meaningful grants to help tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and rural communities at this level depends on two things: the returns on our investments and the ongoing payments from the Master Settlement Agreement. In 2010 alone, our investments earned $67 million and since inception have earned a total of $214 million. We continue to be good stewards of the resources and use the MSA payments wisely to ensure that the Golden LEAF money gets to where it should go – communities like yours.
We are grateful for a tremendous 2010, and look forward to even better things to come.
AnnuAl RePORt20
10
letter from the Chair & President
Continued on Page 2
About Golden leAF
Dan GerlachPresident
Golden LEAF
edgar M. Roach, Jr.Board Chairman
Golden LEAF
In 2010, the Golden LEAF Foundation awarded 159 grants totaling $73,273.889.17 to a diverse set of projects across the state. Click here to see the list of calendar year 2010 awards.
The grant awards are broken down according to the following Golden LEAF grant programs/ initiatives. Grant awards included, but were not limited to:
• more than $24 million for the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, which will provide 69 mostly rural communities with high speed broadband and leverage over $75 million from a federal grant available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
• more than $23 million to projects in Tier 1 counties through the Community Assistance Initiative,
• more than $8.7 million to support job creation projects that were at risk without Golden LEAF support through the
Foundation’s Economic Catalyst program,
• more than $5.9 million through the Foundation’s Open Grants Program for projects related to agriculture, job creation and retention and workforce preparedness,
• more than $2.9 million for scholarship aid to help students from rural, distressed communities attend college through Golden LEAF Scholarships,
• more than $2.1 million to support an AgBiotech Initiative to support agbiotech efforts in the northeast and western parts of the state,
• more than $1.9 million to support local foods efforts across the state.
As of April 2011, Golden LEAF has awarded 1,071 grants totaling over $497 million since its inception. Click here to search Golden LEAF’s grant awards.
2010 Grant Awards
Our newsTo keep up with Golden LEAF’s latest news, grant program opportunities
and grantee accomplishments, click here to sign up for our e-newsletter (LEAF Lines) and our media mentions throughout the state (Golden LEAF News). Click here to view past editions of LEAF Lines. Click here for Golden LEAF News.
(cont. from pg. 1)
Our Grant Programs/ InitiativesThe Golden LEAF Foundation is committed
to using the funds entrusted to it for projects that show the most potential for strengthening North Carolina’s long-term economy, especially in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and/or rural communities. Golden LEAF’s grant programs and initiatives are only available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental entities.
Open Grants ProgramIn the Open Grants Program, Golden
LEAF’s grantsmaking is focused in the areas of Agriculture, Job Creation and Retention and Workforce Preparedness. The Open Grants process makes funding opportunities available throughout the year. Click here for more information about applying for an Open Grants Program grant.
economic CatalystThe Foundation’s Economic Catalyst Program
awards job creation assistance grants to eligible entities who help industry locate or expand through eligible activities in tobacco-dependent or economically distressed areas of the state. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Golden LEAF staff to discuss the potential projects and conditions that may be applicable prior to submitting an application. Click here for more information about applying for an Economic Catalyst grant.
Community Assistance InitiativeThe Community Assistance Initiative is a
facilitated grant process targeting the needs of communities designated “Tier 1” by the NC Department of Commerce. Click here to read more about the Community Assistance Initiative.
Scholarships Golden LEAF awards scholarships for
students from qualifying counties to attend participating North Carolina colleges and universities. As of March 2011, Golden LEAF has awarded more than $18 million to college and university systems in North Carolina for scholarships to 6,456 individuals from rural North Carolina. Click here for more information about Golden LEAF Scholarship opportunities.
Golden leAF Rural Broadband InitiativeThe Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors awarded $24 million grant to MCNC for the
Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative (GLRBI) in April 2010. The GLRBI will provide a total of 69
counties in rural North Carolina with high-speed broadband fiber and will build approximately
1,300 miles of new, middle-mile fiber throughout the state. The Golden LEAF grant provided
matching funds for Round Two of the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
(BTOP2). MCNC received $75.75 million from BTOP2 to support the GLRBI.
Click here to view the map of the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative
Our Financials
Statement of Net Assets and Governmental Fund Balance Sheet June 30, 2010 Reclassifications Statement of General Fund and Eliminations Net Assets ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,160,932 $ - $ 1,160,932 Sales tax refund and other receivables 2,242 - 2,242 Prepaid items 79,897 - 79,897 Investments 638,322,381 - 638,322,381 Capital assets-nondepreciable - 927,771 927,771 Capital assets-depreciable, net - 3,094,525 3,094,525 Total assets $ 639,565,452 $ 4,022,296 $ 643,587,748 LIABILITIES Accounts payable $ 102,984 $ - $ 102,984 Accrued liabilities 75,666 - 75,666 Grants payable 84,369,395 - 84,369,395 Total liabilities 84,548,045 - 84,548,045 NET ASSETS Reserved for prepaid items 79,897 (79,897) - Invested in capital assets, net of debt - 4,022,296 4,022,296 Unrestricted 554,937,510 79,897 555,017,407 Total net assets 555,017,407 4,022,296 559,039,703 Total liabilities & fund balances/net assets $ 639,565,452 $ 4,022,296 $ 643,587,748 Statement of Activities and Governmental Fund Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balance June 30, 2010 Reclassifications Statement of General Fund and Eliminations Activities REVENUES Proceeds from state settlement $ 73,179,244 $ - $ 73,179,244 Investment income, net 66,762,679 - 66,762,679 Other income 5,040 - 5,040 Total revenues 139,946,963 - 139,946,963
EXPENDITURES/ EXPENSES Grant distributions 65,004,216 - 65,004,216 Administrative costs 2,343,034 - 2,343,034 Capital outlays 5,888 (5,888) - Loss on fixed assets - 9 9 Depreciation expense - 107,430 107,430 Interest expense 340,875 - 340,875 Total expenses 67,694,013 101,551 67,795,564 Excess revenues over (under) expenses 72,252,950 (101,551) 72,151,399 Change in fund balance/net assets 72,252,950 (101,551) 72,151,399 Net assets, beginning of year 482,764,457 4,123,847 486,888,304 Fund Balance/Net assets, end of year $ 555,017,407 $ 4,022,296 $ 559,039,703
The Foundation’s financial statements undergo an annual audit, which was conducted by BDO USA, LLP. BDO USA, LLP audited our financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2010. The Foundations’ financial statements are presented in conformity with the accounting principles and reporting guidelines established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). BDO USA, LLP expressed an unqualified opinion on these financial statements. A copy of BDO USA, LLP’s audit report dated September 30, 2010 may be viewed on the Golden LEAF web site, www.goldenleaf.org.
edgar M. Roach, Jr.Board ChairmanChapel Hill, NCMcGuire Woods/Retired Virginia Power/N.C. PowerAppointed by Governor
Michael A. AlmondPiney Creek, NCAppointed by Speaker of the House
Wade BarberPittsboro, NCWade Barber, PLLCAppointed by Speaker of the House
Paul BrooksPembroke, NCAppointed by Governor
J. thomas BunnRaleigh, NCUS Tobacco Cooperative Inc.Appointed by Speaker of the House
William “Billy” ClarkeAsheville, NCRoberts & Stevens, PAAppointed by President Pro Tem of the Senate
S. lawrence DavenportPactolus, NCJ.P. Davenport and Son, Inc.Appointed by Speaker of the House
Billy Ray HallAngier, NCNorth Carolina Rural Economic Development CenterAppointed by Governor
James H. Johnson, Jr.Pittsboro, NCUNC-Chapel HillAppointed by Speaker of the House
Yvonne J. JohnsonGreensboro, NCOne Step FurtherAppointed by Governor
Rev. lacy l. JoynerOxford, NCFirst Baptist Church, OxfordAppointed by President Pro Tem of the Senate
David t. Stephenson, IIILumberton, NCFarmer/ S&P Tobacco Inc.Appointed by President Pro Tem of the Senate
thomas F. taft, Sr.Greenville, NCTaft, Taft & Haigler, PAAppointed by Governor
Debbie e. WorleyPrinceton, NCFarmerAppointed by President Pro Tem of the Senate
Dan Gerlach President [email protected]
Mark Sorrells Senior Vice President [email protected]
Programs Patricia CabeVice President of Programs/ Community Assistance & Outreach [email protected]
ted lordVice President of Programs/ Staff Attorney [email protected]
terri Bryant Adou-DyProgram Officer [email protected]
Barbara Smith Program Officer [email protected]
Jenny tinklepaugh Program/Communications Officer [email protected]
Brenda Smith Program Assistant [email protected]
Debbie Pennington Administrative Assistant for Programs [email protected]
Administrative Rhea Barnes Director of Administrative Services [email protected]
Wanda BarnesAdministrative [email protected]
Financial Peter Cera Vice President of Investments [email protected]
Beth edmondson Controller [email protected]
Our Board of Directors Golden LEAF’s 15-member board is appointed by the North Carolina Governor, the PresidentPro-Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Our Staff
301 North Winstead AvenueRocky Mount, NC 27804
PUBLISHED TUE, MAY 31, 2011 02:00 AMMODIFIED MON, MAY 30, 2011 10:38 PMSky-high progress
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I was heartened to see your story on North Carolina public school students so creatively using cloud computing in their work ("How students learn in the cloud," May 23).
Cloud computing is the wave of the future, and the North Carolina Education Cloud is one of the initiatives supported through our state's federally funded Race to the Top model. As part ofthe Career and College: Ready, Set, Go! plan, N.C. Department of Public Instruction technology experts are working in tandem with the Friday Institute at N.C. State University and MCNC todevelop this dynamic new service, which will reach every student and teacher in our state.
Cloud technology may sound complicated, but its concept is quite simple: more students and teachers having infinitely greater access to computer software and storage that local schooldistricts would otherwise not be able to afford. Where they once were told no when requesting technology-based instructional services, our students and teachers soon will have the greenlight to access and employ a multitude of technology resources.
Cloud computing will give North Carolina schools better technology access at a much lower cost, one reason thatI was very pleased that our state received the federal funds to move this forward.
June St. Clair Atkinson
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Raleigh
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