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GPS NC aims to produce tools and data and facilitate efforts to help North Carolina communities respond to drivers of change. The project seeks to reinforce a culture of innovation in local governments and help them view disruption as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

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Growing Practical Solutions for North Carolina

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Our Strategies

In the future, GPS NC plans to widely disseminate data and resources, and connect communities to the work of faculty and entrepreneurial initiatives at the School whose work intersects with key drivers of change. This work will include:

  • Developing resources and tools for local communities to understand disruptive forces and plan their response
  • Supporting innovative research and partnerships on forces of disruption conducted by SOG faculty and staff
  • Offering local leaders more support for ideation and implementation through training and coaching
  • Building cross-sector networks across the state for designing and scaling solutions
  • Facilitating collaborative engagements with communities that result in tool and knowledge-sharing and connections to experts and between communities
  • Determining how to evaluate success and collect feedback from communities

Our Funder: Civic Federal Credit Union

GPS NC is supported through the generosity of Civic Federal Credit Union, a credit union created to serve local government employees in North Carolina. Civic is a longtime partner of the School of Government. Civic and the SOG share a commitment to bettering the future of North Carolina.
CIVIC Federal Credit Union logo

GPS NC Advisory Committee

GPS NC has convened a team of SOG representatives, local government practitioners, and statewide subject matter experts to inform the direction of the program. This group provides insights and expertise from the field to ensure that GPS NC monitors the most significant challenges facing the state and develops resources and programming to equip communities for innovative responses. We are grateful to the following individuals for their contributions to GPS NC:


Jen Waterhouse
Assistant Finance Director
Lee County
jwaterhouse@leecountync.gov
Sofia Hernandez
Sofia Hernandez
Deputy City Attorney City of Durham
sofia.hernandez@durhamnc.gov

Amanda Grogan
Director of Budget and Performance, Town of Apex
amanda.grogan@apexnc.org
Brandy Dawson
Brandy Bynum Dawson
Senior Program Director for Rural Prosperity and Investment
MDC
brandy.bynumdawson@mdcinc.org
Nathan Dollar
Nathan Dollar
Director, Carolina Demography
ntdollar@unc.edu
Casey Harris-Pratt
Casey Harris-Pratt
Assistant Director of Administration and Finance, City of Durham
harriscaseyj@gmail.com

Rafael Baptista
Director of Strategy and Innovation, Buncombe County
rafael.baptista@buncombecounty.org

Emily Gangi
Policy Director, NC Division of Broadband and Digital Equity
emily.gangi@nc.gov

Jeff DeBellis
Director of Economic and Policy Analysis, NC Dept. of Commerce
jeff.debellis@commerce.nc.gov

Emily Adair
Emily Adair
Grants Program Director, Hometown Strong
emily@carolinacreators.com

Doug Shipley
Town Manager, Topsail Beach
dshipley@topsailbeachnc.gov
Daniel Manring
Daniel Manring
Director, Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority
dmanring@twsanc.us

Justin Amos
Executive Director of Intergovernmental Relations
justin.amos@gastongov.com

Teshanee Williams
Teshanee Williams
Assistant Professor, School of Government
twilliams@sog.unc.edu
Kim Nelson

Kim Nelson
Professor, School of Government
knelson@sog.unc.edu

Frank Muraca

Frank Muraca
Assistant Director, Development Finance Initiative
muraca@sog.unc.edu

Jacqui Greene
Jacquelyn Greene
Associate Professor
School of Government
green@sog.unc.edu