As a long-time Elizabethtown resident and community advocate, I am excited for our county to have the opportunity to vote for the Connect NC Bond on March 15. The bond will invest $2 billion in our state for improvements to our public safety, our local and state parks, our universities and community colleges, and more.

In Bladen County, we are poised to receive $6.5 million for Bladen Community College. Governor McCrory has referred to our community colleges as essential components for the state’s continued economic growth and opportunity. As President of the Board of Trustees for Bladen Community College, I see the impact the college makes.

BCC is graduating young adults into technical, industrial, and university-bound tracks that insure the proliferation of a strong and skilled workforce. These young graduates are serving Bladen County and other areas as emergency medical personnel, computer technicians, office administrators, industrial service employees, and many other highly skilled professionals. Various college programs consistently win state and national recognition. A BCC education is affordable, close to home, and valued among employers in our community.

With funding from the Connect NC Bond, the college will construct a much-needed classroom building that provides state-of-the-art facilities for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This new facility will bring an academically advanced science lab, a new EMS training lab, an expanded computer lab, and a cutting-edge mechanical lab to our county.

This is why the Connect NC Bond is so important. Without a tax increase or a new tax, our county will receive the funds we need to construct this building, and also make structural, safety, and grounds improvements to the campus.

I encourage the voters of Bladen County to learn more about the bond. Know the facts. Share the word.

There is clear and unbiased information available online. Visit www.connectnc.gov or contact Bladen Community College for detailed information about how the bond will grow our college and consequently, our economy.

Respectfully,

Dennis H. Troy

Chairman

Bladen Community College Board of Trustees