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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD <br /> May 9, 2023 <br /> Bonnie B Davis Center <br /> 1020 US-70 West Room #104 <br /> Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Minutes <br /> Members Present: Sharon Hill, Tom Proctor, Dave Gephart, Estella Johnson, Kristen Young, Hasan <br /> Abdullah <br /> Guest Speakers: Jonathan Collins, Suling Walker, Delores Bailey and LaVett Saddler <br /> Orange County Staff: Steve Brantley, Amanda Garner, Lindsey Hirni, Mike Ortosky <br /> Call to Order <br /> The meeting was called to order by Sharon Hill at 11:55 a.m. <br /> Approval of Minutes <br /> A motion was made by Dave Gephart and seconded by Kristen Young to approve the Minutes from the <br /> March 14, 2023 retreat meeting. The motion passed unanimously. <br /> Open Discussion <br /> The board members provided some feedback on the March Advisory Board retreat. <br /> Guest Speakers <br /> Jonathan Collins and Suling Walker from Durham Tech Small Business Center spoke about their focus on <br /> Orange County's small businesses and engaging with the community by providing continued <br /> complimentary resources to help start-up companies, ecommerce as well as established businesses. <br /> Jonathan mentioned that their current focus has been on companies that are really involved and <br /> dedicated to growing their business. <br /> Dolores Baily and LaVett Saddler from EmPOWERment Inc. spoke with the committee about Bright Path <br /> Solutions, which offers training and one-on-one support to Orange County minority business owners. The <br /> new initiative launched in April 2022 and their goal is to continue to be able to offer the services for <br /> minority businesses who don't have the knowledge of where to get financial support or business support <br /> for their company. Dolores said that building their trust was one of the most important areas to focus on. <br /> Discussion Items <br /> A motion was made by Dave Gephart and seconded by Estella Johnson to nominate Kristen Young as <br /> the Chair for FY23-24. A motion was by Sharon Hill and seconded by Estella Johnson to nominate Dave <br /> Gephart as Vice Chair. Both motions passed unanimously. <br /> Adjournment <br /> Sharon Hill adjourned the meeting at 1:14 PM <br />