February 16th-17th, FCEDC hosted Hiring Our Heroes’ two-day event, “Ft. Bragg Amplify.” Amplify is a free two-day workshop, filled with interactive sessions tailored toward military spousal career growth. The program is designed to provide career preparation tools such as professional development and networking. Topics highlighted at this event were public and professional speaking, resume building, elevator pitch formulation, entrepreneurship, salary negotiation, mentorship, networking, interviewing, job fairs, and strategic job search processes. Patriots Path, which FCEDC hosted last month, also made an appearance.  Read more.

Earlier this month, FCEDC's President and CEO, Robert Van Geons, and Merica Simpson, the Director of Marketing and Communications, attended North Carolina Economic Development Association's Emerging Executive's Forum. The forum was targeted toward the professional development of rising economic developers. Experienced economic developers sat as panelists and offered insight regarding the industry, tips for success, regional updates, and advice for pursuing economic development certifications. See more.

Earlier this month, Suburbs 101 published an insightful article ranking the housing markets of 40 U.S. cities by their median days on the market. Fayetteville, NC came out on top as the #1 city for fastest-selling homes in the U.S. We also found our community to be one of the most affordable! Read more.

Since inception, FCEDC has been a fervent supporter and corporate sponsor of the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal's Power Breakfast events. FCEDC is collaborating with GFBJ to bring you an insightful economic update presented by Ted Abernathy, Managing Partner of Economic Leadership and nationally respected economic strategist, based in North Carolina. Abernathy will address the region's competitive strengths / weaknesses and discuss the impact that changes within global trade landscape, technology and demographics has on our community. Join us on Tuesday, February 28, for "Our Economic Future." Read more.

On February 9th, Executive VP Rob Patton and Director of Marketing and Communications, Merica Simpson, visited Fort Bragg to attend TechNet. The event's theme was "Unifying Communications on the Battlefield." Highlights from the 2023 Symposium were: an exposition hall of vendors displaying new technology, a panel discussion, a keynote speaker, and warfighter technology discussions. FCEDC utilizes events of this nature as resources for relevant topics within the military community, as well as an opportunity for network expansion and business recruitment. See more.

Fayetteville State University's Career Services department would like to work with local employers interested in engaging with their diverse group of qualified, career-ready students. Cumberland County and Fayetteville businesses that would like to collaborate with FSU for internships, career fairs, and employer presentations are encouraged to fill out an Employer Engagement Form. Read more.

FCEDC is searching for the right candidate to fill our mission-critical Director of Existing Industry role. Charged with continuing and expanding our award-winning program, this individual will serve as a liaison between our organization and local businesses, helping to troubleshoot issues, and assisting with opportunities for growth and expansion. Successful candidates will possess excellent communication skills and either a relevant degree or substantial and related work experience.