New Executive Director of Community Engagement

[Maxell]

www.ncat.edu/news/2021/07/cockerham-community-engagement.php

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 8, 2021) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University announced Lonnie Cockerham, Ph.D., has been named executive director of community engagement.

Since January, when Cockerham was chosen to fill the role on an interim basis, he assisted with the university’s Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) designation application submission. A&T was selected last year to seek this designation in the area of Innovation and Economic Prosperity, a three-year self-study process, and Cockerham will work to implement the initiatives resulting from this report. A&T holds the Carnegie designation as a community-engaged university.

Cockerham spearheaded the university’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Women’s History Month Program. In addition to serving as a university Kellogg Racial Equity 2030 grant proposal team recruiter and participant, he is a member of the Civic Learning and Engagement Committee, A&T’s East Greensboro Economic Development Renaissance Initiative and the board of Downtown Greensboro Inc.

Cockerham will continue to serve as the chair for monthly meetings between A&T’s North Carolina Small Business Technology Development Center and the North Carolina Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses. He also plans to advance economic engagement activities, establish a community engagement council, develop and strengthen university and community partnerships and initiatives, and increase volunteerism, among other goals.

“This is an exciting time to be at N.C. A&T as the university continues its work, in partnership, through the contributions of community engaged students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Cockerham. “With all the societal progress that has been accomplished over the past several decades, the urgency to address contemporary challenges in a meaningful way is no less diminished. I look forward to contributing in any way that I can to the community engagement work that lies ahead.”

[Maxell]

Talk to this guy about the role of athletics and Greensboro community engagement.

[DOOMS]

I’m sure that will be part of the process.

One thing I’ve noticed about is during this time under Dr Martin is things are done in a measured manner. We figure out what’s needed, put the proper people in place to implement, do our best to give them what they say they need, and let them do what they were hired to do in a certain timeframe.

It will not be done as quickly as we would like, but it will be done properly. And when we look back after it’s done the wait won’t seem so bad.

I expect some great things to come from this community engagement initiative and I’m glad it’s taking place. We can’t ever forget who we are.

[A&T-roy]

Jul 9, 2021 7:09:17 GMT -5 DOOMS said:

I’m sure that will be part of the process.

One thing I’ve noticed about is during this time under Dr Martin is things are done in a measured manner. We figure out what’s needed, put the proper people in place to implement, do our best to give them what they say they need, and let them do what they were hired to do in a certain timeframe.

It will not be done as quickly as we would like, but it will be done properly. And when we look back after it’s done the wait won’t seem so bad.

I expect some great things to come from this community engagement initiative and I’m glad it’s taking place. We can’t ever forget who we are.

Why are you "sure"?

[durhamgsoaggie]

Jul 9, 2021 8:51:46 GMT -5 A&T-roy said:

Jul 9, 2021 7:09:17 GMT -5 DOOMS said:

I’m sure that will be part of the process.

One thing I’ve noticed about is during this time under Dr Martin is things are done in a measured manner. We figure out what’s needed, put the proper people in place to implement, do our best to give them what they say they need, and let them do what they were hired to do in a certain timeframe.

It will not be done as quickly as we would like, but it will be done properly. And when we look back after it’s done the wait won’t seem so bad.

I expect some great things to come from this community engagement initiative and I’m glad it’s taking place. We can’t ever forget who we are.

Why are you "sure"?

Because we have a major Athletics Capital Campaign that will enter an initial silent phase in the coming year.

Like DOOMS basically said.... not done as fast as we want, but done the way it needs to be done to take care of all stakeholders.

[Maxell]

Unfortunately, UNCG was selected as a national finalist for the APLU Community Engagement Award that we applied for. The four finalists are:

UNCG
UCLA
Virginia Tech
Minnesota

Washington, D.C. — In recognition of their extraordinary community engagement initiatives, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) today announced that four of its member universities have been selected as regional winners of the 2021 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award. As regional winners, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Virginia Tech will compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced in November.

www.aplu.org/news-and-media/News/four-aplu-universities-selected-as-finalists-for-2021-c-peter-magrath-community-engagement-scholarship-award

But, as stated in the Executive Director announcement, the university will use results from the application process to jumpstart our community engagement efforts. Since UNCG is a national finalist, A&T should take that as a challenge put work in to engage our common city. A&T will have some work to do in the same Greensboro community to find innovative ways to step up engagement, particularly in East Greensboro.

P.S. As stated in a thread earlier this year, UNCG is not my friend. LOL

[DOOMS]

For UNCG to beat us is a slap in the face and shows Dr. Cockerham will still have work to do in that regard. The fact we hired him shows we knew though, so that's a step in the right direction.

UNCG ain't my friend either. But half my friends have sent their kids there and if my kids continue playing soccer at a decent enough level to merit scholarships while we don't offer a program...

So do we root for UNCG to win the scholarship award and muscle our way into making sure the recipient takes classes at T through the consortium, or do we root for somebody else?

[Freeze]

Jul 9, 2021 10:55:33 GMT -5 DOOMS said:

So do we root for UNCG to win the scholarship award and muscle our way into making sure the recipient takes classes at T through the consortium, or do we root for somebody else?

Hold that thought...

[captaggie]

Recent op-ed by Dr Cockerham from the N&R:

Many local residents are very excited to see the recent economic investments tin East Greensboro. However, given East Greensboro’s history, new economic development projects raise questions about the creep of gentrification and its potential impact on the displacement of people and culture. Now, during the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth — a celebration of freedom and culture to be enjoyed by all, it is helpful to take a look into the past...

greensboro-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/greensboro.com/opinion/columnists/lonnie-cockerham-what-east-greensboro-needs-to-thrive/article_71104fe4-cf79-11eb-a6c0-67ea957148a9.amp.html

[bluehaze]