Aging Advisory Committee

The Aging Advisory Committee acts in an advisory capacity on all matters relating to the development of plans, programs, and services for persons 60 years of age and older in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties. The committee assures regional compliance with the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended.

 

Committee meetings are held quarterly on the second Monday of the designated month from 11 am until 1 pm at the offices of the WPCOG. 

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Sarah Evitt, WPCOG Area Agency on Aging Director, staffs the Aging Advisory Committee. 

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Greater Hickory Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

The Greater Hickory MPO serves the transportation needs for the four counties of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba, and the municipalities of Brookford, Cajah's Mountain, Catawba, Cedar Rock, Claremont, Conover, Connelly Springs, Drexel, Gamewell, Glen Alpine, Granite Falls, Hickory, Hildebran, Hudson, Lenoir, Long View, Maiden, Morganton, Newton, Rhodhiss, Rutherford College, Sawmills, Taylorsville, and Valdese. 

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Working with the NC and US Departments of Transportation, the 28 local governments participate in a continuing planning process for the MPO. They ensure that planning requirements established by federal authorizing legislation for transportation funding are met. The MPO develops the planning work programs (PWP), transportation plans, and transportation improvement programs (TIP) for all 28 local governments.

 

Decisions are made by a Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) with recommendations from a Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC). The TAC is a policy-making body made up of elected officials from each of the member governments and the North Carolina Board of Transportation. The TCC is a staff-level committee that recommends transportation decisions to the TAC. The TAC and TCC participate in transportation planning for the MPO, and each of their meetings are held regularly.

 

Staff assistance is provided by Averi Ritchie.

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Western Piedmont Sister Cities Association

The Western Piedmont Sister Cities Association was organized in 1992 and incorporated in 1993 as a regional non-profit organization. Local governments in the region are invited to join the association, whose purpose is to exchange ideas and build friendships with other cultures. The association works to involve communities in a variety of educational, institutional, municipal, professional, technical, and government projects.

 

Current local government members include Alexander County, Morganton, Valdese, Catawba County, Hickory, Conover, and Claremont. Each entity is represented by two members on the WPSCA board.

 

The Western Piedmont Sister Cities Association has had a formal partnership with Altenburg in the former East Germany for several years. Altenburg was chosen because of the strong German and Lutheran heritage in this region. The two areas have exchanged many delegations, mostly related to art, sports, medicine, business, and government. The WPSCA continues to pursue additional partnerships and promote the sister cities program in the region. 

 

The WPSCA is a member of Sister Cities International.

 

Meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday at 4 pm at various locations throughout the region.

 

 

Western Piedmont Water Resources Committee

The Water Resources Committee (formerly referred to as the Catawba River Study Committee) was established in 1986 and serves in an advisory role for local governments on water resources and watershed issues including water quality, water supply, water safety and recreation, and land use within the region's river basins. 

 

Meetings are typically held at the WPCOG offices on the second Wednesday of each odd numbered month beginning at 11:30 am. 

 

Natural Resources Programs Administrator, staffs the Western Piedmont Water Resources Committee.

 

 

Workforce Development Board (WDB)

The purpose of the Workforce Development Board (WDB) is to direct the use of Workforce Innovations and Opportunities Act (WIOA) funds allocated to Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties. The Board is legislated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), with 51% of the members representing the private sector. Meetings are held bimonthly on the fourth Thursday at 8:30 am at the WPCOG offices.

 

Charity Patterson Hamber, Workforce Development Board Director, staffs the Workforce Development Board.