Centralina Regional Council

Savvier Citizen: The Algorithm as a Public Servant | Savvy Citizen: A Gaston County Podcast Conversations about AI are everywhere, but how is it impacting the way government works for you? On this month's Savvier Citizen, we talk with local government AI advocate Micah Gaudet from the City of Maricopa (AZ), and Centralina Regional Council Executive Director Geraldine Gardner about the pros...

Distance is a real competitive disadvantage when it comes to hiring and keeping good people. That's exactly what our upcoming webinar is designed to address.

💼Employers in the Charlotte region are using vanpool to:

→ Pull from a wider hiring radius without losing candidates to the commute
→ Reduce the absenteeism and turnover that distance quietly drives
→ Offer something tangible to workers when remote work isn't on the table

👥 Join CONNECT Centralina and Commute with Enterprise to hear directly from employers who've made it work — and find out if it's a fit.

Only 6 days left to register.

🔗 Registration Link https://loom.ly/oD2oN9Q
📅 Tuesday, May 19th 2026 at 11:00 AM EST

Great to be out with and celebrating Earth Day 🌎

One thing that stood out—most people we spoke with were genuinely excited about how they could start incorporating different options into their commute.

The interest is there. The gap is knowing how to make it work.

That’s where the work CONNECT Centralina does comes in: making existing transportation options easier to understand and actually usable—so people can access jobs more reliably, reduce stress, and have more flexibility in their day-to-day.

If your workforce is coming from across counties, the commute is either helping you—or quietly working against you.

🗓️On May 19, CONNECT Centralina and Commute with Enterprise will break down how vanpool is:
▪️Reaching workers they couldn’t access before
▪️Improving reliability for 2nd/3rd shifts
▪️Reducing turnover tied to long commutes

Commute with Enterprise will walk through how it works in practice, share where it’s already working, and answer questions on how to apply it.

📅 May 19 | 11:00–12:00
🔗 Register: https://loom.ly/oD2oN9Q

🎓 Charlotte Douglas International Airport - CLT has graduated the ninth class of its Aviation Academy, giving participants a behind‑the‑scenes look at airport operations and aviation careers. Centralina Regional Council is proud to partner with CLT on this program, which was recently featured on PBS Charlotte’s Carolina Impact.

👏 Congratulations to the graduates!

PBS Spotlights CLT Aviation Academy All the information you need to know about Flights, Parking, Shops, Services and more at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

📣 Exciting Leadership News from Centralina!

Centralina Regional Council is proud to announce the promotion of two outstanding leaders:
- Lynne Hair has been named Director of Regional Planning
- Katie Kutcher has been named Director of Aging Programs for the Area Agency on Centralina Area Agency on Aging

Effective April 1, 2026, Lynne and Katie will continue advancing Centralina’s mission to serve communities across our nine‑county region. Their experience, commitment, and passion for public service make them well‑suited to lead these important programs.

We also thank Linda Miller and Jason Wager for their nearly 30 years of service to Centralina. Their dedication has helped shape our organization and region in meaningful ways.

Please help us congratulate Lynne and Katie as they step into these new leadership roles! 🎉 Read more: https://tinyurl.com/4x279r2p

Centralina sends our condolences to the family of Commissioner Gary Sides, the Union County Government team, and the communities he served. Sides began his tenure on the Board of Commissioners in 2024, following more than a decade of public service in the county, including the Stallings Town Council and Union County Board of Education.

Today, Centralina members participated in a robust economic briefing featuring Professor Scott Baier of Clemson University. Elected officials, managers and finance directors then reflected on how our communities are navigating today’s challenges, how we weathered past challenges and how we can prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

Did you know? Businesses evaluating new locations consider water and wastewater capacity alongside workforce and land availability. Reliable infrastructure supports job growth and investment.

Read more in our Economic Development District blog here:

Water Infrastructure Is Economic Infrastructure - CEDD Reflections from the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum At the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Water, one theme was clear: water infrastructure is essential to economic performance. Water systems may not always be visible, but they matter. Businesses need dependable water and sewer service to ope...