NCGrowth at UNC Chapel Hill - Enfield Study

ABOUT NCGROWTH CREATE/NCGrowth is a multi-state economic development center based at UNC Chapel Hill. We are building a more equitable economy and creating new wealth in distressed communities. We provide technical assistance to businesses, governments, and other organizations; produce academic and applied research; develop innovative policies; and host unique convenings. CREATE/NCGrowth includes Anchor Institutions Create Economic Resilience (AICER); SmartUp; Homegrown Tools; and the Black Communities Conference. 

JESSICA WILKINSON

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, NCGROWTH

As Economic Development Manager, Jess manages economic development research projects with

local governments and communities across North Carolina. Jess received her MPP at Duke’s Sanford

School of Public Policy.

Prior to graduate school, Jess worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development on HIV

prevention programs throughout sub-Saharan Africa. She hails from Las Vegas, Nevada and loves

cooking Korean food, biking, playing a lot of instruments badly, and getting to know new places near and

far.

RACHAEL GRAINGER

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANALYST, NCGROWTH

Rachael Grainger is a Master of Public Policy Student at Duke University. She is interested in

sustainable development for rural communities, social innovation, and human centered design. Prior to

graduate school, Rachael worked for the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) on their Future of Work

team and was a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Ukraine. Her undergraduate degree is from the

University of California, Santa Barbara.