JOED hosted its annual New Directors Orientation this week for L-R: Derrick Remer, Duke Energy; Terri Ashby, Truist; and John Hunter, The Hunter Family Company, Inc.
We started with the history, structure, mission, and vision of JOED as well as the JOED partnership. We reviewed the completed projects of the past 5 years, noting how many were ongoing and how some had created additional new projects. We also discussed the Return on Investment through capital investments and additions to the Onslow County tax base.
The first Board of Directors meeting for this new fiscal year was held at the JOED office yesterday, with guest presenter Brian Merrion, V-P of Sales for The Buxton Company
Using the growing market for Electric Vehicles (EV) and its accompanying demand for public charging stations as an example, Mr. Merrion demonstrated how data on current EV owners and locally available charging stations could inform Onslow County and its municipalities’ decisions for the location and types of chargers. This topic was of great interest to many of our Directors in the electric utility providers, developers, and those whose businesses are transitioning their fleets to EVs .
While Mr. Merrion’s presentation focused on only one example, there are many applications that make it a versatile and valuable tool for JOED, our investors, and the community in general. To date, Buxton data has assisted local decision makers in Swansboro, Holly Ridge, Jacksonville, and Topsail Island. Director John Hunter enthusiastically added that JOED’s provision of Buxton data has been a powerful tool for his business development.
The use of Buxton’s program provides data-based insights to inform decisions and is consistent with our Strategic Plan’s focus on capacity building.