The Blue Ridge Rising Summit was the culmination of 12-months of public engagement for the project, which included listening sessions in all 29 Parkway communities (NC and VA), seven regional meetings, and a host of deep-dive work sessions.
Six key themes emerged from this regional planning work: Marketing; Visitor Experience; Advocacy; Education; Resource Protection; and Capacity. From these themes stakeholders identified 59 strategic initiatives and 15+ immediate priorities.
It was inspiring to see 130+ community leaders and doers from all 29 Parkway communities in one room rallying behind a collective regional vision.
