The first session focused on the economy of Western North Carolina with remarks from a panel led by Bardo. Panel members were Scott Custer, chair and chief executive officer of RBC Centura; David Walker, U.S. comptroller general; and David Seiders, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders. Participants on the chancellor's panel included William “Tilt” Thompkins Jr., senior policy fellow at WCU’s Institute for the Economy and the Future; Ron Johnson, dean of WCU’s College of Business; Linda Stanford, dean of WCU’s College of Health and Human Sciences; Chris Cooper, assistant professor of political science and director of WCU’s Master of Public Affairs Program; Dale Carroll, president and chief executive officer of AdvantageWest; and Damon Lambert, tribal planner and grant writer for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

An archived stream of the panel discussion on the economy of Western North Carolina is available below. The stream is best viewed in Internet Explorer on Windows and Safari on a Mac.