CHI attended the 2018 Community Support Group Summit in Outer Banks, North Carolina along with 124 attendees that included community leaders, host business, host housing, local hospitals, banks, churches, and sponsors. Also in attendance were senior Department of State Officials, Kevin Saba, Lynette Evans-Tiernan and Michael James as well as Sue Yang of the Alliance for International Exchange.
Topics covered included community connections, engaging the new generations of participants, volunteer education, worldviews, and cultural sensitivity.
The UNC Highway Safety Research Center made a presentation about bike, walking and highway safety. There was a community panel that consisted of the Branson Chamber of Commerce, the Outer Banks Women’s Club, Plato’s Cave Housing, Deer Valley (host employer) and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Time was allotted for questions and answers from the audiance.
The Outstanding Leadership Award was presented to the OBX Women’s Club for their outstanding leadership assisting exchange visitors. The Outer Banks Restaurant Association hosted several dinner locations for attendees where the discussions continued.
The three-day summit ended at Captain Georges for breakfast and a community fair. There were community booths for ideas and discussion. Booths included Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, safety, promotional materials, media engagement and more.