Teresa Oxendine has been named director of UNC Pembroke’s Regional Center for Economic, Community and Professional Development.

The Regional Center is an integral part of the university’s mission of community outreach. Under the center’s roof are programs to aid small business, community health, youth enrichment and economic development for the entire region.

A 12-year UNCP employee, Oxendine brings substantial experience from her tenure in the Office of Advancement and her involvement in the community. Oxendine began her career as the director for the Office of Alumni Relations and was one of the university’s most successful fundraisers in the Office of Advancement.                                                        Dr. Cammie Hunt, associate vice chancellor for Engaged Outreach, said the Regional Center’s mission will thrive under Oxendine’s leadership.

“We are very fortunate to have a leader with Teresa’s experience,” Dr. Hunt said. “She has deep roots in the community and many valuable ties to the university. This combination will be invaluable to the Regional Center’s mission of engaged outreach to the community. It’s good to have her on board.”

Oxendine said she relishes the opportunity to advance the university’s mission to improve the quality of life in the region.

 “We will build upon Sylvia Pate’s hard work at the Regional Center and the successful partnerships established,” Oxendine said. “There are many strong programs already in existence, and I look forward to identifying funding sources to sustain them plus adding new programs that will advance the Regional Center’s mission and visibility.”

Oxendine attended an economic development summit on September 11-13 in Washington, D.C., with the Lumberton Area Chamber of Commerce. “This was a very informative trip that focused on small business development,” she said.

“We were hosted by Congressman Mike McIntyre and listened to legislators across party lines talk about opportunities that are available to small business owners as well as some challenges they face.  This trip provided me the opportunity to talk one-on-one with our congressman and schedule a time to sit and talk about how the Regional Center can benefit from the opportunities talked about during the summit,” Oxendine stated.

The Regional Center is involved in assisting small business in several ways. The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) consults with new and developing businesses to find funding. The Sustainable Agriculture Program is developing markets and training farmers who would join the farm-to-table movement.

The Regional Center has its hand in health care with its federally funded Healthy Start Program, which works to improve neonatal and infant health; it operates several youth enrichment programs, too.

The Regional Center also works with North Carolina’s Southeast, a state-funded economic development clearing house. It contributed research to the 10th annual Regional Profile, a compilation of data for economic developers to use to recruit new business and industry.

As the center’s name implies, Oxendine has inherited an area with a wide range of programs and limitless possibilities. “I have hit the ground running,” she said. “I just returned from another trip—a  three-day workshop on grant writing and how to identify matching funding sources.

“There are so many opportunities to pursue! I have already made several valuable contacts, and I haven’t unpacked my office yet!” Oxendine said.  “Absolutely, I am looking forward to this new opportunity.”

Dr. Kenneth Kitts, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said that he was pleased that Oxendine had joined his team. “Teresa is deeply committed to UNCP’s role in the region,” Kitts said. “She knows our service area very well and embraces the partnerships and outreach effort that are an essential part of the university’s mission.”

Oxendine is a Pembroke native and UNCP graduate. At the university she was promoted into new and more responsible positions in the Office of Advancement. In her last post, she managed the day-to-day operations of the Office of Advancement and served as executive director of the UNCP Foundation, Inc. As a fundraiser she closed the largest athletic gift in UNCP’s history.

A long list of civic engagement fills Oxendine’s resume; she has volunteered with many community organizations, some of which include: the Lumberton and Pembroke Area Chambers of Commerce – serving as a chamber ambassador for the Lumberton Chamber and on the executive board of each; the N.C. Indian Cultural Center Board; Givens Performing Arts Center Advisory Board; Pembroke Bicentennial Celebration Committee; American Red Cross Board; First Health Medical and Fitness Center Advisory Board; and two terms on the State Employees Credit Union Advisory Board. At the end of her term on the Pembroke Chamber Board, Oxendine was presented the Harry West Locklear Award for Community Service by Ben Jacobs, the outgoing Chamber president.

To learn more about the Regional Center for Economic, Community and Professional Development, please contact them at 910.775.4000 or email rc@uncp.edu.