• Go

    Pages

      Members

        Categories

          Quicklinks

            Events

            • American Flag

            • 2026 Advocacy & Legislative Agenda

            • Sustaining Business Growth

              • Advocate for policies that maintain North Carolina’s standing as a top state to live and work. (Federal, state, local)

              • Support existing economic development policies and incentives that attract and retain businesses in North Carolina. (State, local)

              • Back efforts to strengthen economic development strategies that promote entrepreneurship and small-business growth. (State, local)

              • Encourage local governments to adopt public policies that support job creation, existing employers and future investment, and oppose proposals that hinder growth. (Local)

              • Support improvements to unemployment insurance access while protecting the program’s long-term financial stability. (Federal, state)

              • Advocate for continued investment in infrastructure, including I-140, the Port of Wilmington, the U.S. 421 corridor, northern New Hanover County and Wilmington International Airport, to support job growth and existing businesses. (State, local)

              • Support the development and implementation of initiatives that attract, retain and upskill talent to meet the region’s growing workforce needs.

            • Quality of Place

              • Support the long-term vision of The Endowment as it identifies and addresses community challenges in education, health equity, public safety and community development. (Local)

              • Support the enhancement of economic development initiatives through the African American Business Council, Latin American Business Council, Supply Chain & Logistics Council, Women Business Owners Council, Young Professionals Council, committees and all Chamber members. (State, local)

              • Advocate for transformational redevelopment opportunities, including public-private partnerships, that strengthen quality of place and expand housing choices. (Local)

              • Support policies and programs that increase housing access and affordability for the region’s growing workforce. (Local)

              • Advocate for a comprehensive legislative review of the North Carolina Rate Bureau system to evaluate its effectiveness in ensuring equity, fairness and affordability in homeowners insurance rates. (State, local)

              • Apply insights from Intercity Visits to maintain a focus on economic development and quality of life as the region grows. (Local)

            • Education & Workforce Development

              • Promote high-impact programs such as apprenticeships, career and technical education, and early college high schools that connect students to postsecondary education and career pathways. (State, local)

              • Support pre-K and child care funding structures, policy reforms and innovations that address growing workforce demands. (State, local)

              • Advocate for strong education infrastructure by supporting local schools and the strategic plans of Cape Fear Community College, the UNC System and UNC Wilmington. (State, local)

              • Monitor school system performance and its impact on student achievement and long-term community outcomes. (State, local)

              • Support the strategic plans and legislative priorities of the UNC Board of Governors and UNC Wilmington, including full funding for high-demand workforce programs, continued transition to a doctoral university with high research activity, facility investments and enrollment growth. (State)

              • Back regional workforce development initiatives that build diverse talent pipelines and expand opportunity for historically underrepresented populations, including minority communities, formerly incarcerated individuals and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (State, local)

              • Prioritize investment in workforce training and upskilling programs that prepare workers to transition into high-demand careers. (State, local)

            • Transportation & Infrastructure

              • Continue to champion replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge as the region’s top infrastructure priority. (Federal, state, local)

              • Lead efforts urging transportation and elected leaders to pursue all available funding options for the bridge replacement. (Federal, state, local)

              • Advocate for regionalization and investment in water and wastewater systems to replace aging infrastructure and support business growth, including CFPUA’s Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant replacement. (Federal, state, local)

              • Support diversification and modernization of North Carolina’s transportation funding structure to improve safety and quality of life, including exploration of a regional transportation authority and a 1-cent sales tax in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties. (Federal, state, local)

              • Monitor Waters of the United States rulemaking and related court decisions for impacts on land use, business and infrastructure. (Federal, state, local)

              • Support ongoing and future phases of the N.C. Ports Wilmington Harbor Improvement Project. (Federal, state, local)

              • Advocate for legislative action to broaden the state’s energy strategy, modernize and secure the grid, and maintain affordable energy prices. (State)

              • Support continued evaluation of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Wilmington East Offshore Wind lease and related economic development opportunities. (Federal, state, local)

              • Back acceleration of the Wilmington Urban Area MPO’s top priorities in the State and MPO Transportation Improvement Programs, including the Independence Boulevard extension, Eastwood/Military Cutoff interchange and College Road/Market Street/Gordon Road project. (State)

              • Support sustained congressional and state funding for coastal infrastructure, including reliable, recurring support for the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund. (Federal, state)

              • Support New Hanover County and beach municipalities in maintaining investments in shoreline infrastructure and inlet management. (Federal, state, local)

              • Advocate for streamlined resilience and disaster recovery initiatives to better prepare infrastructure, businesses and the community for major storms. (Federal, state, local)

              • Support commercial and general aviation by encouraging recurring infrastructure funding for airports and permanent enactment of a competitive jet fuel tax structure. (State)

              • Monitor water supply issues, oppose interbasin transfers from the Cape Fear River Basin that do not return water in a clean state, and assess impacts of emerging contaminants on public water, growth and regional businesses. (Federal, state, local)

              • Encourage NCDOT to conduct a corridor study of the I-74/U.S. 74 corridor with the goal of extending its terminus to Wilmington. (State, local)