In The Community
RTP Campus Expands Resources for Veterans and Businesses
RALEIGH, N.C. (February 5, 2020) – Veterans and business owners have access to valuable new resources at Wake Tech. A Veterans Zone and a North Carolina Military Business Center opened today at the RTP Campus.
The Veterans Zone – the third center of its kind at Wake Tech – provides space for student veterans to meet, interact, and learn about benefits and resources. The center includes an area to study, research health and financial resources, work on resumes, and search for employment – as well as relax and network. The Veterans Zone also provides coffee and snacks.
The Wake Tech student body includes more than 1,400 students who are veterans or active duty military. Veterans Zones also serve students on the Southern Wake and Scott Northern Wake campuses.
“We’re proud to serve our veterans, and we are thankful for their many sacrifices,” said Marilyn Terrill, Dean of Veterans Programs and Innovation. “Our Veterans Zones give student veterans and their families a way to connect and interact in a unique academic and social setting.”
The RTP Campus is also the home of a new NC Military Business Center (NCMBC), which provides federal business development services to North Carolina companies. The NCMBC is a component of the NC Community College System and is headquartered at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Wake Tech’s new NCMBC is one of 12 such centers across the state. It will be led by Laura Rodgers, who will provide one-on-one assistance to help businesses identify, compete for, and win jobs through federal contracts. North Carolina companies in Wake, Lee, Chatham, Durham, Orange, Caswell, Person, Granville, Vance, Franklin, and Warren counties are eligible. Specifically, Rodgers will monitor contract opportunities from the Department of Energy, the Defense Logistics Agency – Energy and Missile Fuels, the EPA, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the NC National Guard. She can be reached directly at [email protected].
“The business development team is the heart of the NCMBC,” said Scott Dorney, NCMBC Executive Director. “Laura’s business acumen and experience with major contractors will equip her to provide invaluable assistance to North Carolina businesses in winning and successfully executing federal contracts.”
“We’re proud to be able to offer greater resources to veterans and to North Carolina businesses,” said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. “Both are vital components of our communities and of our state economy. We appreciate all that they contribute to our quality of life, and we want to support them in every way we can.”
The Veterans Zone and Military Business Center are located in the RT-1 building on Wake Tech’s RTP Campus: The Veterans Zone is in room 332MB, and the Military Business Center is in room 332J.
Wake Tech provides a variety of programs and services for military veterans and their family members pursuing education, training, and professional development such as accelerated training programs, assistance with VA benefits and financial aid, and options for translating military experience into workplace credentials. Wake Tech also issues special student ID badges for veterans, and offers “Green Zone” training to educate faculty and staff about veterans’ issues and concerns, so that they can assist or lend an ear to veterans in need. For more on the veterans resources offered at Wake Tech, visit veterans.waketech.edu.
