June 9, 2026

Roanoke-Chowan Community College Receives $1 Million Golden LEAF Grant for Allied Health Expansion

                                                                       

 

AHOSKIE, NC – Roanoke-Chowan Community College (R-CCC) has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to support the expansion of its Allied Health training programs and facilities in Hertford County.

The award is part of $6 million in funding approved today by the Golden LEAF Board of Directors to support job creation, economic investment, workforce preparedness and agriculture projects across North Carolina.

Roanoke-Chowan’s award was made through a special healthcare workforce funding initiative designed to strengthen training capacity tied to major capital projects underway across the state. The funding will support equipment purchases, installation and related professional development for an Allied Health expansion that includes a new training facility on the college’s campus, which is supported by $15 million in state funding.

“This investment by the Golden LEAF Foundation is transformative for our college and the region we serve,” said Dr. Murray J. Williams, R-CCC president. “By expanding our Allied Health programs, we will increase access to high-quality training, address critical workforce shortages in healthcare and create more opportunities for our students to secure meaningful, in-demand careers close to home.”

The Golden LEAF Board approved $2 million for two healthcare workforce projects, including $1 million for Gaston College and $1 million for R-CCC. The initiative was created to leverage significant capital investments and ensure institutions have the equipment and resources needed to train students effectively.

“The Golden LEAF Board created the healthcare workforce training leverage funding opportunity to maximize the impact of major capital investments that are already underway across North Carolina,” said Golden LEAF President and CEO Scott T. Hamilton. “By strategically capitalizing on these projects, we can extend the reach of our resources, create more healthcare training capacity and help address employer demand for skilled healthcare professionals. This funding strengthens the workforce that supports healthy communities and contributes to the state's long-term economic vitality."

In addition to the healthcare workforce investments, the Golden LEAF Board approved funding for a range of initiatives statewide, including $1 million to support projects through the Open Grants Program, $1.9 million for an Economic Catalyst project, $1 million through the Strategic Projects Advancing Rural Communities (SPARC) initiative and $100,000 for a workforce-focused agriculture initiative.

Since its establishment in 1999, the Golden LEAF Foundation has funded 2,390 projects totaling $1.5 billion, all aimed at increasing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent and economically distressed communities.

The grant to Roanoke-Chowan Community College aligns with that mission by strengthening healthcare workforce training capacity in northeastern North Carolina and helping meet the growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals.

About the Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.

For more than 25 years, the Foundation has provided lasting impact to tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and rural areas of the state. In fiscal year 2025, Golden LEAF helped create 1,665 jobs, more than $116 million in new payrolls, and more than 4,722 workers trained or retrained for higher wages.

For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, please visit our website at GoldenLEAF.org.

Roanoke-Chowan Community College’s Mission

Roanoke-Chowan Community College, a member of the North Carolina Community College System and located in Hertford County, is a public, two-year institution of higher education offering associate degrees, diplomas, certificates, college and career readiness, and customized business and industry training in a variety of delivery modes promoting public service, transfer, and workforce development for a diverse student body, leading them to contribute to the vitality of an increasingly global community. www.roanokechowan.edu #DiscoverRCCC “Where community and careers connect”

Media Contact: Melanie Temple, Director of Marketing & Recruitment/PIO, metemple7181@roanokechowan.edu, 252-862-1243