The Future of IEI & North Carolina Public Policy

In only three years, IEI will have a new home inside the James B. Hunt, Jr. Library. Expanded office space, state-of-the-art meeting rooms and auditoriums, and an interactive policy gallery will allow IEI to more effectively create an enduring capacity for renewed innovation and foster an atmosphere of enhanced civic engagement, cooperative leadership and enlightened problem-solving among North Carolinians.

Due to North Carolina’s accelerating growth, IEI’s critical issue areas and programs of work are continually expanding. As a result of this growth, a more dynamic, creative workspace and visionary policy gallery will be imperative as IEI continues to tackle some of the biggest issues facing North Carolina’s future growth and prosperity.

Expected to open in 2012, the Hunt Library will be located at the heart of NC State’s Centennial Campus. It will serve as a community-gathering place for collaborative learning, and the resources within this 21st century information library will bolster academic and research achievements, as well enable the important statewide policy initiatives envisioned by IEI.

By providing spaces to host some of the smaller public convenings critical to IEI’s model public policy process, the building will allow NC State to combine its education and engagement missions under one roof. We are thrilled to think that in five years, IEI will be able to host in its own building Leadership Retreats, Working Groups, Business Committees and implementation of policy initiatives.

In addition to the state funded opportunities presented by the Library, private funds will allow IEI to create a gallery that presents a compelling picture of North Carolina’s legacy of policy leadership and offers stimulating observations about the state’s future. The gallery will allow new generations of leaders to explore their own options for engaging in complex and serious issues facing our state.