TC Spotlight

Rocky Mount is on the move - and this week we're talking about the asset that quite literally connects our region to the rest of the country. Josh Pusser, Director of the Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport (RWI), joins us to pull back the curtain on how the airport actually works - who funds it, how it operates, and why this regional hub is one of the most important economic engines in the Tw...

Rocky Mount raised him. Dallas trained him. Now he's back home — and he's bringing big-league care with him. This week we sit down with Chad Womble, founder of MVP Therapy in Rocky Mount. A former collegiate pitcher at NC Wesleyan, Chad took his arm — and his ambition — down to Texas, where he spent more than a decade training under some of the top athletic trainers in the world, including...

What happens when Nash County's Democratic chair and its former Republican chair sit in the same studio for 39 minutes? Not a shouting match — a shared game plan. Dr. Cassandra Conover and Mark Edwards return to the Twin County Spotlight, this time together, as part of Urban Rural Action's Conservative Leadership for a United America program. The mission: prove that political opponents can...

Rocky Mount is writing a comeback story — and this week we sit down with the manager at the helm. City Manager Elton Daniels joins us for a conversation about the financial stabilization of a city that was on the brink. When Daniels took the helm in April 2025, he inherited a municipality burning through millions more each month than it brought in — a crisis so severe the state auditor issued a sc...

In this episode, we sit down with Justin Sykes, lead writer and editor of the Tar River Arts + Culture Magazine, ahead of our fall 2026 release. Justin takes us behind the scenes of his pieces on Smith's Red + White, Big Bones Meat Market, Prime Smokehouse, the Rocky Mount Farmers Market, and more — sharing the stories, flavors, and characters that make the Twin Counties' food and culture...

In this episode, we sit down with Jan Warren, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Rocky Mount, to shine a light on the incredible work they do in our community — from delivering 500 meals each week to homebound seniors, to coordinating more than 125 dedicated volunteers who make it all happen. We also get the inside scoop on the 11th Annual Beans & Brews Chili Cook-Off , a beloved communi...

Big news for downtown Rocky Mount! On this episode, we sit down with Jamie Holcomb, CEO of the North Carolina Children's Museum, to talk about the announcement that the museum will make the Imperial Centre its flagship headquarters. Under a proposed lease between the city and the museum, the NC Children's Museum will renovate and upgrade the Imperial Centre facilities, then operate and pro...

What happens when an engineer trades formulas for flour? On this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Gabby Pacelli — founder and head baker of Pacelli's Bakery, Rocky Mount's newest artisan bakery — to talk about her leap from a career in engineering (she holds a Master of Engineering) into the craft of baking. Gabby shares how early days learning in her family's bakery planted t...

The First Dream Comes Home On Friday, August 28th at 7:30 PM, the Rocky Mount Mills Power House becomes hallowed ground for a historic homecoming—one that will echo across six decades and reconnect our city with its place in civil rights history. North Carolina State University's Dr. Jason Miller brings his documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the very community where it all began....

David Ess, partner at Pate, Horton & Ess, isn't your typical Twin Counties professional. In this episode of TC Spotlight, David shares the story of his 3,800-mile cross-country bike ride — completed in just 54 days — half of which he completed alone. We dig into what it takes to ride solo across America, the mental shift between partnership and self-reliance, and the spiritual elements of...

Pam Gould is a lifelong resident of the Twin Counties with over 30 years in education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in Education from East Carolina University. Her career spans Edgecombe County Public Schools, Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools, Edgecombe Community College, and Nash Community College — starting as a middle school teach...

In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Tonia Grimsley, MPH — Development Director for the American Heart Association in Eastern NC, adjunct professor of public health at NC Wesleyan University, and head cheerleading coach at NCWU. Tonia is a native of the Twin Counties — she was inducted into SouthWest Edgecombe High School's Athletics Hall of Fame, earned her MPH from NC Wesleyan w...

In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Jeff Ellis, the entrepreneur behind Ribeyes and Flo's — two of the Twin Counties' most recognizable restaurant brands with locations in both Wilson and Rocky Mount. We dig into the business side of food and beverage: what it takes to run successful restaurants in two different Twin County markets, how the food and beverage landscape is shif...

Dr. Alexis Brown Exum is a Rocky Mount native who came full circle — graduating from Northern Nash High School, earning her DDS at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, and completing both her advanced education in general dentistry and pediatric dentistry residencies at ECU before returning home to open Rocky Mount Children's Dentistry. In this episode, Dr. Alexis talks about her journ...

Matt Bristow-Smith has spent over two decades in Edgecombe County schools — fifteen years teaching English at Tarboro High, and the last ten-plus as principal of Edgecombe Early College High School, a 200-student school in Tarboro that quietly posts some of the best outcomes in the state: an A-rating for four straight years, a 100% graduation rate, and 96% of students earning associate degrees bef...

In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Dr. Kenyon "KJ" Askew Jr., D.B.A., Director of Marketing & Strategic Engagement at Nash Community College. We start with KJ's story — growing up in Colerain, NC (Bertie County), the path from Bertie County Schools to a leadership role at Nash, and what that journey taught him about opportunity, drive, and what it takes for talente...

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Evans, County Manager of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, for a conversation about what it takes to lead a rural county through rapid economic transitions. We dig into Edgecombe's current budget priorities and the fiscal realities of governing a community balancing growth with preservation. Eric walks us through their innovative "Get Off the List&qu...

This week we sat down with Justin Sykes , the multi-talented creative force and content producer behind Twin County Media’s Tar River Arts + Culture (TRA+C) Magazine . In this episode, we dive into the creative evolution of the publication and look at how TRA+C  has become the definitive spotlight for the incredible, home-grown talent thriving right here across Nash and Edgecombe Counties. The cor...

In this episode, we sit down with Derrick Vick, President of Freedom Industries in Nash County, to trace the growth trajectory of this local mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) construction powerhouse. Derrick shares his personal journey of coming back home to Eastern North Carolina and details the company's transformative path to becoming a 100% employee-owned ESOP (Employee Stock Owne...

In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Wilson , owner of The Oak Grove Retreat  in Tarboro, North Carolina. Kevin shares the unique story of how a small historic church was transformed into a peaceful retreat center dedicated to rest, reflection, and renewal. What began as a vision to preserve a meaningful space has evolved into a destination where individuals, couples, and small groups can step...

In this episode, we sit down with Ron Green , CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tar River Region, along with Melvin Mitchell  and Gus Tulloss , who are helping lead the capital campaign for one of the most ambitious youth development projects in our area: Project DREAM . Project DREAM is a transformational initiative that will convert the former National Guard Armory in Rocky Mount  into a...

In this episode, we sit down with Bryan Braswell , fourth-generation operator of Rocky Mount Radiator , to discuss the incredible story of a family business that has been serving the region since 1927 . Bryan shares how his family started the company nearly 100 years ago and the many industry changes and economic challenges they’ve successfully navigated across four generations. We dive into the h...

In this episode, we sit down with David Farris , President of the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, Beth Covolo , Head of School at Rocky Mount Academy, and Bunn Boddie  of Boddie-Noell Enterprises to discuss a community-led effort to keep a critical summer camp program alive for local Rocky Mount children. For years, this summer camp served inner city children ages 5–8 whose families may not be ab...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Nettie Williams , founder and artistic director of the Tarboro Choral Society , to talk about her journey in music and her vision for bringing high-level choral performance back to Eastern North Carolina. A Tarboro native with a distinguished career as a conductor and educator, Dr. Williams returned home and launched the Tarboro Choral Society to enrich the re...

In this episode, we sit down with  Chris Edwards , Manager of Broadcast & Media Relations for the Wilson Warbirds, to talk about his journey into the world of sports media and broadcasting. Chris shares his early aspirations in media, how he got his start, and the path that ultimately led him to join the Warbirds organization. We dive into what it’s like to help launch a new Minor League team...