The Wilson Chamber of Commerce will host its inaugural ReAlign Wilson Issues Forum in partnership with Gig East and Greenlight on Thursday, February 26 from 9:00am until 11:00am at the Frank L. Eagles Community Business Center on the campus of Wilson Community College, 902 Herring Ave. E.  The purpose of the ReAlign Issues Forum is to better inform the Wilson business community about a specific market dynamic that is impacting the local economy, and equipping the Chamber to respond in a way that best serves its members.  The dynamic being explored in 2026 is healthcare.
 
Gig East and Greenlight are the leading partners for the ReAlign Issues Forum.  The Chamber is a proud member of the Gig East Alliance:  a coalition of community partners seeking to strengthen Wilson’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Through the Gig East Exchange, Gig East is the initiative often met first by entrepreneurs entering the Wilson market.  The Chamber embraces the opportunity to share information with these entrepreneurs, and other business leaders, about the economic conditions that are consequential to successfully operating their business.
 
General admission to the ReAlign Issues Forum is $35 for Chamber members, and $55 for nonmembers.  Capacity is limited, and you can REGISTER HERE.  Admission includes a light breakfast and refreshments, along with active participation in key components of the Forum: 

• Preview of the Business Healthcare Landscape Survey results.  Since October, the Chamber, in partnership with the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson, Wilson Commerce Foundation, and ECU Bureau of Business Research, has collected data on the opportunities and challenges employers face to provide adequate healthcare coverage to their employees.  We’ll preview results that will map employer competitiveness and give healthcare providers insight into how workers access care.
• Update on Carolina HealthWorks (CHW).  A breakthrough endeavor by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, the NC Chamber, and local chambers of commerce, CHW provides low cost health coverage to small businesses that was previously unavailable.  We’ll share the benefits of CHW, and how businesses in our market are taking advantage of this opportunity.
• Interactive audience engagement.  We’ll ask participants how the Chamber can do more to ensure that they are healthy and productive.  We’ll be seeking input about the major barriers employers face to provide the healthiest work environments possible for their employees, and be prepared to adapt our program of work in ways that advocate for high quality healthcare. 

The ReAlign Issues Forum is the first in a sequence of programs the Chamber is introducing in 2026 to be a stronger advocate for the Wilson business community.  In the fall, the Chamber will host the Align Wilson Conference: an intensive and comprehensive examination of policy issues having an impact on local businesses.  From there, the Chamber will recraft its Policy Agenda, inviting all members to communicate directly with elected decisionmakers about our priorities for building a market where all businesses have a chance to succeed.