The North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region (NCGTPEDR) is proud to announce that its President, Mark Pope, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Service Award by the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA).
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The Lifetime Service Award recognizes economic development professionals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and service to the association and the profession. Recipients are selected by the NCEDA Board of Directors and must have at least 20 years of active service to the association.
Pope has dedicated more than two decades to economic development in eastern North Carolina. He began his economic development career in 2005 as Lenoir County's Director of Economic Development, serving until 2018. He then became President of the Wayne County Development Alliance before assuming leadership of the North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region in 2020.
One of Pope's most significant accomplishments was his vision to create a unified regional economic development organization serving Greene, Lenoir, and Wayne counties and the North Carolina Global TransPark. His leadership brought these communities together under a collaborative approach to business recruitment, existing industry support, and industrial development.
Since its creation, NCGTPEDR has helped facilitate more than $1 billion in announced capital investment throughout the region.
Beyond his local and regional accomplishments, Pope has been a dedicated leader in the economic development profession. He is a past president of NCEDA, previously received the association's Economic Developer of the Year Award for 2010 to 2011, and has served on numerous state and regional boards supporting economic development, transportation, and industry.
Pope joins Joanna Helms, Raul Peralta, and Melanie O'Connell Underwood as recipients of the 2026 Lifetime Service Award.
This recognition honors a career defined by collaboration, public service, and a belief that communities accomplish more when they work together.
The NCGTPEDR Board of Directors and staff congratulate Mark on this distinguished honor and thank him for his continued leadership and commitment to the future of eastern North Carolina.
