LUMBERTON — Dan Gerlach, president of the state’s Golden LEAF Foundation, told Robeson County community and business leaders Thursday that at least $2 million is available to Robeson County for projects that meets his organization’s goal of spurring economic development and growth in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed communities.

Golden LEAF is providing $2 million in grant money to each of the state’s 41 Tier 1 counties — the counties needing the most assistance in strengthening and developing their economies. The nonprofit foundation, created in 1999 to administer one half of North Carolina’s share of funds from the court settlement agreement between states and cigarette manufacturers, focuses on providing grants in three areas: agriculture; job creation and retention; and work force preparedness. It also pays for projects that provide education and other opportunities to support economic development and growth qualifying communities.

“The only way to improve employment and develop the economy in counties where in the best of conditions unemployment is between 7 and 9 percent is to diversify the economy,” Gerlach said.

Gerlach, who served as a budget advisor to former Gov. Mike Easley, took over the reigns of the Golden LEAF Foundation on Oct. 1. He was Thursday’s keynote speaker at a Lumberton Area Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event held at the Black Water Grille.

Gerlach announced that there will be a community forum sponsored by his foundation starting at 6 p.m., May 13, at Robeson Community College.

“This is a chance for people in the county to come together and give us some ideas of what kind of projects they might like to work with,” he said. “This will be Robeson County making policies for our board to consider.

“To help you we need your input. If you don’t make applications for grants, we can’t help you with funding.”

Gerlach also said that if there are enough quality projects, Robeson County can also apply for grants in excess of the $2 million allotted for each Tier 1 county. The money for Tier 1 counties, he said, is only 40 percent of the foundation’s overall budget.

Local businessman David Stephenson, who serves on the Golden LEAF’s 15-member board of directors, also emphasized the need for local participation if Robeson County hopes to bring home Golden LEAF funding for projects.

“I’m only a phone call away. I want to see applications to make sure that we get our share,” he told the audience of about 75. “We have done some great things in this county, but we can’t do things without your input ... . You have to be creative. You need to send us some white so we can send you some green.”

State Sen. David Weinstein, who in the past called for the Golden LEAF Foundation to be disbanded because he did not feel it was funding projects that were helping tobacco-dependent counties diversify their economies, had nothing but good things to say about Gerlach.

“He’s here to help the economically stressed counties. He’s a man of his honor and his word. He’s straight forward,” Weinstein said. “He has a business background and understands his mission. He is going to do what he says. Robeson County is going to get their fair share.”

Weinstein also said that since Golden LEAF was established in 1999, it has provided 760 grants totaling $373 million.