ROCKY MOUNT — A stormwater mitigation project in Pembroke was awarded $135,000 by the Golden LEAF board of directors on Thursday.

The money is in addition to previous LEAF board funds awarded to meet the increased costs of a joint Town of Pembroke/ The University of North Carolina at Pembroke project to remove debris caused by Hurricane Florence from a stormwater construction project funded by the N.C. Department of Commerce begun after Hurricane Matthew. The new award brings Golden LEAF funding for the project to $270,750.

Funding for the project in Pembroke was part of $477,000 in additional Disaster Recovery Grant Program funding to existing projects in Bertie, Robeson, and Hoke counties. The grant program is funded through appropriations by the State of North Carolina to the Golden LEAF Foundation to award money to governmental entities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits to repair or replace infrastructure and equipment damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Michael and Dorian.

Also on Thursday, the Golden LEAF board of directors awarded $15.2 million in funding to support projects through the Community-Based Grant Initiative in the Northwest Prosperity Zone, Economic Catalyst Program and Open Grants Program.

“Today, the Golden LEAF board awarded funding for projects that will support lasting economic investment in North Carolina,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF president and chief executive officer. “We are excited to be a part of bringing 725 new jobs to our state and to support 10 projects that will help build a skilled workforce for North Carolina employers.”

Under the Economic Catalyst Program, the Golden LEAF board awarded $4 million to the Town of Holly Springs to upgrade a sewer pump station to provide the capacity necessary to support Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. This biomanufacturing company will locate a manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, make a capital investment of $1.5 billion, and create 725 new jobs paying average annual wages of $99,848. The laborshed for this project will span into rural and economically distressed counties in the biopharma crescent which includes Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, Pitt, and Wilson counties.

The Economic Catalyst Program assists eligible state, regional and local economic development entities with projects to support permissible activities in which a company will commit to create a specific number of full-time jobs.

Golden LEAF awarded $7 million in funds that will leverage more than $14 million in funds committed by several partnering entities including the Appalachian Regional Commission, Economic Development Administration, Connect NC Bond funds, the N.C. Department of Commerce, and the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as local funding.

The Golden LEAF board of directors awarded 14 Community-Based Grants Initiative projects totaling $9.6 million in the Northwest Prosperity Zone. These projects will support workforce preparedness, job creation and economic investment, public infrastructure, and agriculture in Alexander, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga, and Wilkes counties.

Golden LEAF’s Community-Based Grants Initiative is a competitive initiative that focuses on a region and is designed to identify projects that are ready for implementation and have the potential to have a significant impact. Awards are limited to up to three projects per county and total no more than $1.5 million per county. Regional projects are also considered under this program.

Under the Open Grants Program, the Golden LEAF board awarded $1.07 million in funding for six projects in Alamance, Cleveland, Hertford, Duplin, Northampton, and Alexander counties. Golden LEAF’s Open Grants Program bolsters economic development projects in the areas of job creation and economic investment; workforce preparedness; agriculture; and community competitiveness, capacity, and vitality.

Board member Lee Roberts of Raleigh announced his departure from the Golden LEAF board effective at the conclusion of Thursday’s meeting. Roberts was appointed to the board in December 2016 and was recently elected to serve on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. Board member Ralph Strayhorn of Charlotte was elected to serve as chairman of the Investment Committee.

“We would like to thank Lee Roberts for his years of service on the Golden LEAF board of directors,” said Bo Biggs, Golden LEAF board Chairman. “Lee has served as our Investment Committee Chair and been an invaluable member of the Board. His commitment to the mission and expertise will be missed. We wish him well in his new role.”

Golden LEAF’s 15-member board of directors is appointed by the governor, the president pro tempore of the Senate, and the speaker of the House.

The board of directors adopted a resolution in support of the attainment goal of myFutureNC that two million North Carolinians should have a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030. The Golden LEAF Foundation and leaders in business, education, state and local government, and community organizations will continue to foster partnerships to achieve the goal.