ROCKY MOUNT — The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded more than $7 million across three programs: the SITE Program, Open Grants Program and Flood Mitigation Program.

“The need for industrial sites, especially in rural areas, is no longer a luxury but a necessity to meet demand,” said Don Flow, Golden LEAF board chair, in a news release. “We are excited to see how these projects will help prepare counties for new and expanding companies in North Carolina.”

Four projects totaling $1.3 million in Open Grants Program funding support job creation and economic investment and workforce preparedness, including one in Rowan County:

• $300,000 to Partners In Learning (PIL) for renovation and construction costs associated with a clinic and sensory room for individuals with autism to support expansion of PIL’s autism services. The increased space will lead to the creation of 35 new professional and paraprofessional positions. Additionally, 48 new and current employees will earn third-party/industry credentials on site.

Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,109 projects totaling $1.2 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.