BY ALBEMARLE COMMISSION
HERTFORD — In a coordinated effort to bring cutting-edge capabilities to under-resourced government agencies across northeastern North Carolina, the Albemarle Commission recently hosted a three-session Artificial Intelligence training series funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. The workshops, specially designed for small local governments in the ten-county Albemarle region, were led by North Carolina–based educators Martin Brossman and Dr. Justin B. Rose, who brought practical, public-sector–focused AI instruction to participants.
Over consecutive weeks in July 2025, municipal and public safety staff came together for interactive virtual sessions, where they explored real-world AI applications — from crafting grant proposals to enhancing public communication, data synthesis, and workflow automation. Brossman and Rose guided attendees through demonstrations of mainstream AI tools, offering live examples that made complex concepts immediately applicable to local government tasks.
At the conclusion of the series, Brossman and Rose recorded and released a short video summarizing their key insights and takeaways from the workshops. The video — available here: https://youtu.be/FZK-qHuS2jo — is intended as both a resource for participating agencies and an inspiration for other small governments looking to build their AI capacity.
In a post-session reflection shared on LinkedIn, Dr. Rose wrote:
“Healthy and productive local government agencies keep our communities thriving. I want to thank … the Albemarle Commission for providing the opportunity for Martin Brossman and I to present to local Eastern North Carolina municipal and public safety staff on the various operational benefits of AI in various agencies.”
This training represents a significant milestone in regional digital transformation—putting AI fluency in the hands of local governments that typically have limited staffing and resources. With ARPA funding covering the cost, agencies across the Albemarle region
could engage without financial barriers and gain hands-on experience in a field often out of reach for rural government offices.
Looking ahead, the Albemarle Commission staff will collaborate with trainees to support ongoing AI implementation efforts. Agency leaders, planners, communications staff and grant professionals across the ten counties of the region are now better positioned to use accessible AI tools to improve service delivery, increase efficiency, and strengthen civic engagement in their communities.
For information about Albemarle Commission, visit albemarlecommission.org