Smart Start of

Wilkes County

Wilkes Smart Start - Preparing all children to enter school healthy and ready to succeed

Organization Information


Wilkes County became a Smart Start site in September of 1994 under the Wilkes Community Partnership for Children Board of Directors with the mission to develop services for children before they enter Kindergarten that will prepare them to be healthy and ready to succeed. By 1995: health screening had begun in collaboration with the Health Department and purchase of the MESH unit; the first Family Resource Center in collaboration with Wilkes Community College and Goodwill Industries began in the old Spainhour building in downtown North Wilkesboro, and Wilkes Community Partnership for children began working with local Child Care providers to build a strong foundation to quality child care (safe playgrounds were a priority, and improving environmental learning).

Laura Gentry Welborn started as the Executive Director in 1994 and has remained in this position for over 10 years. Laura has a Bachelors of Science in nursing, a Masters degree in Social Work, a fellowship from UNC in Early Childhood Leadership Development and a Duke Non profit Management certificate.


Download Forms

2009 Annual Report (1.7MB)

Form 990 (149kb)

Amended Bylaws, effective April 1, 2004 (134kb)

Salary Ranges (44kb)

Organization Chart (110kb)



Our Board

Jennifer Murray (Chair)

Wendy Warner (Vice Chair)

Laura Welborn (Executive Director) (President)

Jim Faw (Treasurer)

Kevin Laplante

April Brinegar

Deborah Elledge Parker

Kendra Jackson




Meeting Minutes

August 20th, 2008 Board Meeting Minutes (50 kb)

October 22nd, 2008 Board Minutes (60 kb)

February 18th, 2009 Board Meeting Minutes (56 kb)

April 22nd, 2009 Board Minutes (55 kb)

June 17th, 2009 Board Meeting Minutes (57 kb)

August 26th, 2009 Board Meeting Minutes (58 kb)

October 21st, 2009 Board Meeting Minutes (24 kb)

December 16th, 2009 Board Meeting Minutes (58 kb)

January 12th, 2010 Board Minutes (55 kb)

February 17th, 2010 Board Minutes (63 kb)




Financial Information

June_2009 (44kb)

July_2009 (39kb)

August_2009 (11kb)

September_2009 (11kb)

October_2009 (11kb)

November_2009 (11kb)

December_2009 (12kb)

January_2010 (12kb)

February_2010 (12kb)


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