Long picked for N.C. logistics task force

Long picked for N.C. logistics task force    North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue picked Pat Long, vice chairman and co-founder of Longistics, to serve on the state's Logistics Task Force.
   The task force was developed to help North Carolina remain competitive in international trade. Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, the task force has been charged with evaluating current transportation options in North Carolina and determining what needs to be improved and how.
   The group will also explore innovative ideas in transportation and economic development that can help support the state's logistics capacity, including public private partnerships, and make recommendations to create an integrated logistics plan for North Carolina.
   Other members of the task force include N.C. Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti and N.C. Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Dee Freeman.
   'States that can move people, goods and information quickly and safely will have an advantage in the future,' Long said in a statement. 'This organization will help our state remain globally competitive in the future.'
   Long has started a number of successful businesses during the past 30 years. In 1997, she became the first woman chair of the North Carolina Trucking Association.