Gov. Bev Perdue made a swing through the greater Wilmington area Tuesday to highlight several new initiatives and programs in the region.

Perdue kicked off her tour in Burgaw at the Historic Burgaw Train Depot to present business and city leaders with a sign for its Burgaw Kitchen Incubator. The incubator recently received the governor’s small-business innovation award.

The Burgaw Incubator Kitchen is a shared-use commercial kitchen facility aimed at supporting the region’s thriving food industry by providing commercial space, business training, regulatory information and networking opportunities to small, start-up and expanding food businesses in an eight-county region, including New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties.

From Burgaw, Perdue headed to New Hanover County’s Emsley A. Laney High School to meet with principal Al O’Briant along with other district officials, parents and faculty and staff to tout her new program — Career and College Promise.

Under the recently launched Career and College Promise initiative, students will have the opportunity to earn tuition-free course credits at state community colleges toward a four-year, or two-year, degree at North Carolina public colleges and universities.

The program will take affect in the spring of 2012.

“Look at Laney High School, once students leave high school under their healthcare program, they can become a [licensed vocational nurse],” Perdue said. “It’s about preparing these students for college and the workforce.”

The governor wrapped up her tour at Wilmington’s 30-year-old adult daycare program — Elderhaus, where Elderhaus CEO and University of North Carolina Wilmington Trustee Linda Pearce introduced Perdue to board members and Elderhaus staff.

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and UNCW Cameron School of Business Dean Larry Clark were also in attendance.

Much of the discussion centered on the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE.

Part of a national healthcare reform movement, PACE is an optional benefit under Medicaid and Medicare that focuses entirely on populations older than 55, and are frail enough to meet the state’s standards for nursing home care. Under the program’s guidelines, clients can receive the benefits of the program at adult daycares, home or at in/out patient facilities.

Perdue praised Elderhaus’ work, telling the staff that they were conducting, “God’s work,” and saving taxpayer money.

I know this is a savings to the hospital because they are here and not in the hospital,” Perdue said. “I’m impressed; I want to see more of these programs across North Carolina.”