Blog

By Heather Robertson
Inside Sales Representative
State & Local Government, Pacific Northwest
Lenovo





What does volunteerism mean and how can we, as young professionals, give back to our community in impactful ways? At March 24’s Chamber Young Professionals Network event, three generous guests offered insight on this important topic.

Find Your Purpose
Allison Warren-Barbour from United Way of the Greater Triangle, an organized dedicated to transforming and improving the local community, presented a venn diagram during the warm-up activity. The diagram asked attendees to list a few items that we are great at, we love, we get paid to do, and what we think the world needs.  For Allison, making people happy and connecting people was her purpose. She used the venn diagram to show  how she could become great at making people happy, how she could learn to love management, and how she could connect people around the world. Through her work at the United Way, she was able to give back to the community, get others involved, and work toward her purpose. Being involved in work that hits your venn diagram core is more energizing, meaningful, and in the long run will make you happier.

Don't Just Show Up
Will Barfield from Frankel Staffing Partners, who has been involved with the Chamber and community for decades, shared three steps he has learned over his years of volunteering in Raleigh.

1. Find a good fit
2. Engage
3. Mean it

Will's involvement with the Greater Raleigh Chamber and YPN helped him grow a network necessary for his success at work. The Chamber was a good fit for him because he wanted to network and built relationships with the leaders of tomorrow.

Getting engaged is the next step—and that means more than just showing up to an event for the free food and nice atmosphere—it means getting actively involved. Will joined a task force and the annual Chamber Campaign, where he was exposed to people who could help him grow his network and become a role model in the community. But, most importantly, Will didn’t just find a great organization and become involved—he meant it. When he volunteers, Will gives his all and is dedicated to the mission. When one becomes truly committed to an organization, you get so much more than friendships and skills, you get satisfaction and the feeling you’ve made a difference in the community.

The Work/Play Blur is OK
As a 20-something moving to North Carolina, Cailin Williams from Bank of America knew she had to get involved to meet people and build success here, so she joined the Chamber. It was important for her that she show up, engage, and change her attitude about joining organizations. She discovered that organizations want young people’s ideas and energy. She was nervous at first about blending work and play, but realized that this blur was happiness. Cailin was able to find a mix of giving back and having fun! In addition to being a highly active and involved young professional, Cailin created a YPN inside Bank of America and encouraged us to do the same.

We walked away thinking about our own purpose in life and how we can use our talents, energy, and time to get involved with local nonprofits to grow professionally and personally.

The Chamber’s Young Professionals Network provides events every other month that engage professionals ages 23 – 39 from member firms to help them become more competitive in the business arena, establish contacts, and grow personally through a variety of program topics.

Learn more here, or visit the YPN Facebook page here.

By Tim Giuliani
President and CEO
Greater Raleigh Chamber

North Carolina and its economy benefit and thrive from diversity and inclusion. Reducing anti-discrimination protections damages our reputation and will impact economic development. An inclusive and welcoming environment is essential for attracting and retaining the talented workforce that is critical for growing great companies and building our economy. The Greater Raleigh Chamber supports a community where every citizen feels safe and can enjoy the wonderful quality of life found here.

By Atinuke Diver, LR32
Director of Compliance
The PowerAmerica Institute at NC State University




“Is that a school or a mall?” I asked as our bus pulled into a construction site—the 58 acres and 327,640 square feet of LEED-designed space slated to open as the new South Garner High School. Over the next hour spent touring the site, I understood that this was no mall. And after spending a day listening and learning about the business, politics, and economic impact of education in greater Raleigh, my Leadership Raleigh 32 classmates and I also learned that when it comes to education in Raleigh, it’s personal, complicated, and ever-changing.
 
It’s Personal
From our morning panel discussion with representatives from the Wake County Board of Education and the Wake County Board of Commissioners to the educational options roundtable discussions about charter, private/independent, magnet, and home schools at the end of the day, my classmates and I drew upon our lived experiences. We reflected on our own educational backgrounds, our experiences as parents and caretakers striving to make the best educational choices for the children in our care, as the spouses and partners of teachers or administrators navigating the growing demands of a school system in a rapidly growing area, and as advocates with preferences for certain educational options over others.
 
It’s Complicated
In his 2004 book and 2005 TEDTalk, “The Paradox of Choice,” psychologist Barry Schwartz, posits that having more choices and options actually makes us more paralyzed instead of freer. I’ve often thought of this paradox while listening to Raleigh parents discussing the myriad of public educational options accessible to their children each school year through the Wake County school assignment process. While enjoying the aptly themed St. Patrick’s Day reception hosted by Smith Moore Leatherwoood at the end of our day, I asked one classmate, “Well, what’s the alternative?” We concluded that having more choices is better than having no choice. I think Mr. Schwartz might agree.
 
It’s Ever-changing
From the exterior, Vernon Malone College and Career Academy and the NC State Entrepreneurship Initiative Garage couldn’t look more different. But they both share distinct roles in the changing environment for 21st century secondary and post-secondary education and highlighted the important role the Raleigh business community has in connecting our students to professional opportunities. Our tour of Vernon Malone gave us an inside look at the potential for Career and Technical Education to lead high-school students towards a pathway of prosperity, whether that be post-secondary education or employment. Our panel discussion with undergraduate and graduate EI students was both inspiring and eye-opening as they shared their experiences in leveraging the program to create businesses and the need for greater interaction between students and the business community to keep and grow their businesses in Raleigh instead of Silicon Valley, New York City, or Boston.
 
Lesson of the Day
As community leaders, one the greatest opportunities we have is to bridge the gaps of access and opportunity between our companies, organizations, and industries and students throughout greater Raleigh.

Leadership Raleigh prepares the leaders of tomorrow. During the nine-month program, participants get an in-depth view of community issues, develop leadership skills necessary to assume leadership roles, and are exposed to community involvement opportunities.

Applications for the 2016/17 program year are currently being accepted. Learn more at www.leadershipraleigh.org.

By John Johnston
Community Development Manager
Greater Raleigh Chamber

 What are the Primary Elections?
A primary election is a preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party conference or to select the candidates for an elected office.  Primary elections were created to give more power to the citizens in the selection of candidates for the party’s nomination.  Registered voters may participate in choosing the candidate for the party’s nomination by voting through secret ballot.
 
Who is eligible to vote in the Primary Elections?
Any registered voter with appropriate government issued identification can vote in the primary election. 
 
What is an open primary? A closed primary?  What kind of primary does North Carolina have?
In an open primary, a registered voter can vote in any party’s primary regardless of their personal party membership.  In a closed primary, registered voters can only vote in the party’s primary that they are currently registered with (voters registered as independent or unaffiliated may choose which primary they’d prefer to participate in).
 
North Carolina has a closed primary. For example, if you are a registered Democrat in North Carolina, you may only vote for Democratic candidates in the primary. The same is true for those registered as Republican and Libertarian.  However, if you are registered unaffiliated or independent, you may choose which party’s primary you’d prefer to vote for, but you can only choose and vote for one.
 
What time are the polls open?
The 2016 Primary Elections are held on Tuesday, March 15 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
 
Can I register to vote the same day as the primary election?
No. North Carolina no longer offers same-day voter registration except during early voting periods. You can register to vote for the 2016 General Election here.
 
How do I know if I am registered to vote?
Visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website and utilize the “NC Public Voter Search” to check your voter registration information.

Can I view my sample ballot before voting?
Yes, you can view your sample ballot by visiting the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
 
Help! I don’t know where I’m supposed to vote!
You can look up your polling place here.
 
What’s this I hear about needing an ID to vote?
The March 15 Primary Election marks the first election where voter ID is necessary in North Carolina. This handy resource will familiarize you with acceptable forms of photo identification requirements, what to do if you do not have an identification card, and more.
 
Are there two primaries this year?
The Primary Election for North Carolina’s thirteen U.S. House of Representatives districts has been postponed to June 7, pending legal challenges. The State Board of Elections is asking voters to vote in every race in March’s primary, even the U.S. House races as a precaution, and if the legal process upholds the proposed June 7 primary, votes cast in the March primary will be invalidated.

Not at all! Take a quick look at the Chamber's Voters' Guide and find out everything you need to know.

by Bruce Sargent
Site Operations Manager
IBM Corporation, Research Triangle Park

RTA Air Service Chair



The Regional Transportation Alliance is partnering with the RDU Airport Authority to launch a multifaceted advertising campaign for the new RDU – Paris flight.

The new RDU – Paris nonstop flight was announced fall 2015 thanks to organized business community support, key corporate funding, and the efforts of local partners and RDU Airport Authority.

The marketing campaign will be funded in part by the RTA Air Service Advancement Project, which launched in December 2014 to create a regional marketing fund for new nonstop transatlantic air service. Both cash and in-kind investments made as part of the ASAP initiative will complement marketing expenditures by RDU Airport Authority to help ensure the success of the Paris flight by increasing awareness of the offering and encouraging its use.

Be on the lookout for RDU – Paris advertising via web, radio, TV, outdoor, event, and other channels, and help share information about the new flight with friends and colleagues.

RTA thanks all ASAP investors for helping to promote awareness of this new international connection from our market!

Thank you to all of the ASAP investors:

    Cary Chamber of Commerce
    Cisco Systems, Inc.
    Citrix
    Credit Suisse
    Duke Energy
    Duke University
    Fairway Outdoor Advertising
    First Citizens Bank
    Forge Communications
    Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
    Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau
    IBM Corporation
    Morrisville Chamber of Commerce
    Quintiles
    Red Hat, Inc.
    Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina
    UNC REX Healthcare
    Wells Fargo

And thank you to the ASAP in-kind partners:

    Cary Chamber of Commerce
    Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce
    Chapel Hill / Orange County Visitors Bureau
    Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau
    Morrisville Chamber of Commerce
    Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
    Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau
    Downtown Raleigh Alliance
    Regional Transportation Alliance
    The Umstead Hotel and Spa

Companies can still join the Air Service Advancement Project and do not have to be an RTA member. Go here for more information about how you can help sustain and enhance our region’s connection to the world ASAP.

This blog originally appeared on the Regional Transportation Alliance's website here. RTA Air service chair Bruce Sargent serves as Site Operations Manager at RTA Leadership Team member IBM from their Research Triangle Park campus.