Greater Raleigh Chamber Blog

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Congratulations on completing your Leadership Raleigh program. You are forever a member of our Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association. We hope you had a fantastic year despite these challenging times. This year, we want to say thank you for your tenacity and dedication to the program. One unique aspect of Leadership Raleigh is the project team element. Each participant is placed in a project team based on his or her background and experience.

Today, we are highlighting our Leadership Raleigh 39, Project Team 5. This group collaborated with Oak City Cares, an organization that envisions a community where all people have access to stable housing and their human dignity, worth, and rights are respected. Oak City Cares wants to minimize the length of time a person experiences homelessness by removing the barriers that hinder them from accessing essential and coordinated services. This team created an event that will raise awareness of homelessness in our community while raising money for Oak City Cares.  

Congratulations Project Team 5 for your hard work and completion of Leadership Raleigh!

Benjamin K Bailey, JLL

Chris Bell, Deloitte

Shane Corbett, Piedmont Service Group

Jessica Green Willson, Fox Rothschild LLP

Sean Maroney, Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, Inc.

Joy Pariz, YMCA of the Triangle Area, Inc.

Anna Traylor, Clark Nexsen

​​Applications are now available for our next Leadership Raleigh class here. Please note that these are due back to Des Burton  by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14.

Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential. It is the beginning of a beautiful one. Congratulations on completing your Leadership Raleigh program. You are forever a member of our Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association. We hope you had a fantastic year despite these challenging times. This year, we want to say thank you for your tenacity and dedication to the program. One unique aspect of Leadership Raleigh is the project team element. Each participant is placed in a project team based on his or her background and experience.
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Today, we are highlighting our Leadership Raleigh 39, Project Team 4. This group collaborated with Raleigh Area Land Trust, an organization dedicated to expanding affordable homeownership opportunities for families, with low to moderate incomes, so that they can live or remain in the community of their choice in Raleigh and Wake County.

This team will continue to support the launch of Raleigh Area Land Trust and their mission to establish to increase affordable housing, homeownership, and preserve neighborhoods for residents.

Congratulations Project Team 4 for your hard work and completion of Leadership Raleigh:

Thomas Barrier, Branch Banking & Trust Co.

Dusan Cecich, Danis Construction Company 

Kaitlin Dewberry, PoynerSpruill LLP

Rhett Fussell, Raleigh Area Land Trust

Sarah Newton, SAS Institute, Inc.

Ashleigh Sholar, Raleigh Chamber 

Morgan Zoellner, Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education

​Applications are now available for our next Leadership Raleigh class here. Please note that these are due back to Des Burton  by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14.

It is absolutely still possible to make a difference. Congratulations on completing your Leadership Raleigh program. You are forever a member of our Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association. We hope you had a fantastic year despite these challenging times. This year, we want to say thank you for your tenacity and dedication to the program. One unique aspect of Leadership Raleigh is the project team element. Each participant is placed in a project team based on his or her background and experience.

Today, we are highlighting our Leadership Raleigh 39, Project Team 3. This group collaborated with Read and Feed, an organization that strengthens literacy skills among under-served elementary school children, and provide meals in a nurturing neighborhood environment. This team created a replicable event that Read & Feed can execute for low cost/effort to help engage their participants' families. If their lessons/principles can be supported at home, we anticipate improved success rates.
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Congratulations Project Team 3 for your hard work and completion of Leadership Raleigh: 

Cooper Cash, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

Daniel Lord, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP

Kekoa Nelson, IBM Corporation

Tara Freeman, UNC REX Healthcare

Heather Spencer, NC State University

Erica Campion, Genworth Mortgage Insurance

Lisa Snedeker, Campbell Law School

​Applications are now available for our next Leadership Raleigh class here. Please note that these are due back to Des Burton  by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14.

A Mission to Serve
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For Maggie Kane and A Place at the Table, it’s always been about the mission – a mission focused on people.

“Our main mission is to provide community and good food for all regardless of needs,” said Kane, the founder and executive director of A Place at the Table, speaking at our virtual Coffee with Leaders.

The nonprofit is a pay-what-you-can-cafe in downtown Raleigh. It opened on Jan. 8, 2018. Since then, it has served tens of thousands of meals in our community.

But, as we all know, this year has been different.

“COVID-19 hit and we saw such an uptick of folks coming in,” said Kane. “We realized we had to pivot because we knew our mission was going to change drastically.”

Kane, who recently did a TEDx Talk, spoke with us about continuing to meet the community’s needs, even during challenging times.

“Our team rallied and did everything possible to ensure that we continued to live our mission,” she said. “Our team didn’t close for a single day. Truly, how we did it was by having a great team.”

During the first 11 weeks of the pandemic, A Place at the Table served more than 15,400 meals.

“We shortened our hours so that our staff could be safe,” said Kane. “We shortened our menu, as well.”

The need is tremendous.

“Right now, we’re doing about 300 meals a day,” Kane said. “Pre COVID-19, about 70% of people paid for their money. POST COVID-19, 80% are not paying for their meal. We feel fortunate to be able to stay open.”

A Place at the Table isn’t just staying open, but expanding.

The organization recently grew, expanding into a neighboring property on Hargett Street.

Right now, A Place at the Table is open Wednesday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Kane thanked the community, who continues to volunteer and donate.

We thank her, not only for sharing her story with us at Coffee with Leaders, but for what she means to the people of Raleigh.

We also want to thank our series sponsor, First Bank, for its continued support and partnership with us.

Our next virtual Coffee with Leaders will be on Sept. 16 where we will hear from Cydney Davis-English, owner of The English Garden Florist and Two Maids & A Mop Raleigh. We look forward to seeing you online for her talk.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new one.” Congratulations on completing your Leadership Raleigh program. You are forever a member of our Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association. We hope you had a fantastic year despite these challenging times. This year, we want to say thank you for your tenacity and dedication to the program. One unique aspect of Leadership Raleigh is the project team element. Each participant is placed in a project team based on his or her background and experience.

Today, we are highlighting our Leadership Raleigh 39, Project Team 2. This group collaborated with STOP THE BLEED, an organization dedicated to training individuals to be the true first-responder in the case of severe trauma and bleeding. Project Team 2 raised awareness around an important, life-saving skill – a skill from which everyone in the community can benefit. Accidents happen and they can happen to anyone, anywhere – playground incidents, sports practice, car accidents, yardwork mishaps, kitchen slips, natural disasters, or mass shootings. The more bystanders trained in how to respond in a time of crisis, the safer our communities will be.
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Congratulations Project Team 2 for your desire to spread awareness and completion of Leadership Raleigh: 

Melyssa Allen, Meredith College

Randi Ligon, Apex Tool Group and Junior League of Raleigh

Kasia Nels, Stewart

Charles Setzer, Contec Inc.

Jenny Saul, Greene Resources

Olivia Scarbrough, Elliott Davis

Wesley Fricks, United Community Bank

David Boaz, Replacements, Ltd.

Applications are now available for our next Leadership Raleigh class here. Please note that these are due back to Des Burton  by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14.

Graduation isn’t the end of a tough journey. It is the beginning of a beautiful one. Congratulations on completing your Leadership Raleigh program. You are forever a member of our Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association. We hope you had a fantastic year despite these challenging times. This year, we want to say thank you for your tenacity and dedication to the program. One unique aspect of Leadership Raleigh is the project team element. Each participant is placed in a project team based on his or her background and experience.

Today we are highlighting our Leadership Raleigh 39, Project Team 1. This group collaborated with KidsPeace, an organization dedicated to serving the behavioral and mental health needs of children, families and communities. This team significantly influenced the reach and platform of a local foster care organization. Foster care in North Carolina is severely understaffed and underfunded. This team worked diligently to develop a social media/marketing campaign that will make a difference of hundreds of children's lives in the future.

Congratulations Project Team 1 for your outstanding work and completion of Leadership Raleigh!

Sabrina Burns, PNC

​Chad Danford, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Alysia Eve, Citrix

Deb Horwitz, Merz North America

Brad Murray, Murray Real Estate Group, LLC

Gretchen Saussy, Mid-Atlantic Associates, Inc.

George Smith, Nexsen Pruet, PLLC

Applications are now available for our next Leadership Raleigh class here. Please note that these are due back to Des Burton  by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14.