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“Surround yourself with doers. Be around people who demonstrate their boldness.” 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 6. This group collaborated with Marbles Kids Museum, an organization that serves a diverse population of families, school groups and community organizations with dozens of themed exhibits, summer camps, IMAX documentary and feature movies, and special events year-round. Marbles has the capacity to host sophisticated corporate events, weddings, and other gatherings in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Team 6 had planned to help it gather market intelligence and connect it with people who could use its space. Hopefully, it will be able to reopen its doors in the near future.

Congratulations Project Team 6 for your hard work and completion of Leadership Raleigh!

Clark Abbott, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

Tiffany Burba, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Sarah Heminuk, Haven House Services

Gina Miller, Nationwide Insurance

Paul Pierron, Gilbane Building Company

Richard Slater, McAdams

Heath Tripp, Smith Anderson Law Firm

​​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.

“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.

From School to Career: A Strong Triangle Talent Pipeline

Our community continues to attract new companies and has become a hot spot that attracts high-quality talent. There are many reasons why these companies and individuals want to call the Triangle home. One major factor remains our strong education system. The Wake County Public School System is ranked No. 1 nationwide in “gold standard” teachers.

That strong education system feeds directly into the local workforce, creating a robust talent pipeline.

“If you’re not from this area, I want you to learn a bit about how wonderful our schools are here,” said Keith Poston, president of the WakeEd Partnership. “We have a phenomenal public school system.”

Poston was one of the speakers at our July Young Professionals Network virtual program. He was joined by Greg Eyman, K-5 STEM coordinator, Brentwood Magnet School of Engineering, and Bill Seyler, chair of the Wake County Public Schools School-to-Career Council. Ashley Cagle, assistant executive director with Wake County Economic Development, moderated the discussion.

“Wake County Schools are focused on the 4 C’s,” said Seyler. “Creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.”

These are critical soft skills to have as potential employers are looking for employees who have them, and can work well in teams that can produce solutions. The Wake County Public School System prepares its students to meet the demands of the workforce by implenting the 4 C’s as soon as students enter kindergarten.

Eyman discussed how students at Brentwood receive hands-on experience through the STEM program.  They gain experience through project-based learning, lead teams throughout their classroooms, and create solutions that they can share with the community.

But, a critical aspect of the talent pipeline is to ensure that it remains strong for the future. That means ensuring students want to remain in the area once they graduate.

Cagle said the business community plays an important role.

“If this interests you, I encourage you to reach out and find out if there is a role for you in Summer STEM,” she said.

She said interested businesses should learn more about the Summer STEM program.

Cagle also pointed out that businesses that want to get engaged could join a business alliance team at an area school.

Seyler agreed.

“The business alliances are working with the schools, being guest lecturers,” he said. “They’re able to do it from home with the virtual meetings. They’re looking for young professionals. There are a lot of opportunities to get engaged.”

The N.C. Business Committee for Education is looking for people to be virtual speakers in local high schools. You can create a profile on the North Carolina Business Committee for Education's website and be matched with teachers that need speakers with your skillset.

We want to thank our speakers for sharing their valuable perspectives about the school-to-career talent pipeline in our region. We also want to thank our sponsors whose support made this, and other, YPN events possible.

Our next YPN program will be on Sept. 15 where will we preview the 2020 election and what will drive results across North Carolina. Register today and we look forward to seeing you online in September.

When Will Barfield networks, it is with a strategy.

Barfield, president and CEO of Barfield Revenue Consulting, spoke at our first virtual Networking 101. He focused on how to network more effectively in our new normal, where networking takes place digitally.

“Make no mistake folks,” he said. “The world has changed and it’s changed permanently. It doesn’t mean we won’t go back to the in-person meetings. But, we can now take those things and hypercharge them with the virtual meetups.”

Barfield told our online audience members how they could leverage technology to their advantage while networking.

“This new virtual world allows us to access new connections that we would have never made previously,” he said.
He gave an example.

“I was recently on a panel on how to prospect during challenging times,” said Barfield. “This was an incredible networking opportunity and created a whole slew of new connections across the country. We had more than 250 registrants. We had four time zones represented and three different countries.”

He also discussed how online networking groups provide an opportunity to share stories.

“Talk with others about the challenges within your businesses,” said Barfield. “Inevitably, someone will say, ‘Oh yes, you would be a great referral for that.’”

Barfield said that networking in larger groups also will lead to one-on-one conversations.

“We are increasing our networking and communication as a result of something that you would think would limit our networking opportunities,” he said.

This is the second time this year that Barfield has spoken as a part of our Networking 101 seminars and we want to thank him for his tremendous insight into how you can maximize your networking opportunities.

Please check our event calendar to learn about all of the different events that we have coming up where you can practice what you learned in Networking 101!

As the founder and chair of TradeMark Properties, Billie Redmond knows the importance of leadership.

“In times of crisis, people crave leadership,” she said. “They want to follow people they believe in.”

Redmond spoke with us virtually at our June C-Suite Perspectives.

“What do good leaders do when faced with this type of challenge,” she asked. “Our leadership perspectives come from our individual perspectives.”

Redmond said that, during these challenging times, it is more reason for leaders to think about their purpose and mission.

“It begins with courage,” she added. “It takes great courage to stay the course, in particular when you can’t see what lies ahead. It takes courage to change course. It takes courage to make changes. It takes courage to admit that you don’t have all the answers.”

Optimism also is key, Redmond said.

“I am the eternal optimist,” she said. “People need encouragement. I’m not sure if we’ve ever needed encouragement more than we need today.”

But, even during the pandemic, Redmond said there is opportunity.

“This pandemic has given us the opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves and each other,” she said.

“What I’ve learned the most is that we need each other,” said Redmond. “People need the opportunity to be connected. I’m excited about the things that we’ve learned.”

She said the current situation also brings an opportunity for introspection.

“We are in a social, cultural, and spiritual pandemic,” said Redmond. “I want to ask each person to consider a time of real reflection about your individual perspectives. Go back and think about where you started, how your life experiences have brought you here.”

We want to thank Redmond for her perspectives and insights into leadership. We also want to thank our C-Suite Perspectives sponsors for their continued support and engagement. Their partnership with us makes this series possible.
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Our next C-Suite Perspectives will take place on Aug. 14. Please check back later on our website for more information about the speaker for our August C-Suite Perspectives.