L to R: Brian Etheridge, Paige Sayles, Shawan Gabriel
Paige Sayles, director of Z.B. Collie Foundation in Louisburg and a member of LNC Class XXIV, was selected by her fellow Leadership North Carolina participants as the 2017 recipient of the Stanley Frank Class Award during the LNC Class XXIV Graduation and Awards Ceremony on May 11 at the North Carolina State Capitol.
The Stanley Frank Class Award is presented annually in honor of the late Stanley Frank, chair of the LNC founding committee, who gave his time, talents, and resources to make our state a better place to live and to work. Mr. Frank was a Greensboro businessman and a civic giant who was one of the earliest and strongest supporters of LNC. There are many organizations in the Greensboro community on which Stanley Frank left his mark. He was known as a compassionate, modest, and generous gentleman.
Mrs. Sayle’s fellow LNC participants shared the following comments in nominating her for the Stanley Frank Class Award:
“Paige serves as an elected official on her county’s school board, helping to improve the quality of education in her community. She and her husband started a small foundation several years ago to provide college enrichment activities to first generation, underserved youth. Many times, scholarships from the Blue Collie Foundation provide a student’s first experience on a college campus.”
“Most recently, Paige has worked to open Blue Collie Coffee—a coffee shop in Louisburg, NC, designed to provide work opportunities for exceptional students in her community. Paige identified that there’s nothing for these young people to do, so she’s creating an option. She has bought and cleaned the space and even attended coffee school to learn how to make gourmet drinks.”
“Paige is always up for an adventure. When spending time with LNC classmates, she often asks, “Where to next?” And this is her approach to life. She’s always looking ahead for the next opportunity to create meaningful impact and improve the lives of others.”
Shawan Gabriel, president and chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Services, Inc. and the 2016 recipient of the Stanley Frank Class Award, presented Mrs. Sayles with a Waterford eagle during the ceremony in the Old House Chamber of the North Carolina State Capitol. A North Carolina flag was flown over the Capitol in Mrs. Sayles’s honor as a commemoration of her selection as the Stanley Frank Class Award recipient.
A roster of previous Stanley Frank Class Award recipients can be found here.
Photo credit: Beth Ely Photography
