Announcing Leadership North Carolina Class XXVIII

Raleigh, NC – Fifty-five civic and community leaders from across the state have been accepted to form the 2020-2021 class for Leadership North Carolina, the state’s premier leadership engagement program.

Each year, through a rigorous selection process, LNC chooses a class of established and emerging leaders from across the state to participate in its acclaimed program. Leadership North Carolina’s Class XXVIII is made up of top leaders from the government, business, nonprofit, and education sectors.

Over the course of six two-and-a-half day sessions, Class XXVIII participants will learn about issues critical to the state through discussions with top officials and professionals, field trips, and experiential learning activities. LNC’s sessions focus on five key areas: economic development, education, environment, government, and health and human services. Through LNC’s program, participants gain new insight into North Carolina’s strengths and challenges and explore opportunities for how they will improve and empower their communities and the state as a whole.

LNC sessions are typically held around the state, highlighting the social, geographic, and economic diversity of North Carolina.  The first portion of the 2020-2021 year will be adapted to a virtual platform due to impacts of COVID-19.  Both virtual and in-person sessions will showcase specific locations around the state, including Boone, Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Beaufort and Morehead City, and Asheville.

LNC Class XXVIII

• William Ahlum, Associate, First Tryon Advisors, Mecklenburg
• Lavondia Alexander, Chief Quality Officer, Kintegra Health, Gaston
• Heidi Austin, Project AWARE Director, NC Department of Public Instruction, Wake
• Jenna Bailey, Creative Director, Partner, Artifacturing, LLC, Rutherford
• Conitsha Barnes, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Duke Energy, Cabarrus
• Jesse Battle, Senior Director of Community Partnerships, TROSA, Durham
• Rachel Bearman, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels Orange County, NC, Orange
• Erika Bell, Community Development Regional Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Mecklenburg
• Kelly Bennett, Vice President, Total Rewards, Martin Marietta Materials, Wake
• Margaret Brunson, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Illumined Leadership Solutions, Durham
• Kevin Byers, Assistant Dean for Administration, Winston Salem State University, Forsyth
• Richard Carrico, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, WakeMed, Wake
• Ercel Carter, Vice President, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, Yadkin
• Melissa Chappell, Executive Director, Institutional Advancement, Durham Technical Community College, Durham
• Andy Coe, Principal, Convergent Nonprofit Solutions, Wake
• Jenifer Corn, Director of Strategic Initiatives, myFutureNC, Wake
• Franquil Diaz, Dental Director, Goshen Medical Center, Wayne
• Lynn Duffy, SAVP Leadership Development and Talent Acquisition, University of North Carolina System, Orange
• Jennifer Eberhart, Director of Marketing and Technical Services, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, Wake
• Kentreal Farrar, Director, Vendor Services Delivery, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Durham
• Leah Friedman, Owner and Communications and Public Policy Consultant, Leah Friedman Consulting, Wake
• Raymundo Garcia Jr., Director of Strategic Advancement, MENTOR North Carolina, Durham
• Todd Griffin, Director, Customer Experience and Delivery, Cisco Systems, Catawba
• Drew Haddock, Partner, DMJ & Co., PLLC, Lee
• Tammie Hall, Director, Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, NC Department of Administration, Durham
• Jennifer Harriss, Executive Director, Destination Downtown Edenton, Inc., Chowan
• Anna Helms, Assistant Director for Constituent Relations, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mecklenburg
• Mark Hensley, Associate State Director, AARP North Carolina, Guilford
• Hannah Kay Herdlinger, Founder, Thread Talk, Mecklenburg
• Syretta Hill, Executive Director, StepUp Durham, Durham
• Meredith Houston, Administrative and Membership Manager, American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina, Wake
• Naomi Irvin, Director, Divisional Compliance – Sales, Marketing, & Communications, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Wake
• Zakiya James, Senior Procurement Associate, Center for Community Self Help, Person
• Natalie Jenkins Peel, Community Leadership Officer, North Carolina Community Foundation, Pasquotank
• Jack Jirak, Associate General Counsel, Duke Energy, Wake
• Claudie Johnson Jr., City Executive, Self-Help Credit Union, Mecklenburg
• Kaycee Kalpin, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Premier, Inc., Mecklenburg
• Randolph Keaton, Executive Director, Men and Women United for Youth & Families, CDC, Columbus
• Dan Levine, Director of Business Development & Project Management, Self-Help Credit Union, Orange
• Leslie Mason, Chief of Staff, DUHS Nursing, Duke Health, Durham
• Heather Miller, Senior Vice President for External Relations, Wingate University, Union
• Derek Mobley, Parts Marketing Data Manager, Volvo Group North America, LLC, Guilford
• Connie Newsome, Registrar, Campbell University School of Law, Campbell University, Johnston
• Katherine Parker, Communication Specialist, Hometown Strong, Wake
• Jodi Phelps, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Cumberland
• Jamie Philyaw, Executive Director, NC Dual Special Needs Plan, UnitedHealthcare, Wake
• Kevin Platé, Senior Vice President, Levine Cancer Institute & Clinical Network Development, Atrium Health, Mecklenburg
• Catherine Read, State Director of Partnerships, Upstream USA, Wake
• Selina Rodriguez-Guzman, Probation and Parole Officer, Division of Adult Community Corrections, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Harnett
• Michael Romot, Department Head – Architectural, Clark Nexsen, Mecklenburg
• Jonathan Russell, City Manager, City of Washington, Beaufort
• Luisa Santiago, Staff Judge Advocate/General Counsel, US Army, Harnett
• Owen Thomas, Senior Account Executive, Dial Insurance, Robeson
• Chester Williams, Chief Executive Officer, A Better Chance A Better Community, Halifax
• Julia Wright, Economic Development and Local Government Manager, Dominion Energy North Carolina, Johnston

Leadership North Carolina’s mission is to inform, develop, and engage committed leaders by broadening their understanding of and involvement in issues and opportunities facing North Carolina. The Leadership North Carolina Program cultivates a network of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share a deep commitment to their state. There are more than 1200 graduates of the program whose continued ties to LNC and to one another provide them with rich opportunities for serving North Carolina.

The Class XXVIII roster is available here.