Leadership North Carolina Celebrates Graduation of Class 28

Raleigh, NC – On Tuesday, May 17, Leadership North Carolina held the graduation ceremony for its 28^th class. This group of fifty-five civic and community leaders completed the prestigious program in May of 2021 and have now been formally inducted into the ranks of LNC alumni.

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 28 comprises top leaders from the government, business, nonprofit, and education sectors. A full list of participants follows.

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. Leadership North Carolina’s core program cultivates a network of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share a deep commitment to their state. There are more than 1,300 graduates of the program whose continued ties to LNC and to one another provide them with rich opportunities for serving North Carolina.

Over the course of six two-and-a-half day sessions the members of LNC Class 28 learned about issues critical to the state through discussions with top officials and professionals, intentional dialogue, and experiential learning activities. LNC’s sessions focus on five key areas: economic development, education, environment, government, and health and human services.

LNC sessions are typically held in locations around the state, highlighting the social, geographic, and economic diversity of North Carolina. Due to impacts of Covid-19, the 2020-2021 program year was held on a virtual platform. Despite the adaptation, members of Class 28 built relationships with their classmates, gained new insight into North Carolina’s strengths and challenges, and developed their own priorities for ways they can improve and empower their communities and the state as a whole.

LNC Class 28

• Will Ahlum, Graduate Student, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, Out of State
• 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, Energy Policy Management Director, Duke Energy, Cabarrus
• Jesse Battle, Senior Director of Community Partnerships, TROSA, Inc., 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, Wake
• Margaret Brunson, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Illumined Leadership Solutions, Durham
• Kevin Byers, Assistant Dean for Budget and Administration, Winston Salem State University, Forsyth
• Rick 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
• Jeni Corn, Director of Research and Evaluation, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Wake
• Frank Diaz, Dental Director, Goshen Medical Center, Johnston
• Lynn Duffy, SAVP Leadership Development and Talent Acquisition, University of North Carolina System, Orange
• Jenn Eberhart, Director of Member Engagement, 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
• Ray Garcia, Manager Trainee, 84 Lumber, Out of State
• Todd Griffin, Director, Customer Experience and Delivery, Cisco Systems, Inc., Catawba
• Drew Haddock, Partner, DMJ & Co., PLLC, Lee
• Tammie Hall, Director, Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, NC Department of Administration, Durham
• Jennifer Harriss, Development Manager, ECU Health Chowan Hospital and ECU Health Bertie Hospital, Chowan
• Anna Helms, Assistant Director for Constituent Relations, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mecklenburg
• Mark Hensley, Associate State Director for Community Outreach and Advocacy, Triad Region, AARP North Carolina, Guilford
• Hannah Kay Herdlinger, Founder, Thread Talk, Mecklenburg
• Syretta Hill, Executive Director, StepUp Durham, Durham
• Meredith Houston, Director of Operations, American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina, Wake
• Naomi Irvin, Chief of Staff – Government Markets, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Wake
• Zakiya James, Business Manager, RDU Airport Authority, Person
• Natalie Jenkins Peel, Community Leadership Officer, North Carolina Community Foundation, Pasquotank
• Jack Jirak, Deputy General Counsel, Duke Energy, Wake
• Claudie Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, 1st Choice Credit Union, Out of State
• Kaycee Kalpin, Chief Marketing Officer, 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 Real Estate Team, Orange
• Katherine Parker Lucas, Program Policy Manager, Hometown Strong, Durham
• Leslie Mason, Chief of Staff, DUHS Nursing, Duke Health, Durham
• Heather Miller, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Wingate University, Union
• Derek Mobley, Quantitative Analyst, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Guilford
• Connie Newsome, Registrar, Campbell University School of Law, Campbell University, Johnston
• Jodi Phelps, Corporate Communications Director, City of Fayetteville, Cumberland
• Jamie Philyaw, Executive Director, Community Plan of NC, UnitedHealthcare, Wake
• Kevin Platé, Senior Vice President, Levine Cancer Institute & Clinical Network Development, Atrium Health, Mecklenburg
• Catherine Read, Co-Founder, Points True North, Wake
• Selina Rodriguez-Guzman, US Probation Officer, US Probation Office–Eastern District of NC, Out of State
• Mike Romot, Department Head – Architectural, Clark Nexsen, Mecklenburg
• Jonathan Russell, City Manager, City of Washington, Beaufort
• Luisa Santiago, Unit Chief Immigration Judge, US Department of Justice, Out of State
• 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