Keynote & Speakers
Dr. Carol Spalding – President of Rowan Cabarrus Community College – Panelist
In 2008, Dr. Carol S. Spalding was selected as the third President of North Carolina’s eighth largest community college, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, after a significant leadership career at Florida State College at Jacksonville where she served as interim president in 1998. She was the founding president of the Open Campus, leveraging continuing and corporate education to provide non-traditional credit delivery focused on military populations and online degree attainment. Under her leadership at Rowan-Cabarrus, the College has passed four bond referendums, doubled its online Virtual College enrollment, has expanded from two campuses to four, and has become the community colleges’ flagship at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) home to the Dr. Carol S. Spalding Advanced Technology Center.
Rowan-Cabarrus enrolls over 20,000 students annually in 57 curriculum programs and growing continuing education enterprise focusing on the essential public service workforce. An advocate for student success and the community college’s vital role in workforce and economic development, she served on the RowanWorks Economic Development Commission, Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce and the regional Centralina Workforce Development Board, earning the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Mark F. Whitley Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2023.
Completing two terms on the American Association of Community College’s board of directors, she continues her national service as Treasurer of the AACC affiliated Instructional Technology Council and in a select group of presidents called “Advocates in Action” who work with the AACC’s legislative staff to influence federal legislators concerning laws pertaining to community colleges. She serves on the North Carolina Community College Presidents’ Association professional development committee and is its liaison to the state’s community college foundation.
She has been recognized by two statewide community college systems for both leadership and partnerships: The Florida Association of Community Colleges Administrator of the Year Award in 1995 and the Wells Fargo President of the Year Award by the North Carolina Community College System in 2019. She has been acknowledged along with her teams for creating effective partnerships throughout her career, most recently in 2019, earning the Distinguished Partners in Excellence Award from the North Carolina Community College System for the joint efforts in building workforce development facilities and programs in Kannapolis, NC. She led the Jacksonville city/county wide visioning project which won the Florida Department of Education “Florida Best” Award for Outstanding Business and Education Partnership in 2003 and 2004.
Dr. Spalding is a student of servant leadership well-grounded in her experience from her four-decade commitment to community leadership at the local, state, and national level. She served on the board of the National Association for Community Leadership, serving as chair in 2000. In her doctorate dissertation, she addressed the theory and practice of servant leadership.
Dr. Spalding earned her doctorate in Education from Columbia University, a master’s in Human Resource Development from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s in International Studies from the University of Louisville.
In addition to focusing on degree attainment, workforce and leadership, Dr. Spalding experienced extensive professional development and has been active on many boards. She is a Senior Fellow at The American Leadership Forum, a scholarship recipient to The Aspen Institute Executive Seminar, the Art and Practice of Leadership Development program at the Kennedy School of Government and the Institute for the Management of Lifelong Education at the School of Education, both at Harvard University. She was selected for the first cohort of ELEVATENC:Higher Education developed by the Hunt Institute. She was a governor’s appointment and chaired the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum Carolina and listed in Who’s Who in America 2022.
The founder of the North Carolina Research Campus David Murdock appointed Dr. Spalding, now chair, to his seat on the board of the David H. Murdock Research Institute. The research organization was designed to provide “groundbreaking research and development solutions at the intersection of human health, agriculture and nutrition” on the North Carolina Research Campus.
During her tenure as president, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has become a catalyst for change in the region, partnering with county and economic development commissions, city governments and business and industry sectors to provide relevant workforce development to create better jobs for better lives.
Dr. Jane Elliott – Keynote Speaker
Jane Elliott, an internationally known teacher, lecturer, diversity trainer, and recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education, exposes prejudice and bigotry for what it is, an irrational class system based upon purely arbitrary factors. And if you think this does not apply to you. . . you are in for a rude awakening.
Jaki Shelton Green
The ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina appointed in 2018, is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate and reappointed in 2021 for a second term by Governor Roy Cooper. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, 2014 NC Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Jaki Shelton Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC Chapel Hill. Additionally, she received the George School Outstanding Alumni Award in 2021. Her publications include: Dead on Arrival, Masks, Dead on Arrival and New Poems, Conjure Blues, singing a tree into dance, breath of the song, published by Blair Publishers. Feeding the Light, i want to undie you published by Jacar Press, i want to undie you English /Italian bilingual edition published by Lebeg Publishers. Juneteenth 2020, she released her first LP, poetry album, The River Speaks of Thirst, produced by Soul City Sounds and Clearly Records and released a CD, i want to undie you in 2021. Jaki Shelton Green is the owner of SistaWRITE providing writing retreats for women writers in Sedona Arizona, Martha’s Vineyard, Ocracoke North Carolina, Northern Morocco, and Tullamore Ireland. In 2021, The Arts Club of Chicago premiered a commissioned body of work in collaboration with Flutronix for the Black Is Series and was performed in April 2022 by Flutronix and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She serves as the poetry editor for WALTER Magazine and an appointment as the Poet Laureate in Residence at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Additionally, she has been recognized on the Forbes Magazine 50 Over 50 Lifestyle List for 2022.
Dione Adkins
Dione Adkins is the Chief Executive Officer of the Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency, Inc., the federally funded anti-poverty agency designated to provide services for Rowan, Cabarrus, and Davidson Counties.
Jacquie Abrams
Jacquie Abram is the international best-selling & award-winning author of HUSH MONEY: HOW ONE WOMAN PROVED SYSTEMIC RACISM IN HER WORKPLACE & KEPT HER JOB She has been featured in Forbes, ABCNews, NBCNews, Spectrum News, and many others.
Mayor Karen Kirks Alexander
Karen Kirks Alexander, architect, real estate broker, developer, and president of KKA Architecture, founded in 1989. She holds a Master of Architecture and Urban Design, UNC Charlotte, and Doctorate of Letters, Honoris Causa, Invertis University, India.
She is a recipient of the Sister Barbara Sullivan Humanitarian Award NC and the Bishop Walter Hood Humanitarian Award from Hood Theological Seminary. She currently serves on the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation Board.
Appointed, then elected to Salisbury City Council in 2013, Alexander was elected mayor in 2015, now serving her third term and running unopposed for a fourth term as Mayor.
House of Representative Ted Budd entered a Congressional Record Commendation, April 14, 2022 in honor of Mayor Karen Alexander’s outstanding service to her city, state, and nation.
Salisbury City Council presented a Proclamation in recognition of her exemplary leadership as President of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, May 17, 2022.
Judge Aretha Blake
Judge Aretha V. Blake serves as a District Court Judge in North Carolina’s 26th Judicial District. A Certified Juvenile Court Judge, Judge Blake presides over cases involving youth in foster care or involved with the delinquency court. For four years, she has presided over the Family Treatment Court. Elected in 2016, Judge Blake is in her second term of office and is the Lead Juvenile Court Judge. A native of Red Top (Johns Island), South Carolina, Judge Blake is an honors graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and was a member of the Georgia Law Review. She also graduated with honors from Florida State University and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Among other leadership positions, Judge Blake was the first African-American to serve as President of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation and was Chair of the Board of Managers of the H.L. McCrorey Family YMCA. Judge Blake is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and Mount Carmel Baptist Church. She has been named one of Charlotte’s 50 Most Influential Women by The Mecklenburg Times and as a “Leader in the Law” by NC Lawyer’s Weekly. Her community and civic leadership have been acknowledged by numerous organizations.
Jaime Brown
Jaime (pronounced like Jamaica without the ca) Brown is currently serving as the DEI Strategist for the City of Concord. Her role includes ensuring inclusive and equitable experiences for 1,200+ staff and serving as a liaison to community organizers. Prior to this work, she was a DEI/Employee Experience Consultant for nonprofit and corporate clients and before that, worked in Higher Ed, connecting students and staff to opportunities that enhanced their experiences. Through her work, she has been acknowledged with various accolades for her commitment to the community. She is also an Adjunct Instructor, teaching personal branding and professional discernment courses at Georgetown University. Jaime earned her MBA from Georgetown University, her Master’s from NYU, and her Bachelor’s from Rutgers University. Outside of work, Jaime loves spending time with her fiancé and two sons, and exploring the area through art, food, and culture.
Pastor Duane Butler
Duane Butler is the senior pastor of World Worship Church. He has served his community faithfully and intensely for over two decades in ministry. A Johnson C Smith University graduate and Gardner-Webb University, Pastor Duane has lent his expertise to religious services, education, finance, and mission work. Pastor Duane has found a unique focus in the intersection of faith and mental health, serving on the board of Mental Health America.
Larry Davis
Born in segregated Concord, North Carolina in 1950. His parents Bernard Sr. & Alice Davis, instilled in him the words “ You can do anything because you’re a Davis- Just figure out what it is and do it, despite the obstacles! He was timid, shy, and afraid to leave the front porch of his house. He faced name calling, discrimination in employment, education, applying for military service and even where he could live, eat, or play. He graduated in 1968 from the only K-12 Black school in Cabarrus County called “Logan High School”. He received a separate but unequal education. After Graduation he went on to attend RTI (Rowan Technical Institute – now known as RCCC). He majored in and graduated in the field of Electronics Engineering where he was I of only 2 persons of color that had obtained an A.A.S. degree in that program since the Institution was founded. He would later return to his Alma Mater RCCC to become the first Black to teach in the Electronics Engineering Program, acted as interim Dept. Chair, be awarded the Teacher of excellence award, and chosen to carry the College maze while leading all the students (850 +) at a Graduation ceremony. In addition, Mr. Davis coached the College Basketball and Bowling teams for more than ten(10) years and won several championships. He also was a faculty advisor for several student clubs on campus.
Mr. Davis retired as an Electronics Engineering Instructor, Business owner of a High-Tech Semiconductor Equipment service company for more than 25 yrs. providing services to companies like IBM, Lexmark, Xerox .Motorola and many others. He also served in the U.S. Army for nearly ten(10) years.
He presently resides in Charlotte, NC, and enjoys train traveling each month, bowling, bike riding and reading the good book (Bible). He has lived by several mottos or phrases. 1). “The goal is always greater than the struggle” 2). “Make what you do today important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it”. Finally, “one of the greatest dangers in life is to allow the urgent things to crowd out the important things”.
Jeanne Dixon
Jeanne Dixon is the first African-American female to serve on the Kannapolis City Council. For 30 years she worked for the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services before retiring. After retiring she decided to return to work and served as the Guardian ad Litem District Administrator for Cabarrus and Rowan Counties.
She holds a B.S. in organizational management from Barber-Scotia College and is a lifetime member of Price Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church where she is active as the Director of Christian Education, the missionary society, and choir.
For 25 years she has been a member of Sister in Partnership, a breast health community group through the Cabarrus Health Alliance. She is a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Other organizations she has served include Chair of the Annual Auction for CVAN, Concord Rotary Club, Cooperative Christian Ministry Board, Cabarrus Head Start Policy Council Board, Rowan County Board of Elections Democratic Judge, Rowan Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees, Cabarrus Partnership for Children Board, and the Cabarrus Free Clinic.
In Kannapolis she has served on the Planning and Zoning Board, and the Diversity Newcomers Commission and graduated from the Kannapolis 101 and Kannapolis Police Citizens Academy.
Mrs. Dixon has received many honors for her work including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the Delta Sigma Theta Citizen of the Year, Omega Psi Phi Citizen of the Year, the Vivian Duncan Christian Educator Award, and the NAACP Outstanding Year of Service Award.
She was married to Thomas H. Dixon for 52 years until his passing in May 2022 and they have a daughter and two granddaughters.
Dr. Karrie Dixon – Chancellor of Elizabeth City State University – Panelist
Dr. Karrie G. Dixon was named 12th CEO and seventh chancellor of Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) (N.C.) on Dec. 14, 2018. She previously served as interim chancellor since April 9, 2018. Prior to this appointment, Dixon was a senior administrator at the University of North Carolina System Office since 2008. She was promoted to serve as vice president for academic and student affairs as well as chief student affairs officer, where she oversaw and shaped systemwide policy to ensure overall success for the more than 220,000 students enrolled across the state. Prior to joining the UNC System, Dixon served a total of 10 years combined at two other UNC campuses.
Since Dixon’s arrival at ECSU, enrollment has climbed nearly 40% in just 18 months and degree program offerings expanded, which included launching an unmanned aircraft systems degree program, an online master’s degree in education, and an online bachelor’s degree in homeland security. Under her leadership, the university increased its fleet from two to 12 aircraft for ECSU’s signature aviation program.
In 2019, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper awarded Dr. Dixon The Old North State Award, one of the highest honors granted by the State of North Carolina, which is awarded to “individuals who have shown dedication and service beyond expectation and excellence to the Great State of North Carolina.” She also was named by the HBCU Campaign Fund, as one of “The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2020.” In 2023, Dixon was awarded the Toastmaster D117 Award for Communication & Leadership and was recognized as a 2023 Black Business Ink Magazine Power 100 honoree.
Dr. Dixon serves on various local and national boards, to include: the Board of Directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Association of Governing Boards Council of Presidents and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Board of Trustees. In 2020, Dr. Dixon was named to the newly formed national Women in Aviation Advisory (WIAAB) board by U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary, Elaine L. Chao. Dr. Dixon serves as a presidential sponsor for the North Carolina American Council on Education Women’s Network. Dr. Dixon is a charter member of the Black Women Collegiate Presidents and Chancellor.
Dr. Dixon holds a bachelor’s degree from NC State University, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a doctorate from NC State. She and her husband Devi have two daughters.
Yvonne Dixon
Ms. Yvonne Waiters- Dixon is the director of health equity in the office of Health Equity with Novant Health. Yvonne’s overall 41-year career in healthcare expands across many systems and partnership experiences that include long term care, community medicine and wellness, community and veteran hospitals, home healthcare, hospice, and the department of health and human services. She joined Novant Health in 2000, and since her tenure, she has held a variety of roles, implemented, and led best practice innovative initiatives as an oncology lead nurse, diversity health careers coordinator, employee relations consultant, and Novant Health diversity, inclusion, and equity lead education facilitator. Ms. Dixon is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University with a BS in nursing, master’s in nursing and healthcare administration from the University of Phoenix and a Certificate in Diversity and Intercultural Competence from Wake Forest University. She is on faculty with the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine Novant Health Charlotte campus, and an alumnus of the Center for International Understanding at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Jay Darden
Jay first began working with Escaping Time in 2016, first as a contributing artist, then taking over curatorial duties one year later. Like most of the artists who work with Escaping Time, Jay is self-taught, and he appreciates that the artwork created by people in prison can be used as an avenue to engage the public in conversations about the criminal legal system.
As a curator and activist, he challenges the stereotypical perceptions about people who have been through the carceral system, showing the creativity in style and expression prevalent in each painting and sculpture, often made with improvised materials by people who have been “disappeared” and forgotten behind steel and concrete. While holding annual summer exhibitions on Governors Island, Jay amplifies the reality that exists for people in jails and prisons, and he reminds visitors that society must have a vested interest in their successful reintegration upon release. He also works to expose people to alternatives to incarceration, such as restorative and transformative justice as we move toward the goal of prison abolition.
Jay has worked with colleges and businesses, where he emphasizes the need for DEI work to include people who are prison-impacted. He knows the significance of time and freedom, and he uses his voice to speak for the people who remain confined behind prison walls, shining a light on not just their art and their stories but, above all, their humanity.
Alice Dolbow
Alice Dolbow serves as a Senior Advisor for LatinxEd where she focuses on strategies for increasing postsecondary access for Latinx youth in NC . In her role, Alice collaborates with educators, school counselors, community partners, and higher education professionals to identify and dismantle structural barriers to college access and success. Through her work with LatinxEd and as a facilitator with UndocuCarolina, Alice advocates for undocumented youth in their pursuit of higher education. Previously, she worked as a high school physics teacher in GA and NC, and in undergraduate admissions at Duke University. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Duke University and her Master of Arts in Education from Wake Forest University.
Cristina España
Cristina España, a Guatemalan born in Costa Rica, is Governor Roy Cooper’s Office Deputy Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Leading efforts for New Americans’ inclusion, as the first appointed for this purpose, representing North Carolina at the Office of New Americans National Network. Cristina helped establish the DEI Interagency Working Group and co-founded the Statewide Municipality Working Group, supports the cabinet DEI Leads, the Governor’s Advisory Council for Hispanic-Latino Affairs, and serves on local and nationwide inclusion boards and commissions. Cristina was a Guatemalan diplomat for 12 years, opening the Consulate in Raleigh with the Consul General, leading in Atlanta the Protection Department, and interning at the Embassy in Madrid for Cultural Affairs. She holds a master’s degree in Neuromarketing and a bachelor’s in advertising from the University Latina of Costa Rica. She also has formal studies in Fine and Contemporary Arts from Guatemala, Costa Rica, California, and the European University in Madrid. Art is part of her family’s daily life, with her husband Nathanael Sperger, and their children, Isabella and Olivia. Her art has been displayed at the NC Museum of Art, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts, and the Museum of History. Cristina is a 40-under-40 Triangle Business Journal 2023 list award winner.
Nekita Eubanks – Panelist Moderator
Nekita Eubanks currently serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. She is a member of the President’s Cabinet and is charged with leading the college’s Human Resources strategies and people programs. In addition to building rapport and creating collaborative partnerships across the college, Nekita provides essential operations to assist the college in determining various organizational issues. Nekita has 20 years of human resources experience, ten years in the private industry, and ten years in the public sector. She holds a master’s degree in human resources management from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in human relations from High Point University along with Civil Rights Investigations and 504 Coordination certifications from ATIXA and various certifications in employee behavior. Nekita is also a recent graduate from a three-year college administration program with the College Business Management Institute. She also serves as Director at Large for the North Carolina University Professional Association for Human Resources, representing all 58 of the state’s community colleges.
Cindy Fink
Cindy Fink has served as the Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Rowan since 2017. She is the President of the Salisbury Rotary Club and serves on the DEI Committee. Cindy graduated from Salisbury High School and UNC-Chapel Hill. She earned her MBA at the Bryan School of Business at UNC-Greensboro.
Hunter Fisher
Hunter Fisher is a native of Rowan County and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hunter serves as an owner and Vice President of Human Resources and Benefits Sales at his family-owned and operated Fisher Greene Walker Hill Insurance Agency.
Jonathan Hoffman
Jonathan Hoffman currently resides in Salisbury, NC, in an old Victorian house with his wife and five cats. Jonathan is a full-time instructor in the Department of Art & Design at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.
Jonathan received his Bachelor’s degree from Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ, and his Master’s degree from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.
Jonathan is a representational artist whose work is primarily photo-based, often focusing on old and damaged images.
Dr. Timogi Jackson
Dr. Timogi is an Empowerment Strategist with three decades of corporate leadership and higher education experience combined. As the owner of Create & Facilitate, LLC a Customized Training Solutions Agency through R&D her team creates and delivers industry specific research-based training for government, nonprofit, higher ed, and corporate agencies. Her services a include leadership retreat facilitation and employee mediation services helping organizations keep good employees experiencing workplace conflict. As a keynote speaker she has graced stages from prisons to Harvard. Dr. Timogi is the author of 12 books and writing.
Keisha Jones
Keisha is a passionate advocate for students and their holistic development, with a strong focus on promoting inclusivity and student success. With over 18 years of experience in higher education, she has made a significant impact at both four-year institutions like NC A&T State University and Georgia State, as well as two-year colleges like GTCC and DDCC.
Currently, Keisha holds the position of Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer. In this capacity, she serves as the Chief Student Services Officer, providing strategic leadership to all departments within the Student Affairs division. Her dedication to social justice and equity is demonstrated through her active involvement at Davidson-Davie Community College, where she co-chairs the Davidson-Davie Equity Steering Committee and the Equity Professional Development Sub-Committee. Her goal is to contribute to Davidson-Davie’s aspiration of becoming an equity-minded college.
Keisha’s commitment to student success and community impact extends beyond her role at Davidson-Davie. She is actively engaged in various committees and advisory boards within the NC Community College System and the broader community. Her leadership roles also shine through, notably as the President of the Central NC Chapter of the National Council on Black American Affairs.
In addition to her professional roles, Keisha dedicates a significant portion of her time to the NC Community College system. She serves as the Director of Equity for the NC Student Success Center, where she provides invaluable professional development and support to all 58 community colleges in the state, focusing on matters related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
Hailing from Greensboro, NC, Keisha is a proud graduate of NC A&T State University, holding degrees in Political Science (BA) and Community Agency Counseling (MS). Beyond her impressive career, she takes pride in being the devoted mother of a 22-year-old son.
Leah Kyaio
Leah is the CEO of With Respect LLC where they tackle Diversity Repair & Recovery. She works with high performing leaders of organizations that haven’t gotten the desired outcomes from their diversity initiatives. Whether it’s that the initiative did nothing, did less than expected, or resulted in divisiveness or violence, Leah meets people where they are and takes them on an important adventure, providing the tools and skills to repair the system and move things forward, getting back on track to justice and dignity.
As a diversity professional, Leah has served as speaker, facilitator, coach, and consultant for over 25 years. She provides humor, engagement, and the art of integrating what you learn into everyday life. She sees every day as an adventure and every learning opportunity the chance to dive in with curiosity and authenticity. After all, if you can’t have fun, why bother?
Anne Little
Anne Little is Salisbury’s inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). She was promoted in November 2021 to provide staff oversight at the executive level for the coordination of DEI programs across all city departments.
She previously served as the City’s Human Relations Manager where she led community affairs programming and directed activities to maintain and improve community relations. She played a key role in many City initiatives and community events. Little also spearheads the City’s involvement in national human rights organizations including the Government Alliance on Racial Equity (GARE) and North Carolina State Human Relations Commissions.
Prior to her position with the City, Little served as an adjunct instructor and coordinator of community education centers for Davidson County Community College (DCCC) in Lexington. Anne has held positions with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Winston-Salem State University and Livingstone College and served as a consultant with various government, public affairs and social concerns groups.
Ms. Little’s leadership and service includes, but is not limited to, serving as Secretary of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Human Rights Workers (NC-NAHRW). Additionally, she also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels Rowan and previously with the Little Rock Community Development Corporation.
A Salisbury native, Ms. Little is a graduate of Livingstone College. Her professional involvement in DEI, civil and human rights includes extensive coursework, training sessions and conferences on Implicit Bias, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, Leadership Development, Human Relations and Fair Housing through organizations including North Carolina School of Government, Government Alliance on Racial Equity (GARE), International Association of Human Rights Workers (IAOHRA), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development North Carolina State Human Relations Office and North Carolina Chapter of National Human Rights Workers (NC NAHRW).
Mayor Barbra A. Mallett
Barbara A. Mallett is a native of Morganton, NC. Where she went to Olive Hill High School. She had a big family. Her dad, Robert H. Avery, who was the second of 10 children, served in World War 11 and came home to work at SGI Carbon. Her mother, Annie Mae Kanipes Avery, was the oldest of 11 children and a nursing assistant at Broughton Hospital in Morganton.
They were the proud parents of eight and Mallett is the second eldest.
Mallett has lived in East Spencer since 1976. But prior to that, she, and her husband Garry -they have been married 57 years and spent 15 years in Brooklyn, New York.
Mallett is currently attending Livingstone College to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion. She holds an Associate Degree in Accounting from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Shaw University.
Her work experience includes serving as the Town Clerk and Finance Officer for East Spencer from 1980-2000. Barbara served on the East Spencer Board of Aldermen from 2005-2009. She was Elected Mayor in 2011- 2021 at the end of this term she will hold the title of the longest serving mayor in East Spencer’s history at 12 years. She is current seeking re-election in November 7, 2023.
Barbara is a faithful, servant leader at Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion Church in East Spencer, where she serves in many capacities including class leader, deaconess, previous president of The Lay Council, Chairman of Trustee board, a Life Member of the WH & OM Society, co-chairman of the kitchen committee and local secretary of the WH & OM Supply department. Barbara attends weekly Sunday school and Power Hour sessions when in session.
In the Salisbury-Rowan Community, Barbara is a member of the:
- Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation Board of Directors
- Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Board of Directors
- Rowan County Nursing Home Advisory Board
- Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Patient Advisory Council
- Chairman of the Salisbury Transportation Advisory Board
- Smart Start of Rowan Board Member Allocations
- Salisbury Rowan Community Action Agency Council Board Member
- State Employees Credit Union Advisory Board Member
The five best words to describe East Spencer is Tenacious, Resourceful, Open to Partners, Diverse, and Focused
I am proud of what our administration and Board of Alderman have accomplished: the purchase of new police and fire equipment of $500 thousand paid in full, the sale and repurpose of land in the town to spur redevelopment of homes and businesses, redevelopment of Royal Giants Park, $850 thousand with the help of State Grants and community support, preparation of the I-85 Corridor Development Plan at Exit 79 for economic development, water and sewer improvements with the help of a State Grant of $23 Million dollars, especially the loop line on Choate Rd. which was born out of the necessity for water during the Dunbar School fire. Also, improvements in housing and town facilities.
Likewise, some of the challenges the town has ahead of it bringing investments and consumer services into town, getting a new I-85 interchange at Correll Street and McCanless Road, securing the town’s future through voluntary annexation and development of ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction) area and building our tax base.
Despite her busy schedule and civic involvement, Barbara still manages to be loving, Wife to Gary, her husband of 57 years; mother to her daughters; Crystal Mallett and Tarsha Mallett, as well as grandmother to Amber Carter and Cameron Mallett, great-granddaughter Zanylah. Daily meditation is an essential part of Barbara’s life. She is confident that reading the bible and prayer every morning helps her stay focused.
Dr. TRACY MANCINI
Dr. Tracy Mancini became the sixth president of Carteret Community College on June 1, 2020, after having served as the College’s chief academic and student services officer and SACSCOC accreditation liaison for four years.
Having begun her community college career as an adjunct English instructor at Durham Technical Community College in 1994, Dr. Mancini later taught English, Humanities, and Religion there full-time until 2016. She also served as chair of the English & Communications discipline and dean of Arts, Sciences, & University Transfer. She is a past president of the statewide College Transfer Program Association and past co-chair of the Transfer Advisory Committee, which is charged with interpreting and enforcing the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the NC Community College System and the UNC System.
She is a member and club service coordinator of the Beaufort Ole Towne Rotary.
In 2006-2007, Dr. Mancini participated in the Emerging Leaders Programme, jointly sponsored by the Terry Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and the Graduate Business School of the University of Cape Town, South Africa. As a result of her participation, which brought her twice to Cape Town, South Africa, she is a Life Fellow of the Centres for Leadership and Public Values established by these two institutions.
Dr. Mancini earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the College of William and Mary. Her graduate degrees include a Master of Arts in English from the University of North Florida, a Master of Theological Studies from Duke University, and a Doctor of Education in Community College Executive Leadership from Wingate University.
Born in northeast Philadelphia and raised in Vineland, New Jersey, she has lived in North Carolina since 1993. Dr. Mancini and her husband, Norris Cotton, reside in Beaufort and enjoy books and movies, kayaking, gardening, keeping up with their children and grandfriends, and doting on their dogs, Mudge and Buddy.
Steve Maynor
The academic year 2023-2024 is my third year as a full-time communication instructor at Davidson-Davie Community College in Thomasville, NC. I spent the 2020-2021 academic year as a full-time communication instructor at Coastal Carolina Community College. I have also been an adjunct instructor at Craven Community College in New Bern, NC, and Park University, Parkville, MO. I have taught a combination of seated, blended/hybrid, and online classes and facilitated the following undergraduate courses: Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Introduction to Human Communication. Personally, I am a retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant (E9). Over the course of my 23-plus years in the Corps, I served as a Drill Instructor, Senior Drill Instructor, Series Gunnery Sergeant, Assistant Marine Officer Instructor for the NROTC at the University of South Florida, and the Maintenance Data Specialist Chief at 2dMaw ALD, MCAS Cherry Point, NC. I am married to a Registered Nurse (BSN), the father of four daughters (ages 25, 23, 23, & 21), and the grandfather of 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. My hometown is Folkston, Ga, with a population of about 5,000 people, tucked away near the Okefenokee Swamp in the state’s southeastern corner. In my leisure time, I love to play dominoes, BBQ/smoke meat, read books, & newspaper articles, and watch documentaries. My wife and I currently reside in Greensboro, NC.
Jairo (Hi-rrow) McMican
Jairo (Hi-rrow) is the associate director of equity initiatives at Achieving the Dream. He has spent the last 17+ years working in higher education. Jairo currently serves on the NACADA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Advisory Board and AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management editorial board. He was also appointed by the governor to serve as the vice chair on the North Carolina Education and Workforce Initiatives Commission. Jairo is currently working on his Ed.D. in Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University. He earned a Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
Mirella Cisneros Perez
Mirella Cisneros Perez is the Fellowship Manager at LatinxEd. In this role, she has helped to build a trusted network of Latinx education leaders with a shared vision and desire to work together to create a more inclusive and equitable education system in North Carolina. Her focus in working with the Latinx community stems from her personal experiences growing undocumented, attending the public school system, and working as a teacher in Durham Public Schools. Mirella attended Elon University as an Odyssey Scholar and Teaching Fellow. At Elon, she majored in Middle Grades Education with a concentration in Mathematics and minored in Poverty and Social Justice, and Environmental Education. During her time at Elon, she made it a priority to work with organizations that advocated for social justice and access to higher education. She had the opportunity to work with Student U, Elon Academy, and The Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education. Her mission is to help create educational equity for Latinx families and students by providing resources for schools and educators that address the needs of this community.
Calista Phair
Calista has nearly two decades of experience specializing in Human Capital. Her niche for Talent Consulting, Training & Development, and Recruitment Strategies, is evident in her Making Magic for businesses to connect and keep the best talent. She is known as your Talent Fairy Godmother and has worked in Talent Acquisition and recruited for Amazon, UMPC, Wells Fargo, Departments of Defense, and the Coca-Cola, just to name a few. As a result, increase recruitment of highly qualified diverse candidates by over 600%, with a 99% placement rate.
Dr. Paula Roberson
Born, raised, and educated in Paterson, New Jersey, Dr. Roberson is currently the Founding Director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) at Hudson County Community College. She has over 35 years of experience in the K-16 educational field as a teacher, faculty member, principal, Chief School Administrator, Executive Assistant to the President, Assessment Coordinator, and Director. Dr. Roberson received her undergraduate degrees from Ramapo College of New Jersey, and William Paterson University. Additionally, she earned her Master of Educational, Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University, and her doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Educational Leadership. Dr. Roberson continuously infuses social and racial justice programming into professional development offerings for faculty by faculty, and external professional development in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has completed the Bravely Confronting Racism in Higher Education certificate course at Harvard and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate course by Cornell University. Dr. Roberson believes that every person can empower underrepresented and marginalized people by unapologetically using their personal and professional influence, actions, and power for the good of humankind.
Dr. Cathy Sandeen
Cathy Sandeen, Ph.D., MBA is an educational leader who is committed to continuing Cal State East Bay’s momentum in students’ social mobility, social justice and sustainability. As a two-time alumna of the California State University, she feels fortunate to work in a system that emphasizes access and opportunity.
For more than 60 years, Cal State East Bay has provided access to higher education for a diverse student body and advancing regional engagement through its academic programs and leadership. More than 60 percent of Cal State East Bay’s student body are the first in their families to go to college, and the university is recognized nationally for its diversity and impact on social mobility.
Prior to returning to her hometown in the East Bay, Sandeen was chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage from September 2018-December 2020, and chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and UW-Extension for four years. Previously, as vice president for education attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education, she led ACE’s nationwide effort to increase post-secondary educational attainment.
She also held leadership positions in the University of California system including at UCLA, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.
Sandeen earned a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She was named an American Council on Education Fellow in 2010-11.
A prolific writer and speaker, Sandeen has published and presented widely on the issues surrounding educational innovation and nontraditional students.
Dr. Pamela Gibson Senegal
Dr. Pamela Gibson Senegal has served as president of Piedmont Community College since 2017. She completed the Aspen New President’s Leadership Fellowship program for 2020-21.
She is a lifelong educator who is committed to ensuring that educational opportunities are available to all communities. With more than 22 years of experience in both industry and education, she brings strengths in economic development and partnership creation.
Her dedication to public service is seen in her volunteer work on various boards (UNC Chapel Hill World View Council of Advisors, NC Campus Engagement, Person Memorial Foundation, Roxboro Savings Bank, Person and Caswell Economic Development Boards), membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Boy Scouts of America and in her church.
Senegal earned degrees in Political Science and Spanish (Bachelor’s), Public Administration (Master’s) and Adult and Community College Education (Doctorate of Education) from North Carolina State University.
Senegal has three sons, two of whom are Eagle Scouts, graduates of Hampton University and Winston Salem State University, both gainfully employed, and one who is an 11th grader at Piedmont Community College’s Person Early College for Innovation and Leadership (PECIL).
Melissa Singler
Melissa Singler currently serves as the 6th President and 1st American Indian President of Robeson Community College.
Ms. Singler has a unique understanding of student success and advocacy based on her personal journey that led her from high school dropout to Community College President, with many stops and starts along the way.
Prior to joining RCC, she served as a Community College Executive Vice President. She has extensive experience in leading, organizing, facilitating, and evaluating the academics and operations of higher education. She values the importance of understanding unique organizational cultures and working collaboratively to move initiatives forward in equitable and innovative ways. She is an advocate for community college access, student success and workforce development.
In addition to her experience in higher education, Ms. Singler holds a wealth of corporate experience. Earlier in her career, she served as assistant vice president for United Carolina Bank, as vice president for First Citizens Bank, and as a teacher and assistant principal for Columbus County Schools.
Ms. Singler holds a Master’s Degree in School Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Middle Grades Education, both from UNC-Wilmington.
Ken Stern
Ken S. Stern is the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate.
Mr. Stern is an award-winning author and attorney and was most recently executive director of the Justus & Karin Rosenberg Foundation. Before that, he was director of the division on antisemitism and extremism at the American Jewish Committee, where he worked for 25 years.
Mr. Stern’s op-eds and book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and elsewhere. Mr. Stern has appeared on the CBS Evening News, Dateline, Good Morning America, Face the Nation, the History Channel, PBS, and many other television and radio programs, including National Public Radio’s Fresh Air and All Things Considered, and WNYC’s On the Media.
He has argued before the United States Supreme Court, testified before Congress (as well as before committees of parliamentarians in Canada and the U.K.), was an invited presenter at the White House Conference on Hate Crimes, and served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Stockholm Forum on Combating Intolerance.
Mr. Stern’s report on the militia movement released 10 days before the Oklahoma City bombing, predicted attacks on the government, and the covering memo to the report said such attacks might occur on April 19, 1995, the anniversary of the deaths of members of the Branch Davidian sect. Mr. Stern’s report was called “prescient,” and his resulting book—A Force Upon the Plain: The American Militia Movement and the Politics of Hate—was nominated for the National Book Award. (Links to his other reports and monographs can be found here.)
Mr. Stern was the lead drafter of the “working definition” of antisemitism. He was also an integral part of the defense team in the historic London Holocaust denial case of David Irving vs. Deborah Lipstadt. Mr. Stern was also defense counsel for Dennis Banks, cofounder of the American Indian Movement (chronicled in his award-winning book Loud Hawk: The United States vs. The American Indian Movement).
His newest book, The Conflict Over the Conflict: The Israel/Palestine Campus Debate (New Jewish Press, 2020), has been called a “must read,” “thoughtful and provocative,” a “gift,” a “rare and uncompromising testament to free expression” and a “blueprint for how to navigate the ‘conflict over the conflict’ on campus.” Its first chapter is entitled “Thinking about Thinking,” and draws from hate studies to explain how our thinking changes when our identity is tethered to an issue of perceived justice or injustice.
“Hatred has always been part of the human condition,” Stern said at his appointment as director of BCSH. “It is too little understood but is a matter of increasing global urgency. The long-term goal is to make BCSH a central address for anyone—students, scholars, NGOs, and others—who want to understand this vexing question better, including what works best to control or curtail it.”
Mary Williams-Stover
Mary Williams-Stover is a servant leader with 20+ years of experience in advocacy, communications and non-profit management. She has served as Executive Director, NC Council for Women & Youth Involvement, a statewide advocacy agency within the NC Department of Administration. Currently she is serving as Equity-Centered Policy Manager with The Center for Black Health & Equity, a national non-profit organization based in Durham, NC that is committed to assisting communities to expand their capacity and skills to eliminate systemic racism and barriers that affect health outcomes. In this role she is managing grant-funded health policy initiatives with community based organizations in New Orleans, LA and Detroit, MI. Additionally, Mary currently serves as a member of the NC Coalition on Aging (NCCOA), and chairs the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Workgroup. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and a member of Grace Bible Fellowship in Cary, NC where she lives with her husband.
Dr. Greg Wiggan
Dr. Greg Wiggan is a Professor of Urban Education, Adjunct Professor of Sociology, and affiliate faculty member of Africana Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
He is an international scholar and a national award-nominated author, scholar, researcher, public speaker, and educational consultant whose research examines the intersections between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and school effects that promote high achievement in urban and other minoritized students. Dr. Wiggan has an impressive university, state, and nationally-recognized record of leadership and achievement in Multicultural Education, Urban Education and Diversity & Inclusion, Globalization, and Internalization and has attended conferences, published extensively (including publications with doctoral students), conducted campus workshops, and has written and presented papers and presentations in related areas.
These related areas include, but are not limited to: social justice, diversity, race, urban school partnerships, culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum development, and race and representation within immigrant communities. All of these scholarly activities have been found to be strategic components related to advancing multicultural education, diversity and inclusion in the field of education. Experts in Multicultural Education must be purveyors of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it is the foundation for the education of all students, as well as those who serve them. Dr. Wiggan’s work centers on the concept of diversity which provides a backdrop for his work to support DEI initiatives in his classroom, within his scholarly presentations and publications, and in colleges and universities with the intent to disrupt the structures of power that may lead to negative experiences for faculty of color. Dr. Wiggan has completed more than 100 publications, including over 30 education books, which appear in more than 70 countries and over 6,000 college and university libraries (WorldCat, 2023), and his book, Dreaming of a Place Called Home: Local and International Perspectives on Teacher Education and School Diversity, has been translated into German (WorldCat, 2023). Most recently, Dr. Wiggan was awarded the 2023 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Carlos J. Vallejo Memorial Award in the category of Multicultural /Multiethnic Education: Theory, Research, and Practice, and he is co-author of the 2023 book, Unbleaching the Curriculum: Enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Beyond in Schools and Society.
For more information about Dr. Wiggan, please visit: Professor of Urban Education and DEI Scholar, School Webpage, and his
personal webpage that highlights his recent books: