Introducing the Leadership Triangle Executive 2023 Goodmon Fellows
The Leadership Triangle Executive Program provides a 5-month opportunity for C-level executives to meet and learn from other top executives as well as community leaders. Our cohorts include executives who are new to the region, or in new positions, alongside individuals who have been building and working in the Triangle for decades.
By engaging in conversations that address key regional issues, each participant leaves with a better understanding of their greater responsibility to the Triangle region as well as with new connections to other leaders in comparable positions.
Please join us in celebrating our 2023 Executive Graduates!
Aaron Nelson, IOM, President & CEO, The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Aaron Nelson has served as the President and CEO since 2001. In his role at the Chamber, Aaron serves a membership network of more than 600 enterprises employing more than 95,000 people throughout the Research Triangle region. Aaron is also Executive Director for the Chamber’s economic and community development affiliate, the Partnership for a Sustainable Community. Prior to the Chamber, Aaron worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as their Coordinator of Local Relations. A Leadership Chapel Hill-Carrboro Fellow and a Ford Foundation Fellow for Regional Sustainable Development, Aaron has deep roots in and a commitment to his community. Aaron has served on the Board of Directors of more than 25 local, state, and national organizations and currently serves as the Chair of the national Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy which he cofounded in 2011. A national and international speaker on economic and community development strategy, Aaron is most animated by local and regional collaboration that helps keep the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community one of the best places in the world to live, work, play, and raise a family. A 1997 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Philosophy, Aaron also served as the elected student body president. Aaron leaps at each day enjoying all Greater Chapel Hill has to offer with his wife, Sonja, and their children, Maxwell and Atlee.
Amy E. Carroll, TradeMark Properties, President/Principal. As President of TradeMark Properties, Amy leads the company’s mission to help our clients realize their real estate goals. With over 17 years of commercial real estate experience in Raleigh and real estate experience in other sectors prior to, Amy oversees TradeMark’s strategic goals and is responsible for their execution. Amy began her real estate career in multi-family and residential before transitioning to commercial, giving her a unique perspective and well-rounded approach to each asset class. Amy is involved in several industry organizations. She served as the Past-President of BOMA Raleigh-Durham and is an active member of the Band Together Community Advisory Board, the Frankie Lemmon School Development Committee, and the Raleigh Chamber Women’s Leadership Conference Task Force. She is a member of Triangle CREW, IREM, Broads, Queens Club, among other professional networking groups. Amy is actively involved in local fundraising most recently focused on the Frankie Lemmon School, Me Fine Foundation, Dress for Success, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Wake SPCA, and the No Woman, No Girl Initiative.
Angelique Stallings.
Camille Berry.
Dr. Catherine Edmonds, North Carolina Central University, Chief of Staff. Dr. Catherine Edmonds has served as the chief of staff at North Carolina Central University since May 1, 2022. In her role, Dr. Edmonds advises, supports, coordinates and collaborates on initiatives for NCCU’s Chancellor Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye. She provides leadership and direction for change management initiatives, project management and program development on behalf of Chancellor Akinleye, as well as plans and directs all administrative, financial and operational activities for the Office of the Chancellor. Dr. Edmonds works with and serves on NCCU’s Executive Leadership team and represents Chancellor Akinleye in select internal and external interactions with staff, faculty, committees, government representatives and community leaders. A distinguished leader, Dr. Edmonds has over 30 years of experience in North Carolina, including numerous leadership roles in primary, secondary, and higher education. Previously, Dr. Edmonds served as deputy state superintendent for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In this senior leadership position, she worked closely with the State Superintendent and the senior leadership team. She led and partnered with relevant stakeholders to ensure the public education system was positioned to achieve equitable academic outcomes for all students in North Carolina. Dr. Edmonds earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from North Carolina A&T State University, a Master of School Administration in Educational Leadership from North Carolina State University and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from North Carolina State University.
Chad Cygan, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Instructor of Music, Faculty Senate President and Trustee. As a music instructor, Faculty Senate President and as a trustee of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Chad leads faculty members on both the Durham and Morganton campuses and advocates for the institution as a member of the UNC Faculty Assembly. He teaches courses in music and technology through interdisciplinary formats. Chad has a unique perspective on the needs of science, mathematics, engineering and computer science and humanities at NCSSM and with regard to educational equity across the state of North Carolina. Chad is involved with the North Carolina Music Educators Association, the American Guild of Musical Artists, Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance, American Choral Directors Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing and many others. In his professional performance capacity, he has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, Opera San Jose, the Oratorio Society of New York and the Raleigh Little Theatre. Chad has served as a faculty member and institutional leader at Ohlone College and the Juilliard School and is an advocate for arts organizations across the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Juilliard School and is a doctoral candidate in music performance at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Charleita M. Richardson, CEO, Durham Children’s Initiative. Charleita M. Richardson was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI) in October 2022. She is responsible for leading DCI in expanding its vision while maintaining its roots to the community. Additionally, her expertise in administration and programs will help build out the organization’s collective impact model. Before joining DCI, Charleita served as the Executive Director of the Florida College Access Network (FCAN) where she was responsible for the operations and management of this social impact organization committed to boosting educational opportunity and success beyond high school. In addition to leading FCAN, Charleita served as Director of Programs and then President & CEO at Partnership for the Future (PFF), a college access and success service provider in Richmond, VA. Charleita was responsible for designing and implementing program curriculum that targeted the areas of college preparation, critical thinking, community service, and workforce development. Additionally, through visioning, she grew PFF’s donor and volunteer bases exponentially and led the organization to win various awards and national recognition. Prior to entering the not-for-profit space, Charleita worked in Corporate America in finance and in local government community programs. Charleita holds a B.A. in Accounting from Randolph-Macon College. She also holds an MBA in Management and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management. In addition to her educational endeavors, Charleita has dedicated her time to community involvement because she believes in the scripture that states “to whom much is given, much is required.” She has served on Randolph-Macon College’s Society of Alumni, Randolph-Macon’s Racial Equity and Opportunity Commission, the Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital Community Advisory Board, the SwimRVA Board of Directors, and the inaugural board of RVA CDC. She is also a graduate of the Leadership Metro Richmond Class of 2008, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a member of The Links, Incorporated. Over the years, Charleita has earned numerous awards, to include the National Emerging Leader award from INROADS, Inc, metropolitan Richmond’s Top 40 under 40, and the Stettinius Fund for Nonprofit Leadership Award. As a graduate of Richmond Public Schools, Charleita was proud to be named a Richmond Public Schools Living Legacy in 2016 and later that year earning the UN Sustainable Goals Quality Education Award. By 2019, Charleita was named a Richmond History Maker and a Richmond Times Dispatch Person of the Year Honoree. She also earned the Nonprofit Executive of the Year Award from Randolph-Macon College in 2022.
Daniel Ennis, Duke University, Executive Vice President. As executive vice president, Daniel Ennis oversees Duke’s administrative and financial affairs. Ennis joined Duke’s leadership team in December, 2020 and has responsibility for finance and treasury, human resources, information technology, facilities, operations, Sustainable Duke, Duke Forest, Duke Campus Farm, and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Prior to this appointment, Ennis served as senior vice president for finance and administration at Johns Hopkins where he led a number of innovative initiatives to strengthen the finances of the university which resulted in significant growth in its cash and net assets. He also helped enhance the university’s benefit programs through meaningful investments in child care facilities and vouchers and established birth recovery and parental leave policies. Before joining Johns Hopkins, Ennis was executive dean for administration at Harvard Medical School. He previously served as Harvard University’s associate vice president for finance and financial planning, interim director of treasury management and director of budgets, financial planning and institutional research. Ennis began his career as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co. and worked at McKinsey and Co. as a consultant, where he led a strategic review of Harvard’s central administration that resulted in a number of significant organizational changes. Ennis is a 1992 graduate of Boston College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. In 1998, he earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Ebony Pittman.
Emily Crawford, Vice President, US Strategic Sales, Alteryx. Emily Crawford is the Vice President of US Strategic Sales at Alteryx. In this role, Emily is responsible for topline revenue growth across 500 of the largest global customers headquartered throughout the US. Emily’s team drives account strategy, customer satisfaction, and business alignment with these clients in the areas of analytics, data democratization, and process automation. Prior to Alteryx, Emily spent 16 years at Cisco leading sales teams across the country. She has a proven track record of producing results and increasing customer intimacy by driving change with balanced risk. Her approach includes an emphasis on alignment with customer business goals to improve business outcomes. Her strength in leading global teams and coaching sales professionals has contributed to her teams’ success. Emily’s sales career began at Sun Microsystems after graduating Summa cum Laude from Duke University. She has worked with customers across many industry verticals and locations including New York City, Chicago, Raleigh, and San Jose, CA. Emily also completed her MBA at Columbia University in New York.
Everett McElveen, CASA, CEO. Mr. McElveen assumed the role of CEO at CASA in November 2021. CASA firmly believes that the key to addressing homelessness is through providing housing solutions. As CEO, Everett oversees the operations of 570 apartment units and leads the development and preservation of affordable housing across the triangle region. With over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience encompassing housing, homelessness, employment, healthcare, and food security, Everett brings a wealth of expertise to his role. For the past 17 years, he served in Pittsburgh, where he most recently held the position of CEO at Community Human Services (CHS). Under his leadership, CHS managed a budget of over $13 million and maintained a staff of 130 dedicated professionals. Prior to that, he served as President and CEO of Life’s Work of Western Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization focused on providing employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and other barriers to employment. Everett holds a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University. In addition to his role at CASA, he actively contributes to the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Team and serves on the City of Raleigh Affordable Housing Bond Executive Subcommittee.
Ilina Ewen.
Kellan Moore, President and CEO, John Rex Endowment Kellan became the second President and CEO of the John Rex Endowment in August 2017. Prior to the John Rex Endowment, she was the executive director of Care Share Health Alliance, a statewide organization in North Carolina improving access to care for low-income uninsured people. She has 25 years of experience working in nonprofit organizations. Her philanthropic experience also includes positions as a program officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and supervisor of corporate giving at Progress Energy. Kellan earned a Bachelor of Science from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is the 2010 recipient of the Jacob Koomen Public Health Practice Award presented by the faculty of UNC’s Department of Health Policy and Management. Kellan lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. When she is not working, she enjoys traveling, walking, reading, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family and friends.
Kelly Rowell, Council for Entrepreneurial Development, CED, CEO. Kelly leads a regional organization established in 1984 with the mission to connect entrepreneurial companies to high value resources that accelerate business growth. Rowell joined CED in 2017 and has a diverse background in the social/civic/nonprofit space leading teams and improving organizational capacity. As an accomplished executive, she offers 20 years of experience using aspects of both systems and design thinking to develop innovative solutions for mature organizations. Her past successes are most noted by her abilities to align strategy with value to drive towards maximum impact. Rowell has a B.A. in Marketing, Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and a Certified Fund Raising Executive. She is drawn to the entrepreneurial community by her personal alignment with its defining characteristics. In that, she is a continual learner who believes evolution is key to personal and professional success.
Kevin G. Sullivan,The Shaw University, VP for Real Estate and Strategic Development. Kevin is responsible for developing and implementing the strategic, financial, operational, and project plans for the acquisition, operation, and management of the University’s real estate portfolio. He is leading the university’s efforts, in conjunction with the City and the local SE Raleigh community, to redevelop and reimagine Shaw’s campus in downtown Raleigh. Mr. Sullivan received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Northern Illinois University, his Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law. Kevin lives in Raleigh with his wife, Michele and his dog, Tucker. Kevin spends most of his free time driving around looking for new whiskey distilleries.
Kristen Robinson Darcy.
Matt Gregory, Senior Vice President & Chief Customer Officer, The Clorox Company. Matt Gregory is senior vice president and chief customer officer of The Clorox Company, responsible for the global sales function. He assumed this role and joined the Clorox Executive Committee in October 2021. Previously, Gregory served as general manager of Health and Beauty, providing executive oversight of the company’s personal care and vitamins, minerals and supplements businesses. Before that, he was vice president and general manager — Burt’s Bees. Other leadership positions he has held include vice president and general manager — Kingsford; vice president of sales — Specialty Division; director of sales — Walmart U.S.; and director of sales — Cleaning Division. His career at Clorox began in 2004, when he joined the sales organization. Prior to joining Clorox, Gregory worked at The Procter & Gamble Company and held several positions in sales management as well as market strategy and planning during his eight-year tenure. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is a former member of the board of directors of the Natural Products Association. Gregory received his undergraduate degree in economics from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Neal Darcy.
Nicole Reaves, Wake Technical Community College, Executive Vice President and Chief Programs Officer. Nicole Reaves serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Programs Officer at Wake Technical Community College. Nicole has over 28 years of experience in higher education and has served in a variety of academic and leadership positions. She is committed to transforming lives through education by intentionally developing and implementing strategies that support student learning and success and ultimately improving economic mobility, especially for underserved communities. She leads an extensive portfolio at Wake Technical Community College that includes academic affairs, student affairs, workforce and continuing education, and institutional effectiveness and innovation. Wake Technical Community College is the largest community college in the state of North Carolina serving over 70,000 students. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in Community Health from East Carolina University and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University. Nicole lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. When she is not working, she enjoys traveling, reading, musicals and plays, and spending time with family and friends.
Sarah Gaskill, Head of External Relations, North Carolina, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Sarah has more than 15 years of experience connecting people to people, people to resources and people to opportunities. As the Head of External Relations for North Carolina Sarah is responsible for developing the strategy and programs designed to favorably represent FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies’ North Carolina operations and make positive contributions to the community. She is focused on nurturing relationships between the company and employees, external organizations, and our local community. She plays a key role in enabling leadership team members in building relationships throughout the region, while identifying opportunities for partnerships. Sarah is a graduate of Peace College, Raleigh NC (now William Peace University) with a BA in Communications and a concentration in PR and Advertising. Sarah and her husband James are proud to call the Raleigh area home, love to travel and enjoy trying new restaurants around the Triangle.
Todd Ewen.
