Introducing the Spring 2024 Transforming Leaders Goodmon Fellows.
Leadership Triangle is pleased to introduce the 27 graduates of our Spring 2024 Transforming Leaders Program. Each graduate joins the lifelong Goodmon Fellowship, now encompassing 1200+ leaders across the Triangle.
Graduates of the Transforming Leaders program have successfully completed rigorous leadership development curriculum, investing in themselves while learning and growing alongside their cohort members. During the program, Transforming Leaders receive 1:1 leadership coaching, complete a leadership assessment, and complete several assignments to articulate their own leadership philosophy. Please join us in celebrating their significant achievement!
Read about the 2024 Transforming Leaders Goodmon Fellows below. We encourage you to connect with and support each of them.
Azurre Walker-Roberson has been a licensed real estate agent since 2016, and Broker-in-Charge since 2021. She loves helping clients find solutions via innovation, automation and efficiency. These tools help her to exceed expectations as she helps you make one of the biggest decisions of your life. Her background in sales support, and operations spans over 20 years in the telecom, and technology fields. She is always looking for better ways to improve processes, and communication when serving our clientele and their real estate needs.
She is a VERY PROUD mother of 2 boys, and has been married 20 years. She was born and raised in North Carolina, and so were my parents. Which means she knows the real nooks and crannies of this lovely state, and can provide valuable insights during your home journey; whether you’re buying or selling. In her spare time, she loves looking at RV’s to buy, so she can travel the country in glamping luxury! She loves nature walks, maintaining my holistic health, watching westerns, and being an advocate for future homeowners.
Byron Laws is the Training & Capacity Building Manager for Wake County returning to NC Counts Coalition in May 2021. Byron has an educational background in Social Work earning his degree from North Carolina A&T State University in 2011. Less than a month after graduating Byron entered the Advance Standing Program at North Carolina State University where he received his Master of Social Work degree in 2012. As a proud Raleigh native Byron has a passion for helping others regardless of their circumstances. Prior to joining NC Counts Byron spent several years working in youth development with the Boys & Girls Clubs in Eastern North Carolina as well as here in Raleigh. Byron is currently the Chair of the Human Relations Commission with the city of Raleigh, a board member with Raleigh PACT, and the co-founder of What’s The 919: A Raleigh Resource Guide a collective of local leaders committed to bridging the gap between people and the information needed for them to be more informed and engaged citizens.
Brad McMillen is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Data, Research, and Accountability for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Prior to joining WCPSS in 2006, I worked for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in the Division of Accountability Services. I’ve served in leadership positions and on boards for multiple professional organizations related to educational research and assessment, including the North Carolina Association for Research in Education, Directors of Research and Evaluation, the National Forum on Education Statistics, the American Educational Research Association, and the National Council for Measurement in Education. He also volunteers with the Western Wake Crisis Ministry and is currently serving on the Board of the NC State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation.
Emily Bennett specializes in Lifestyle, Brand, Food & Bev, Event, and Portrait photography. With six years of visual storytelling experience in the Digital Marketing space for clients across a variety of disciplines, my goal is to connect with people first and foremost and help them create a more compelling and authentic story through the photos I capture.
Jan Baker, who has been at Learning Together since 2008, is the Senior Director of Education Initiatives and Strategies. Jan oversees the educational operations and processes to identify strategic initiatives that lead to long-term growth and development. Her priority is to ensure that the views of staff, school community and families are considered in the planning and delivery of services. Jan provides leadership and expertise to the organization in the areas of strategic and school improvement planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation. Jan leads the School Leadership Team which includes the Center Director, Director of Special Education, and Director of Family Advocacy.
John Lane is a Raleigh NC based Leadership Consultant. In his career, he has witnessed individual leaders, teams, and even whole companies become stuck. Unable to set and execute a clear direction. This usually occurs during a time of great change and/or stress. Communication skills go awry, and it’s more and more difficult to execute. That’s where John comes in. He helps leaders — and their teams — to discover their unique and powerful personality traits. Then, working together, they translate those into communication styles, preferences, and blind spots. That becomes the foundation of their work together.
Julia Tyler is the Executive Director of Johnson Service Corps, a nonprofit fellowship program for young adults, affectionately described as a “mini monastery”. Julia grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota with a degree in Religious Studies. She directed family ministry programs for Unitarian Universalist congregations in California and in Durham, North Carolina for the last 11 years. Julia has a vocational calling towards spirituality and justice, and believes the two together can heal the world. Julia spent four months solo backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, and plans to return when her son is big enough to carry his own pack.
Karman Kent advocates for transformational student development as the Director of College Counseling at Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill. Originally from Southwest Michigan, Karman studied Sociology, Anthropology, and Religion at Kalamazoo College before moving to North Carolina. Her career started at The Emily Krzyzewski Center with a commitment to educational equity. At UNC-Chapel Hill, she selected and advised scholars through the Morehead-Cain Foundation and completed a graduate assistantship with the Carolina Covenant. Karman completed a master’s degree in higher education administration at The University of Louisville before moving to secondary education. Throughout her career, Karman has enjoyed leveraging collaborative coaching methods to empower others and strategic planning techniques to advance innovative excellence in education.
Katie Battle is a musician, music educator, and the Executive Director for the non-profit organization Musical Empowerment. Originally from Pennsylvania, she studied music education at Susquehanna University and has been a music educator for the last 8 years in schools around Salem, OR and Durham, NC, teaching grades ranging from elementary music to high school band and orchestra. She believes deeply in the importance of music in a child’s life and gets to bring music and mentorship to as many students as possible through her non-profit work.
Katie Swarthout is the Director of Global Talent Development for Loparex, LLC. She has a passion for people and loves to help them realize their potential. She earned a degree in Psychology from George Mason University. She is a proud military brat, and most recently relocated to Raleigh from Northern Virginia in 2021. She is a Gamma Phi Beta, she loves music, theater, photography, travel, animals, and is an avid foodie.
LaTonya Mckoy is a Social Worker with diverse experiences serving disadvantaged, underserved populations. I am from Wilmington, NC, but I have lived and worked in Raleigh for over 20 years. Most of my professional experience involved serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault with InterAct of Wake County. Seven years ago I joined the Resident Services team with DHIC. Today, I lead our Resident Services team, and am responsible for providing supportive services to residents of DHIC’s affordable housing communities.
Lindsey Bickers Bock joined Durham County Public Health in August 2019 with 15 years of experience as a public health practitioner. Her work has focused on implementing community-based primary prevention initiatives, health policies, and environmental change efforts. Lindsey has experience in a variety of health and wellness areas, including reproductive health, employee wellness, physical activity, childhood obesity prevention, breastfeeding, tobacco cessation, LGBTQ+ health, coalition building and grant writing. She has led Durham County’s public education and vaccine scheduling efforts related to COVID-19. Lindsey earned her Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Education at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Rochester, with concentrations in brain & cognitive science and women’s studies. She and her family live in Durham, NC, where she enjoys improvised seasonal cooking, swimming outside year-round, and teaching group strength training classes. She also loves to travel and exploring new places on foot.
Mary Irvine is the Executive Director of North Carolina Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (NC IOLTA), a philanthropic program of the North Carolina State Bar which provides access to justice by funding high-quality legal assistance to North Carolinians in every county. In this role, Mary pursues NC IOLTA’s vision, a North Carolina where all individuals can fairly navigate the justice system to have their basic needs met and rights protected. Working alongside NC IOLTA’s staff team and Board of Trustees, Mary partners with lawyers, financial institutions, and grantee partners in her work. Mary received both her undergraduate degree and her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mary currently serves as the Vice President of the National Association of IOLTA Programs and the co-chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee. Raised outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Mary has called North Carolina home for more than 20 years. Mary and her husband Nick live in Cary with their two young children and their young at heart labradoodle.
Miles Wobbleton is the founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Gen KIND, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds the needs of America’s youth by inspiring a movement of creative generosity, and the owner of Wobbleton Law, PLLC, a law firm that provides concierge legal services. Miles previously practiced law with Mayer Brown LLP and Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, LLP, where he practiced in finance and private equity. Miles is devoted to civic and community service as a member of the Courts Commission at the North Carolina General Assembly as well as through service on the board of directors of Activate Good and Journeymen Triangle, the advisory board of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, and the community board of Band Together NC. Miles is also devoted to professional development, having graduated from Leadership North Carolina, the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership, Leadership Triangle, and Leadership Raleigh. Miles attended Campbell University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he graduated with high honors and was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Nick Neptune is the Director of Outreach and Community Engagement for the Dix Park Conservancy and has been deeply engaged with the civic and cultural life of Raleigh, North Carolina for over a decade. Neptune serves as the Chair of the City of Raleigh’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission; and as a board member with Artsplosure, Diversify Architecture, the Wake Tech Community College Foundation, and the YMCA of the Triangle’s Young Professionals Advisory Board. From 2021–23, Neptune served as the President and Board Chair of Oaks and Spokes, Raleigh’s leading advocacy non-profit advancing safer, all-ages and all-abilities cycling infrastructure in the city. Neptune is a 2023 recipient of the Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Business and Community Leadership Award and the 2022 WakeUP Wake County Stan Norwalk Award for Community Engagement. He was recognized in 2020 for his commitment to public service by Raleigh Magazine’s “30 in their 30s” feature as one who is working “hard for positive change … to make life better for everyone in the city.” A native of North Carolina, Neptune is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with advanced study later completed in Social Innovation and Design with the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design and School of Social Policy and Practice.
Olivia Ecker is currently the Director, People Experience — North America at VitalEdge Technologies. She has professional experience in both Human Resources and Communications within the biopharmaceutical, financial services and technology industries responsible for building and developing HR strategies focused on talent acquisition, employee engagement, organizational culture, performance management, and learning & development in support of inclusive, forward-looking, results-driven global workforces. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York and an MBA from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. Olivia currently serves on the board at Raleigh Metro SHRM, as the President-Elect, and at Activate Good, as the Board Chair. She also volunteers as a Career Coach at Dress for Success NC and a Volunteer Leader at Note in the Pocket. When not working or volunteering, Olivia enjoys visiting local coffee shops, spending time at the beach, and being an aunt to her niece, Kendra, and nephew, Kruz.
Ro Rode is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Museum of Life and Science. Part-time dinosaur enthusiast and lego expert. In my previous lives, I have been an event manager, bartender, orangutan zookeeper, and semi-professional dog walker.
Robyn Kelly is the creative director and co-owner of Loop Creative, a non-profit purpose partner dedicated to spreading missions far and wide through visual and strategic communication. She has a BS degree from the University of Georgia and a FA degree from the Art Institute of Raleigh Durham. She’s from Atlanta Georgia, an avid music enthusiast, dedicated traveler, a Guardian Ad Litem for children in Wake County and passionate animal lover. With a background in education, she brings a wealth of knowledge and empathy to her interactions. Known for her work ethic and compassionate nature, she’s always ready to make things happen.
Ryan Linderman was born and raised in Muskegon, MI and earned his BS in Packaging at Michigan State University. After graduating he accepted a packaging internship at Burt’s Bees Inc and was hired full-time shortly after. As a Packaging Engineer he has worked on cosmetics, personal care, and OTC products in a technical role and then pivoted to a managerial role in 2022. He loves music, the outdoors, and his family.
Shannon Ashford is an educator and facilitator whose passion is to develop and connect individuals in order to create inclusive and equitable environments. She brings more than a decade of experience developing and facilitating educational opportunities focused on diversity, equity, inclusion; leadership and identity development; and intercultural communication. Shannon holds a B.S. in Journalism (Public Relations) from Ohio University and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University.
Shenise Foote serves as Director of Development for Duke School in Durham, North Carolina. She brings a wealth of development experience to the role. Before joining Duke School, she served as the Director of Development of the Horizons-Upward Bound (HUB) program at the prestigious Cranbrook Schools of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. There, she was responsible for HUB’s Board management, annual fund, grants, major gifts, alumni giving and engagement, foundation relations, and strategic partnerships. She also spent time at the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter, and the University of Michigan/Michigan Medicine. Some career highlights include increasing alumni giving and engagement, growing the organization’s culture of philanthropy, and increasing revenue for The Longest Day campaign by 133% year over year, catapulting the chapter’s revenue rank from 18th to 3rd in the country. Shenise is also very proud of the impact she’s had on Diversity, Equity, and Access at her respective organizations.
Shenise graduated from Oakland University Honors College with a B. A. in Communication and a minor in Journalism. She holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate in the workplace from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Shenise is the Charter Vice President of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and served on a number of boards, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Detroit Chapter (AFP GDC); Camp Casey, Farmington, MI; and Southwest Solutions, Detroit, MI. In her board role for AFP GDC, she serves as VP for Inclusion, Diversity, and Access. Under her leadership, Shenise created a CFRE scholarship to help professionals attain or maintain their fundraising credentials and has developed curricula dedicated to advancing inclusion, diversity, and access in fundraising. She now serves on the board for AFP Triangle as the co-chair of IDEA and looks forward to making an impact for local fundraisers.
Tabitha Blackwell is the Executive Director of Book Harvest Durham, where she manages all operations and programming, focusing on scaling existing programs and piloting new initiatives to provide books and literacy support to Durham’s children and families. Previously, Tabitha served as the Director of Networks and Programs at Funders Together To End Homelessness, managing engagement with regional affiliates and developing partnerships with philanthropic organizations. She played a key role in managing networks focused on youth success, employment and housing foundations, and health system funders. With a Master’s degree in Nonprofit and Association Management and a strong commitment to literacy and community development, Tabitha brings over 20 years of extensive experience and a passion for making a positive impact.
Terry Ratliff has over 34 years of media sales/sales management experience across three different markets in two states. He is an effective leader who takes the most pride in the growth and development of everyone he works with directly.
Vic Suter is a Queer Nonbinary artist, advocate and activist who relocated to Orange County in 2022. Vic brings with them lived experience as a community organizer, coalition-builder, and former collective-dweller. Vic designed their Interdisciplinary degree, seeking depth in Decolonial Feminism, Africana Studies, Art and Global Studies. They are steadfast in centering work that is anti-racist, equity-focused, and disruptive to harmful systems rooted in settler colonialism and white supremacy. Vic is passionate about working with individuals and communities impacted by incarceration and has worked both inside prison walls and outside of them to foster supportive community and creative opportunities. At CommunityWorx, Vic utilizes their experiences, education, and passions to further strengthen the relationships fostered through the program they manage, called YouthWorx on Main.
Wambui Gitahi was born in the vibrant city of Nairobi, Kenya. Wambui brings a unique perspective and global flair to her facilitation and project management work. Living and working on different continents has contributed to her agile mindset, exceptional communication skills, and a natural flair for building strong relationships. Her multicultural experiences inform her creative approaches to problem-solving and collaboration.
