42 Upstate leaders selected to become Riley Fellows
FOR INFORMATION:
Claudia Winkler
Director, Marketing and Communications
The Riley Institute at Furman University
864.294.3368; [email protected]
AUGUST 23, 2024 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Participants will take part in the Riley Institute’s award-winning Diversity Leaders Initiative before joining a network of more than 2,800 graduates across the state.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Forty-two leaders from across the Upstate will participate in the Riley Institute’s intensive 5-month Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI), learning the skills and perspectives necessary to leverage diversity in their organizations in ways that drive social and economic progress in South Carolina.
Participants of DLI’s 36th Upstate class were selected through a rigorous application and interview process after being nominated by DLI alumni. They are accepted based on a variety of factors, including their interest in and commitment to the program and their capacity to create impact within their organizations and communities. Each class is crafted to reflect South Carolina’s demographic makeup.
DLI classes are facilitated by expert Juan Johnson, an independent consultant who was The Coca-Cola Company’s first-ever vice president for diversity strategy.
Throughout the fall, the class will engage in intensive discussions and scenario analyses that allow them to openly examine sensitive issues related to diversity and inclusion with fellow leaders, explore “blind spots,” and gain tools to develop strategies within their own organizations.
Class members also work together to develop capstone projects, partnering with nonprofit organizations to respond to real challenges and opportunities in their communities.
Graduates of DLI become Riley Fellows, members of a powerful cross-sector network of over 2,800 South Carolinians that includes corporate CEOs, legislators, superintendents, religious and nonprofit heads, and business and community leaders.
Listed below are the participants of the fall 2024 Upstate DLI class. The full roster of program graduates can be found online.
Sharon Beckett
Manager, Human Resources
BMW Manufacturing
Greer
Shawn Bell
City Administrator
City of Fountain Inn
Fountain Inn
Tor Bennstrom
Executive Director – Wealth & Investment Management
Wells Fargo Advisors
Greenville
Keisha Bentley
STEM Education Specialist
Clemson University
Anderson
Jay Boyd
Senior Vice President for Strategy & Engagement
Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries
Greenwood
Stephanie Boyd
Associate Dean of Student Success and Wellbeing
Furman University
Greenville
Julian Brockman
Section Manager
BMW Manufacturing Company
Greer
Michael Burgess
Director – African American Male Scholars Initiative
Greenville Technical College
Greenville
Todd Chumley
Section Manager
BMW Manufacturing
Greer
Wallace Cobbs
Principal
Greenville County Schools
Greenville
Ginny Cockerill
Director of Institutional Quality
Greenville Technical College
Greenville
Yolanda Crittendon-Jones
Community Advocacy and Government Affairs Coordinator
Public Education Partners
Greenville
Bryant Davis
Chief Diversity Officer
City of Greenville
Greenville
Charlene Doctor
Director of Educator Effectiveness and Organizational Culture
Spartanburg School District Seven
Spartanburg
Jim Ford
Technical Director – Tweel Technologies
Michelin North America
Piedmont
Corey Gheesling
Workforce Development Manager
SC Commission on Higher Education
Columbia
Michael Hammett
Police Lieutenant
Greenville Police Department
Greenville
Bennie Harris
Chancellor
University of South Carolina Upstate
Spartanburg
Martine Helou-Allen
Executive Director
RIZE Prevention, Inc.
Greenville
Matt Irwin
Senior Business Development Manager
Messer Construction Co.
Greenville
Kristin Isgett
Mission Integration Manager
Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands SC
Greenville
Wendell Jones
State Representative
State of South Carolina, House of Representatives
Greenville
Blair Landreneau
Development Partner
Michelin North America
Greenville
Stephen Love
Clergy/Pastor
The United Methodist Church South
Carolina Annual Conference
Beth McMillan
Deputy General Counsel
Nelson Mullins
Greenville
Shelly McMillan
Director of Nursing Operations
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
Spartanburg
Brett Meredith
Material Development and Industrialization Director, North America
Michelin
Greenville
Julie Meredith
Director, Center for Critical Issues
The Riley Institute, Furman University
Greenville
Jamika Nedwards
Director of Mission Impact
United Ministries
Greenville
Marilyn Nguyen
Equity and Inclusion Officer
City of Spartanburg
Spartanburg
LaTonya Phillips
President
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Greenville
Erin Predmore
Executive Director
Greenville Connects
Greenville
Jeannine Rogers
Program Manager
SCRA
Greenville
Kerry Sease
Executive Director
Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, Furman University
Greenville
Michelle Seaver
Regional President
United Community Bank
Greenville
Betsy Sikma
Senior Director, Brand and Communications
Milliken & Company
Spartanburg
Sophia Simmons
Section Manager
BMW Manufacturing
Greer
Amanda Taylor
Regional Director
AT&T
Greenville
Scott Weiskittel
EVP/COO
AnMed
Anderson
JD Whitt
Program Director, Camp Director
Blue Ridge Council, Boy Scouts of America
Greenville
Claudia Winkler
Director, Marketing and Communications
The Riley Institute, Furman University
Greenville
Jason Wolf
Managing Partner
P3 USA Inc.
Greenville
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About the Riley Institute at Furman University
The Riley Institute empowers emerging and established leaders—across sectors and throughout society—with the knowledge and tools to advance equity and drive social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond. We work to strengthen public education; promote the power of diversity to help teams, organizations, and communities thrive; and elevate informed, evidence-based approaches to critical public issues. In all it does, the institute is committed to nonpartisanship and a bias-free path to change.