News release: Second statewide class graduates from Diversity Leaders Initiative

FOR INFORMATION:
Katie Quine
Marketing and Communications Manager
The Riley Institute at Furman University
864.294.3368; katie.quine@furman.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SECOND STATEWIDE CLASS GRADUATES FROM THE RILEY INSTITUTE’S AWARD-WINNING DIVERSITY PROGRAM

Class participants join a network of more than 2,300 Riley Fellows across South Carolina.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Forty-four leaders from across the state have new tools and perspectives to help leverage diversity to improve organizational outcomes and drive social and economic progress in South Carolina, gained through their participation in the Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI).

These leaders, who graduated from DLI’s second statewide class on June 10, took part in intensive discussions and scenario analyses that allowed them to openly examine sensitive issues related to diversity and inclusion with fellow leaders, explore “blind spots,” and gain tools to develop diversity strategies within their own organizations. Since its inception 18 years ago, DLI has become a cornerstone of Furman University’s Riley Institute. More than 2,300 leaders from across the state have graduated from the program.

Graduates of DLI become Riley Fellows, members of a powerful cross-sector network of South Carolinians that includes corporate CEOs, legislators, superintendents, religious and nonprofit heads, and business and community leaders.

Classes are typically organized by region, taking place in the Upstate, Midlands, and Lowcountry, but the need to transition to virtual programming as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic created the opportunity for broader convenings unrestrained by geography.

“Our newest Riley Fellows have set a remarkable example of the good we can achieve when we rise as one South Carolina — even from a distance — to meet the challenges our communities face,” said Dr. Donald Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute. “As the pandemic recedes, I look forward to seeing how they continue to drive positive change in their workplaces and communities with the tools they’ve gained in DLI.”

DLI is facilitated by expert Juan Johnson, who was The Coca-Cola Company’s first-ever vice president for diversity strategy.

Participants are selected through a rigorous application and interview process after being nominated by existing Riley Fellows. They are accepted based on their capacity to create impact within their organizations and communities. Each class is crafted to reflect the diverse demographics in South Carolina.

As part of the statewide class, participants worked together to develop awareness campaigns for five South Carolina-based nonprofits: Charleston Promise Neighborhood, Homeless Period Project, Medical Legal Partnership, Homeless No More, and Fostering Great Ideas.

The full roster of Riley Fellows is available online at riley.furman.edu. These are the graduates of the spring 2021 DLI class:

Jorge Aceves
CBS/F Americas TZ Director
Michelin
Greenville

Jimmy Alexander
Section Manager
BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
Greer

Mark Arnold
Chief of Police
Mount Pleasant Police Department
Mt. Pleasant

Renee Bacon
Inclusion Partner
Prisma Health
Greenville

Fabien Bernadot
R&D Quality Director
Michelin
Greenville

Barbara Blain-Bellamy
Mayor
City of Conway
Conway

Cody Butts
President
Cherokee Medical Center
Gaffney

Stephane Cocard
Director of Development of Industry Materials
Michelin
Greenville

Larry Cunningham
Dean
Charleston School of Law
Charleston

Dawn Deck
Investment and Grants Manager
South Carolina Community Loan Fund
Spartanburg

Lydia Dobyns
President and CEO
New Tech Network
Napa, CA

Monica Dongre
Employment Counsel
RTI International
Charlotte, NC

Ben Duncan
Director, SC Disaster Recovery, South Carolina Office of Resilience
Office of the Governor
Columbia

Gerard Edwards
District ADEPT, Induction & Mentoring Coordinator
Lee County School District
Bishopville

Julia Fuchs
Section Manager
BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
Greer

Judi Gatson
News Anchor
WIS-TV
Columbia

Lynette Gibson
Professor and Director of Research in Nursing
USC Upstate, Mary Black School of Nursing
Spartanburg

Jeremy Gilbert
Wyss Smart State Endowed Chair and Professor
Clemson University
Charleston

Shirene Hansotia
ACLU Senior Criminal Justice Policy Counsel
ACLU of South Caroilna
Charleston

Yendelela Neely Holston
Partner, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP
Atlanta, GA

Dawn Hyde
Pastor
Downtown Church
Columbia

Eric Hyyppa
President
National Educational Telecommunications Association
Columbia

David Kirkpatrick
Managing Director
South State Bank
Columbia

Rich LaVecchia
Vice President, Corporate Planning & Strategic Solutions
BlueCross BlueShield of SC
Columbia

Rhett Mabry
President
The Duke Endowment
Charlotte, NC

Lucy Grey McIver
AVP and Deputy General Counsel
BlueCross BlueShield of SC
Columbia

David Merhib
President and CEO
Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce
Greer

Cortney Nick
AVP, Store Manager
TD Bank
Columbia

Kathryn Norwood
Board Chair; Board of Managers Chair
Jasmine Road; Jasmine Kitchen
Greenville

Catherine Perry
Talent Acquisition Manager
BlueCross BlueShield of SC
Columbia

Autumn Phillips
Managing Editor
The Post and Courier
Charleston

Lance Radford
Superintendent
Spartanburg School District Two
Chesnee

Jaquetta Ross
Director of Campus Life
Greenville Technical College
Greenville

Roshella Smalls
Assistant General Counsel
Fluor Corporation
Greenville

Alexis Stoner
Discipline Chair for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Associate Professor
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus
Spartanburg

Carolyn Swinton
Chief Nursing Officer
Prisma Health
Greenville

Bob Teachey
Senior Project Manager
Brownstone Construction Group
Columbia

Jason Terrell
Program Officer
Walton Family Foundation
Charlotte

Chloe Tonney
President and CEO
Trident United Way
North Charleston

Dan Weidenbenner
Executive Director
Mill Community Ministries
Greenville

Derrick Williams
Attorney
Mickle & Bass, LLC
Columbia

Matthew Wilson
Professor of Opthalmology
University of Tennessee Health Science Center / University Clinical Health
Memphis, TN

Abby Woods
Director of Internal Consulting
Charleston County School District
North Charleston

Susan Ybarra
Executive Director
IACH at Furman University
Greenville

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About the Riley Institute at Furman University
Furman University’s Richard W. Riley Institute broadens student and community perspectives about issues critical to South Carolina’s progress. It builds and engages present and future leaders, creates and shares data-supported information about the state’s core challenges, and links the leadership body to sustainable solutions. It is committed to nonpartisanship in all it does and to a rhetoric-free, facts-based approach to change. Learn more at riley.furman.edu.