Forty Upstate Leaders Join Diversity Leaders Initiative

FOR INFORMATION:

Claudia Winkler
Director of Marketing and Communications
The Riley Institute at Furman University
864.294.3368; [email protected]

February 3, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FORTY UPSTATE LEADERS JOIN DIVERSITY LEADERS INITIATIVE

An award-winning program with over 2,900 graduates across South Carolina, the Diversity Leaders Initiative leverages diversity to drive progress.

 GREENVILLE, S.C. — Forty leaders from across the Upstate have been selected to participate in the Riley Institute’s intensive 5-month Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI). For over 20 years, DLI has brought together community stakeholders and equipped them with the skills and perspectives necessary to leverage diversity in their organizations in ways that drive social and economic progress in South Carolina.

Participants are selected following nomination by a DLI graduate and a thorough application and interview process. Each class includes leaders who represent the varied demographics in our state and who work with a wide variety of communities and organizations.

Juan Johnson, the designer and facilitator of the program, has crafted a curriculum that includes interactive case studies, scenario analyses, and experiential learning tools. With five meetings over the course of five months, this program will explore modules related to how diverse teams can better support organizations’ missions and goals and better serve their stakeholders and constituents.

Among the topics explored in these discussions are the differences between bias and discrimination, the role of context, differences in mental and physical abilities, generational differences, and other leadership frameworks.

The DLI program concludes with groups undertaking community action projects. With these capstone projects, this new class of DLI participants will identify challenges in their communities and will work together to address them. Many of our DLI graduates have developed projects that continue to produce tremendous good within their communities.

Graduates of DLI become Riley Fellows and join a community of changemakers in South Carolina.

Listed below are the participants of the spring 2025 Upstate DLI class.

Trent Acker
District Manager – Government & Community Relations
Duke Energy
Anderson, SC

Liz Bergeron
Managing Director of Research & Strategy
New Tech Network
Napa, CA

Melanie Brown
President and CEO
Restoration 52 LLC
Greenville, SC

Clinton Colmenares
Senior Director of News and Media Strategy
Furman University
Greenville, SC

Kelly Coxe
Superintendent
York School District One
York, SC

Verhonda Crawford Diehl
Owner and Lead Consultant
VC Consulting, LLC
Chesnee, SC

Reno Deaton
Economic Development Director
City of Greer
Greer, SC

Deborah DePaoli
Palmetto Engagement & Policy Director
Institute for Child Success
Columbia, SC

Twana Drummond
HR Manager
BMW MC
Greer, SC

Art Elsey
C2C Operations Director Beyond Road O2C
Michelin North America
Charlotte, SC

Cheryl Garrison
Executive Director Greenville Chamber Foundation & VP of Talent, Education & Leadership
Greenville Chamber
Greenville, SC

Ken Gibson
Attorney
Gibson Law
Greenville, SC

Mary Giorgi
Assistant General Counsel, Data Privacy Officer
Michelin North America
Greenville, SC

Daphnie Glenn
Director of First Generation Programs and Student Success Initiatives
Converse University
Spartanburg, SC

Mike Goll
Architect
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
Greenville, SC

Teresa Goodman
Executive Director
Community Initiatives, Inc.
Greenwood, SC

Jodey Harper
Director of Human Resources – Total Rewards and HRI Systems
Greenville Technical College
Greenville, SC

Damone Herndon
Section Manager
BMW
Greer, SC

West Hyler
Executive Director
SC New Play Festival
Greenville, SC

Margret Jung
Manager
BMW Manufacturing
Greer, SC

Brian Keefe
Strategic Program Manager – B2B Development
Michelin
Greenville, SC

Stephanie Knobel
Executive Director – YMCA Judson Community Center
YMCA of Greenville
Greenville, SC

Stephan Knoche
Department Manager
BMW Manufacturing
Greer, SC

Derwin Lee
IT Director
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
Spartanburg, SC

Lida Liu
Product Manager
Michelin North America, Inc.
Greenville, SC

Jolene Madison
President
SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
Spartanburg, SC

Carol McEntyre
Senior Minister
First Baptist Greenville
Greenville, SC

GP McLeer
Director of Public Policy & Community Engagement
TogetherSC
Fountain Inn, SC

Geniece Mondé
Herman N. Hipp Associate Professor of Sociology
Furman University
Simpsonville, SC

Alma Olmeda
Director, Community Youth Services
Pendleton Place
Greenville, SC

Savannah Ray
Director of Youth Engagement & Partnerships
Spartanburg Academic Movement
Spartanburg, SC

Rut Rivera
Health Equity Director
LiveWell Greenville
Greenville, SC

Peter Rumsey
Senior Director Operations – Housing and Community Strategy
Habitat for Humanity International
Greenville, SC

Meghan Smith
Director for the Center for Postsecondary Success
Spartanburg Academic Movement
Spartanburg, SC

Hannah Terpack
Director of Career Management
University of South Carolina Upstate
Spartanburg, SC

Laura Ullrich
Senior Regional Economist and Director of the Community College Initiative
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Charlotte, NC

Eric Wall
SVP and Director of Marketing
Bank of Travelers Rest
Travelers Rest, SC

Tammy Walters
Development Partner
Michelin NA
Greenville, SC

Carmeisha White
Director of Operations & Finance
Northside Development Group
Spartanburg, SC

Zachary White
Professor of Communication Studies, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Furman University
Greenville, SC

###

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.