{"id":2615,"date":"2025-01-29T18:21:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T18:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/?post_type=furman-update&p=2615"},"modified":"2025-01-29T18:22:33","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T18:22:33","slug":"forty-five-midlands-leaders-join-diversity-leaders-initiative","status":"publish","type":"furman-update","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/news\/forty-five-midlands-leaders-join-diversity-leaders-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Forty-five Midlands Leaders Join Diversity Leaders Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR INFORMATION: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Claudia Winkler
\nDirector of Marketing and Communications
\nThe Riley Institute at Furman University
\n864.294.3368; Claudia.winkler@furman.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

February 3, 2025 \u2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/p>\n

FORTY-FIVE MIDLANDS LEADERS JOIN DIVERSITY LEADERS INITIATIVE<\/strong><\/p>\n

An award-winning program with over 2,900 graduates across South Carolina, the Diversity Leaders Initiative leverages diversity to drive progress.<\/em><\/p>\n

GREENVILLE, S.C. \u2014 Forty-five leaders from across the Midlands have been selected to participate in the Riley Institute\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019 missions and goals and better serve their stakeholders and constituents.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Graduates of DLI become Riley Fellows and join a community of changemakers in South Carolina.<\/p>\n

Listed below are the participants of the spring 2025 Midlands DLI class.<\/p>\n

Sara Ballard
\n<\/strong>Executive Director
\nSC Women in Leadership
\nBlythewood, SC<\/p>\n

Terrance Barr
\n<\/strong>Stormwater Director, Lancaster County, SC
\nLancaster County Government
\nLancaster, SC<\/p>\n

Pamela Benjamin
\n<\/strong>Assistant City Manager
\nCity of Columbia
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Jenifer Blair
\n<\/strong>Vice President of Enrollment Management
\nSC Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics
\nHartsville, SC<\/p>\n

Marie Boyd
\n<\/strong>Professor of Law
\nUniversity of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Connie Breeden
\n<\/strong>Attorney
\nThe Law Office of Connie D. Breeden, LLC
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Leonardo Brown
\n<\/strong>County Administrator
\nRichland County
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

John Cadena
\n<\/strong>Manager, Economic Development and Local Government
\nDominion Energy South Carolina
\nCayce, SC<\/p>\n

Savannah Crosby
\n<\/strong>Program Director\/Community Project Assistant
\nArras Foundation
\nLancaster, SC<\/p>\n

Nicholas Davidson
\n<\/strong>Director of Region Operations and Community Engagement
\nSC Department of Public Health
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Cynthia Davis
\n<\/strong>Senior VP
\nSustain SC
\nRidgeway, SC<\/p>\n

Joette Dukes
\n<\/strong>Executive Director
\nPee Dee Regional Council of Governments
\nFlorence, SC<\/p>\n

Dean Faile
\n<\/strong>President\/CEO
\nYork County Regional Chamber
\nRock Hill, SC<\/p>\n

Raven Favor
\n<\/strong>Social Media Manager
\nSC ETV
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Raashad Fitzpatrick
\n<\/strong>Superintendent
\nLancaster County School District
\nLancaster, SC<\/p>\n

Matthew Fowler
\n<\/strong>Principal & Co-Founder
\nContinuum Advisory Enterprises, LLC
\nChapin, SC<\/p>\n

Robin Free
\n<\/strong>Vice President
\nPalmetto GBA
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Chantal Fryer
\n<\/strong>Director of Business Services
\nSC Department of Commerce
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Jason Giulietti
\n<\/strong>President and CEO
\nCentral South Carolina Alliance
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

John Gordon
\n<\/strong>President and CEO
\nLeroy Springs and Company, Inc.
\nFort Mill, SC<\/p>\n

Dylan Gunnels
\n<\/strong>Founder\/Missions Director
\nThe Agape Table\/Emmaus Church
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Justin Hancock
\n<\/strong>Director – Recreation, Grants & Policy
\nSouth Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Lakesha Jeffries
\n<\/strong>Attorney
\nJeffries Law Firm, LLC
\nOrangeburg, SC<\/p>\n

Jermaine Johnson
\n<\/strong>SC State Representative
\nState of South Carolina
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Olivia Jones
\n<\/strong>Executive Director
\nSouth Carolina Bar Association
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Amalia Luxardo
\n<\/strong>CEO
\nWREN
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Joshua Malkin
\n<\/strong>Advocacy Director
\nColumbia Law School
\nMenands, NY<\/p>\n

Fred Manning
\n<\/strong>Partner
\nFisher Phillips LLP
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Melanie Matney
\n<\/strong>COO
\nSC Hospital Association
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Jennifer McQuesten
\n<\/strong>VP of Corporate Communications
\nZeus Company LLC
\nOrangeburg, SC<\/p>\n

Perry Mills
\n<\/strong>Chief Opportunity Zone Officer
\nPublic Charter School District
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Murphy Monk
\n<\/strong>President
\nGreater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce
\nHartsville, SC<\/p>\n

Stacey Moore
\n<\/strong>President
\nYork Technical College
\nRock Hill, SC<\/p>\n

Quincie Moore
\n<\/strong>Executive Director
\nSouth Carolina Association of School Administrators
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Jean Popowski
\n<\/strong>Deputy Public Defender
\nLexington County Public Defender
\nLexington, SC<\/p>\n

Brandy Price
\n<\/strong>Principal\/Attorney
\nDickie, McCamey, & Chilcote, PC
\nLancaster, SC<\/p>\n

Bob Ruff
\n<\/strong>SVP, Group Voluntary Benefits
\nAflac
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Darci Rush
\n<\/strong>Senior Chief Officer for Communications and Strategic Partnerships
\nRichland School District 2
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Nicholas Sambenedetto
\n<\/strong>Director
\nCompanion Data Services
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Eric Shytle
\n<\/strong>General Counsel
\nMunicipal Association of South Carolina
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Jesse Smith
\n<\/strong>Executive Director
\nJEDA
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Sara Svedberg
\n<\/strong>Lawyer\/Shareholder
\nMaynard Nexsen
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Tony Tam
\n<\/strong>Vice President
\nInterstate Management and Investment Corporation (IMIC Hotels)
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

Will Williams
\n<\/strong>President and CEO
\nWestern SC Economic Development Partnership
\nAiken, SC<\/p>\n

Cliff Wilson
\n<\/strong>CEO
\nThe Centric Group – self employed
\nColumbia, SC<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

About the Riley Institute at Furman University<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Riley Institute empowers emerging and established leaders\u2014across sectors and throughout society\u2014with 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOR INFORMATION: Claudia Winkler Director of Marketing and Communications The Riley Institute at Furman University 864.294.3368; Claudia.winkler@furman.edu   February 3, 2025 \u2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FORTY-FIVE MIDLANDS LEADERS JOIN DIVERSITY […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1371,"template":"","update-categories":[11],"class_list":["post-2615","furman-update","type-furman-update","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","furman-update-category-diversity-strategies"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/furman-update"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2615\/revisions\/2616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"furman-update-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/update-categories?post=2615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}