GREENVILLE, S.C.—Thirty-eight leaders from the Upstate and surrounding area have completed the Riley Institute at Furman’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI).
Over the past five months, participants have examined sensitive issues related to diversity and inclusion, explored “blind spots,” and discussed how to suspend assumptions. Each class is expertly facilitated by Juan Johnson, an independent consultant and former Coca-Cola vice president.
As part of the program, participants have worked in small, cross-sector groups to respond to real issues and opportunities in their communities through service projects. The projects from this class focused on:
Enhancing educational opportunities for local youth through programs that expose students to valuable life lessons and skills including strategies for character-building;
Assisting adult men experiencing homelessness transition to a better situation;
Providing a personal piece of luggage to children in foster care offering them a sense of belonging, continuity, and respect;
Improving safety and accessibility for every rider in the Greenlink transit system; and
Fostering community dialogue around racial terror aimed to raise awareness, build trust, and break down barriers.
DLI class members are identified through a rigorous process including a nomination, application, and interview. Individuals are selected to join the class based on their capacity to impact their organizations and communities. Each class is crafted to reflect the diverse demographics in South Carolina. In addition to the Upstate, DLI classes are selected annually in the Midlands and Lowcountry.
DLI graduates become Riley Fellows, members of a powerful, cross-sector, statewide leadership network that includes CEOs of corporations, mayors, city and county council members, legislators, school superintendents, pastors and rabbis, non-profit heads, chamber of commerce directors, and community leaders. The full roster of Riley Fellows is available online at riley.furman.edu.
“We are excited to add this group of thoughtful leaders, unafraid to take on a challenge and passionate about this state, to our alumni list,” said Don Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute.
The newest Riley Fellows in the Upstate are:
Miranda Asson
Community Relations Director/On-air Personality
Entercom
Greenville
Melissa Bailey-Taylor
Medical Director
Prisma Health
Greenville
Meghan Barp
President and CEO
United Way of Greenville County
Greenville
Gina Blohm
Director of Development
Community Foundation of Greenville
Greenville
Jonathan Cote
Associate
Womble Bond Dickinson, LLP
Greenville
Sally Morris Cote
Director of Planning and Evaluation Capacity Building
The Riley Institute at Furman
Greenville
Gary Daniels
Vice President, Business Development
Wells Fargo
Greenville
Kenneth Dean
Pastor
Mount Zion Baptist Church
Belton
Sophia Dopher
Learning and Development Manager
Milliken
Spartanburg
Mary Garvey
Director of Innovation and Inclusion
Institute for Child Success
Greenville
Yukichi Hagins
Real Estate Professional
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Greenville
Gwen Hall
Director, Talent and Organizational Development | Human Resources
Prisma Health
Greenville
Lakeia Harris
Section Manager, Benefits
BMW
Greer
John Harvey
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
ScanSource
Greenville
Baker Hatcher
Regional Manager
MAU Workforce Solutions
Augusta
Marlon Hunter
Chief Executive Officer
ReGenesis
Spartanburg
Megha Lal
Chair
Greenwood County Community Foundation
Greenwood
John Lattimore
Senior Director of Project Management
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Greenville
Elizabeth Mann
Interim Dean, Public Service, Arts & Sciences
Greenville Technical College
Greenville
Brad Mock
Chief Medical Officer
AnMed Health
Anderson
Judy Pham
Process Engineer
Michelin North America
Greenville
Donnie Porter
Public Affairs Manager
City of Greenville Police Department
Greenville
Dorothy Priester
Executive Director
Cherokee County First Steps
Gaffney
Carlotta Redish
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Spartanburg School District 7
Spartanburg
Shawn Reid
Fiscal and Program Operations Specialist
Duscha Management, LLC
Fountain Inn
Ansel Sanders
President and CEO
Public Education Partners
Greenville
Chris Scalzo
Circuit Public Defender, 13th Judicial Circuit
South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense
Greenville
Feliccia Smith
Professor of Business
North Greenville University
Tigerville
Katy Pugh Smith
Executive Director
Piedmont Health Foundation & Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy
Greenville
Liz Smith
Professor and Chair, Department of Politics and International Affairs
Furman University
Greenville
Ellen Stevenson
Organizational Consultant
Optimal Performance
Greenville
Scott Strong
Vice President
Snider Fleet Solutions
Anderson
Summer Tebalt
Director of AccessHealth Spartanburg
SRHS
Spartanburg
Troy Terry
Executive Director of Graduate and Evening Studies
Furman University
Greenville
Tiffane Thompson
Director, Consumer Experience
Michelin North America
Greenville
Mike Ungar
Competency Manager
Michelin North America
Greenville
Sally Wills
Executive Director
LiveWell Greenville
Greenville
Lisa Wine
Production Section Manager
BMW Manufacturing
Greer
About the Riley Institute at Furman University
The Riley Institute at Furman University 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. For more information, visit https://riley.furman.edu/.
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