We believe in our people and our communities. At Parker Poe, we understand the basic principle of giving back. As lawyers, we have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference.

Parker Poe lawyers have been involved in bar and civic activities throughout both North Carolina and South Carolina for years. Our attorneys have held positions including President of the North Carolina State Bar, Chair of the Charlotte/Mecklenburg School Board, President of the Spartanburg, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and President of the American Symphony Association. Several attorneys have served as trustees of institutions of higher learning and four attorneys served as President of the Mecklenburg County Bar Association and one served as President of the Wake County Bar Association. In North Carolina, we have the current Mayor of Knightdale and the immediate past Mayor of Raleigh.

Many lawyers are involved in leadership positions in various charitable and arts organizations. Four of our Charlotte lawyers have completed the Arts & Science Council’s Cultural Leadership Program. This nine-month competitive program is “designed to identify emerging leaders and help them develop into productive volunteers and board candidates for cultural organizations across our community.” The following attorneys are actively involved in their Board positions as graduates of this program: Jami Jackson Farris, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte; Kristi K. Walters, Community School of the Arts; Kevin W. Chapman, Theatre Charlotte and LaToya S. Brown, The Possibility Project. In addition, four lawyers have received the designation of “Citizen Lawyer” by the North Carolina Bar Association for their outstanding contributions outside of the practice of law. We are proud of our lawyers who have a passion for service and encourage them to pursue their interests.

History

Each of our five offices include attorneys who are making a lasting impact on their communities such as:

• In 1992, Parker Poe established a scholarship program through an endowment to Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black university located in Charlotte. Since the school's beginning, a Parker Poe attorney has served as a member of the Board of Trustees. 
• In our Columbia office, one attorney spearheaded the South Carolina/Germany International Youth Cultural Exchange Program which reaches hundreds of young soccer athletes every year.
• In 2008, Parker Poe attorney Cindy Wittmer served as team captain of the “Wake Attorneys Team” sponsored by the Public Service Committee of the Wake County Bar Association. With 44 members, the Wake Attorneys Team raised a total of $8,880 for the Komen Foundation Race For The Cure.
• Attorneys and staff from several offices actively participate in fund-raising efforts for such organizations as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the March of Dimes and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
• The Firm is consistently a leader in United Way, Access to Justice and Arts & Science Council fund drives among the attorneys and staff.
• One Charlotte attorney received the state’s highest honor in 2008, The Order Of The Long Leaf Pine, for his long service to the Arts.
• One Spartanburg partner received the Chamber’s top award, The Neville Holcombe Distinguished Service Award, in honor of his efforts in establishing the Chapman Cultural Center project.
• In 2008, one Charlotte staff member organized the Classroom Central’s “Give Kids A Book” program for our office and collected more than 800 books for local school children.
• The Raleigh office received the 2007 Pinnacle Business Award from the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. A Chamber executive noted, “The Firm and its individuals continue to give back to the community year after year, and that sets Parker Poe apart.”