Raleigh, NC — Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that Laura Goode graduated from Leadership Raleigh, a program run by the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. For over 54 years, Leadership Raleigh has prepared future leaders of the community, primarily through engagement with a wide range of organizations and areas, from education and nonprofits to local government and law enforcement, business and development sectors, and arts and entertainment.
This year, Laura was among a graduating class of 51 participants in Leadership Raleigh class 47 who represented a wide range of business and other professionals. Aside from other attorneys, the class included workers across government, health care, construction and development, banking, and nonprofits. The program started with a two-day opening retreat followed by eight classes spread over 10 months.
The Leadership Raleigh program focused on developing leaders so that they can learn what areas and organizations they might serve in the future. During each of the eight classes, the participants got the opportunity to travel around Raleigh to visit a variety of businesses, developments, governmental institutions, and nonprofits to get in-depth tours and hear first-hand from local leaders. With each visit and conversation, the participants learned more about how private business, local government, and nonprofits all work together to support the community.
For Laura, a partner in Parker Poe’s Raleigh office who focuses on commercial real estate, the sessions on economic development were particularly illuminating. Raleigh-area local governments have worked diligently to attract interest from businesses, including tech companies and high-skilled manufacturers, to support the city’s economy and provide jobs. This has made the importance of sustaining a skilled workforce even more critical. Creating and sustaining a skilled workforce begins with support for the public school system, starting with early childhood education and grade school and continues to community college and university systems. This is critical to attract and retain industries, which in turn support other sectors of the economy, including commercial real estate development that provides necessary building, infrastructure, and housing for the community as it grows and changes.
One of primary highlights of Leadership Raleigh is a community volunteer project the participants lead. The participants work in groups on an identified need for a community nonprofit organization that has requested help.
Laura’s group organized a donation drive to benefit Healing Transitions, a nonprofit that assists people struggling with addiction. Her group helped provide more than 1,400 fully assembled toiletry kits for people as they enter the shelters and program, thanks to help from the community. Laura and her group also got to see firsthand how Healing Transitions provides support to people at each stage of their recovery journey.
Laura and others presented about the volunteer project on Monday during the Leadership Raleigh graduation in Winston Salem. After a day of activities and entertainment, the participants graduated from the program.
Aside from building her network, Laura learned a significant amount about the community she works in and how she can serve on boards or volunteer positions that benefit those around her.
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Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 275 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.
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