Cape Fear Regional Program 2023
Forum Info 2022-2023
January 20th 2023 – Brunswick County | Supply NC
February 27 – 28, 2022 – New Hanover County | Wilmington NC
April 19th 2023 – Columbus County | Whiteville NC
May 16th 2023– Pender County | Burgaw NC
Cape Fear Regional Report
Although North Carolinians have always had significant political differences, they have historically exhibited a practical, problem-solving mindset to politics. However, the tenor of the times has become highly partisan, and like many other states, North Carolina finds itself sharply divided. Although some progress has been made in enabling constructive engagement across parties, progressive and conservative leaders often depend on different media and social media outlets, operate with different facts and beliefs, and don’t often enough engage substantively with people with whom they disagree. Too often leaders assume the worst about the motives of members of the other party. For these reasons, our leaders are less willing and able to work together to create widely embraced solutions and opportunities for our state and its people. Our aim is to continue to help bridge this divide.
The North Carolina Leadership Forum (NCLF) seeks to create constructive engagement between North Carolina government, business, and non-profit policy leaders across party lines, ideologies, professional experiences, and regional perspectives. A program of Duke University, NCLF has been bringing together cohorts of NC leaders since 2015. Building on the success of our original statewide program, NCLF facilitated four regional programs on the topic of adequate housing, two in Spring 2022 and two in Spring 2023. Because many state leaders start out as local leaders, NCLF views expanding its regional offerings as part of a long-term strategy to impact the political environment of the State. The program also offers regional leaders a chance to grow and develop their skills to have a greater impact on local public policy needs.
The 2023 Lower Cape Fear Leadership Forum addressed the topic of housing, asking: How can we increase access to adequate housing in the Lower Cape Fear region of North Carolina?
Participants
Andy Anderson, Pastor, Father’s Cup Overflow Ministries*
Jonathan Barfield, Jr, County Commissioner, New Hanover County*
Amber Bellamy, Executive Director, Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc.
Stephanie Bowen, Executive Director, Brunswick Family Assistance
Shamonique Brantley, CEO, Level Up Strategies, LLC
Jonathan Bridges, Owner, Bridges Consulting, LLC
Evelyn Bryant, Community Organizer
Robert Campbell, Sr Pastor, New Beginning Christian Church
Olivia Dawson, Mayor, Town of Burgaw
Brian Eckel, Partner, Cape Fear Commercial
Natalie English, President & CEO, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce*
Jim Fish, CEO, Brunswick Senior Resources Inc.
Mike Forte, County Commissioner, Brunswick County
Jwantana Frink, Owner, Advanced Concepts of Southport, Inc.
Holly Grange, CEO, Grange Council LLC
Curtis Hill, Advocate, Disability Rights North Carolina, Columbus County NAACP
Steven Hill, Executive Director, Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce
*Denotes Advisory Committee Member
Chauncey Lambeth, District Director for Rep. David Rouzer, State House of Representatives
Isabella Luján, Realtor/Broker / Co-chair, Coldwell Banker / Latin American Business Council*
Catherine Lytch, Social Services and Public Housing Director, Brunswick County Government
Terry Mann, Mayor, City of Whiteville
Joan McPherson, President, Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism
Tyler Newman, President & CEO, Business Alliance for a Sound Economy
Jacqueline Newton, County Commissioner. Pender County Commission*
Dane Scalise, Lawyer & Insurance Broker, ILM Lawyers & GriffinEstep Benefit Group
Allen Serkin, Executive Director, Cape Fear Council of Governments
Paul Stavovy, Executive Director, Cape Fear Community Land Trust
Jimmy Tate, County Commissioner, Pender County
Victoria Velazco, LCSW-A, Latino Advocacy and Equity NC
Jon T. Vincent, CPA, P.C.
Cynthia Walsh, CEO, Brunswick County Association of Realtors
Frank Williams, President, Pioneer Strategies, Inc.*
Resea Willis, Development Officer, Partners in Community, INC.
Steve Yost, President, North Carolina’s Southeast*
