What's Next for HBCUs with North Carolina Central University

Guests:

• Dr. Gia Soublet
  • Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement at NCCU
• Dr. Catherine Edmonds
  • Chief of Staff
• Stephen W. Fusi
  • Chief Brand Officer

In This Episode: 

• Grounded in a legacy of 111 years of excellence, NCCU offers top-ranked programs in disciplines including the sciences, law, business, and education.
• We discuss who each guest considers a hero and why. We also discuss what was the catalyst for their passion for higher education.
• We discuss the historical context of HBCUs and why they matter.
• HBCUs have long been the best-kept secret, but we don't want to be a secret any longer. We talk about how bringing attention to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 
• Companies are looking for diverse, equitable talent. We talk about how NCCU talks about this fact with companies about developing a pipeline of talent for their ongoing growth.
• We talk about all the growth at North Carolina Central University. 

Quotes from This Episode: 

• NCCU has been a staple in the Durham community in Bull City for over a century and has awarded degrees to over 40,000 Eagles who have served and excelled in every industry.

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Guests:

• Christine J. McPhail 
  • President of St. Augustine's University
• Veronica Creech
  • The Vice President of Economic Development and External Engagement
• Dr. Carolyn Carter
  • Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Marketing, and Communications.

In This Episode: 

• Saint Augustine’s University (SAU and HBCU) was established in 1867 in Raleigh, NC by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. A four-year liberal arts university with an average enrollment of approximately 1,000, SAU sits on 105 lush acres just north of Downtown Raleigh.
• We start the conversation with a question about heroes. These powerful women share about their heroes and how they influenced their lives.
• The three lenses to view Saint Augustine's impact:
  • Economic impact with over 200 employees
  • Cultural impact through the rich culture of the University
  • The historical chapter
• We discuss the regional issue of affordable housing with the leadership from Saint Augustine's University and what role they intend to play in addressing it.
• President McPhail outlines how to join Saint Augustine in its mission to build a legacy in our region.
• We discuss leadership development and how to partner with HBCU's for leadership pipelines and long-term relationships.

Quotes from This Episode: 

• "We continue to look at ways that we can be a voice to talk about social justice, and we can talk about. Inequities in the communities. And we can also be that space to talk about equity strategies for other agencies, businesses that you (RTP) represent that can come to us and we can be a significant partner." Christine J. McPhail
• "When we look at the business case for why HBCUs exist and their importance that corporations should be lining up to throw dollars at us and that should also be mutually beneficial relationships.." Ray Trapp
• "So on one hand, we are your talent pipeline. We are your investment for Making sure you live into your DEI. And at the other hand, we are your business partner. We're gonna profit together." -Veronica Creech

Spread the word about Crossroad RTP

If you like Crossroads RTP Podcast, visit our website to learn more. Check out Hub RTP, Boxyard RTP, Frontier RTP, and STEM RTP. Share the Crossroads RTP podcast with a friend. Connect with us on social media on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and LinkedIn. This show is produced by Podcast Cary.

Guests:

• Donald Thompson  
  • Donald is CEO of The Diversity Movement, a results-oriented, data-driven strategic firm offering clients a productized DEI journey built on digital learning tools, expertly-curated content, conversational AI, and analytics. The company was recently named to Inc. Magazine’s 2021 Best in Business List in DE&I Advocacy. In addition, Donald serves as a board member for several organizations in marketing, healthcare, banking, technology, and sports.
  • Donald is an entrepreneur, public speaker, author, podcaster, CertifiedDiversity Executive (CDE), and executive coach. He is a thought leader on goal achievement, influencing company culture, and driving exponential growth. Donald has led companies that attained successful exits with strong returns for shareholders and employees. He writes a leadership column for WRAL TechWire and has contributed to Entrepeneur.com and CNBC.com. Donald’s autobiography and leadership book — Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success — will be published in Fall 2022.
• D. Keith Pigues 
  • Keith is Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of CulTRUE –  a culture analytics enterprise software and professional services company.  He is also the founder and CEO of Luminas Strategy – an organic growth business strategy and value proposition consultancy – both companies are headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC (USA).
  • His corporate leadership experience includes roles as a Chief Marketing Officer or senior marketing executive at Honeywell International, Cemex, RR Donnelley, and ADP Dealer Services Division (now CDK Global). He is co-author of Winning with Customers: A Playbook for B2B (Wiley & Sons), an inaugural selection of the C-Suite Book Club and featured on Best Seller TV.
  • Keith served in higher education as Professor of Leadership at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and as Senior Academic & Administrative Officer, Dean of the School of Business, and tenured Professor of Management at North Carolina Central University. 
  • He serves as a board director for the National Association of Corporate Directors – RTP Chapter and ReflektMe.  He also serves as an advisory board member for MAU Workforce Solutions.  He previously served as a board director for Prometheus Group and the Research Triangle Foundation.
  • He is a trusted global advisor to organizations in the areas of leadership, employee-centric company culture, and profitable customer-centric growth strategies. Keith is an advocate for women in leadership and diversity in technology. 

In This Episode: 

• Donald and Keith explain DEI and its role in the modern workplace.  
• We discuss why DEI initiatives are important.
• We break down how to measure an organization's progress in DEI.
• We discuss the topic of creating a culture of belonging and employee fulfillment.
• We focus on the education side of DEI and how we build more diverse pipelines for talent in our state.
• Donald and Keith share examples of bright spots and companies and leaders who are doing this well.

Quotes from This Episode: 

• "The reality is for most of the organizations that we work with when we perform that analytical assessment through the eyes and the lens is of their employees, they do not have the culture that they place on their website, that they put in their annual report, and that their leaders shout from the mountaintops." ~ Keith Pigues
• "Employees run the world today. Any company doesn't believe that... they're in for a rude awakening." ~ Keith Pigues
• "The new leadership paradigm is that you can have people planet and profit altogether. So the expectation of what leadership looks like is changing." ~ Donald Thompson
• "Let's not try to move people from critical of DEI to committed. Let's move them from critical, to curious, to committed. When somebody is critical of something, we need to understand why that is." ~ Donald Thompson

Spread the word about Crossroad RTP

If you like Crossroads RTP Podcast, visit our website to learn more. Check out Hub RTP, Boxyard RTP, Frontier RTP, and STEM RTP. Share the Crossroads RTP podcast with a friend. Connect with us on social media on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and LinkedIn. This show is produced by Podcast Cary.