Regelyn “Reggie” Edwards is the Executive Director of The Encouraging Place, a
non-profit ministry in Raleigh, NC, created to serve women and their families and work toward racial healing. A Raleigh native, she attended local colleges and graduated from Justice Fellowship College of Theology with a Master of Arts in Ministry in 2005. Reggie has over 25 years of experience working in urban communities. She has impacted over 5,000 women through women’s empowerment programs and is a Certified Life Coach. She has also led hundreds of men and women in a deeper understanding of race and reconciliation. She serves as a consultant with churches and organizations, helping both to bridge the racial divide. In addition to several groups she coordinates, Reggie also holds annual conferences and forums on dismantling racism. She believes one cannot adequately deal with issues around racism without historical, cultural, structural, and institutional analysis. Reggie is a strong proponent of the Racial Equity Institute and participates regularly.
Come and Join us on Tuesday March 17 for an event of empowerment and knowledge!
February Meeting
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Chavis Heights site for Communities In Schools of Wake County
Duke Energy Learning Center
781 Bright Creek Way, Raleigh, NC 27601
Shaunda Cooper is currently an Educational Planning & Development Consultant supporting 196 charter schools across the state of North Carolina. She is the project manager of Charter School Renewals and serves as the specialist providing comprehensive Renewal reports to the North Carolina State Board of Education. Additionally, Ms. Cooper is a certified Comprehensive Needs Assessment evaluator working in collaboration with the District and Regional Support Department of the Department of Public Instruction to review district schools across North Carolina.
Remember: we meet from 5:00pm to 7:30pm.
Light refreshments served
November Meeting
September 17 Meeting
AAUW’s Raleigh-Wake Branch
is proud to present the speaker for our
September 17th Meeting
Leah Bug
speaking on
You Can Make a Difference: The Importance of Supporting K-12 Students in Science and Engineering Research
Ensuring our K-12 students have strong science and engineering knowledge when they graduate from high school is imperative in preparing them for the future workforce, but also in creating scientifically literate citizens. Come learn about the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair, a program designed to showcase student’s original science and engineering research. Learn about the regional fairs, the state fair, and the International Science and Engineering Fair where our North Carolina compete with students from across the world. Learn how you can help support this important program and help students, especially underrepresented student populations, participate in these valuable learning experiences. No science or engineering background is required to help make a difference!
About our Speaker:
Dr. Leah Bug is currently the North Carolina Science Fair Foundation‘s Executive Director, but she will soon begin a new position at NC State as Assistant Director of The Engineering Place, a program of outreach to students in grades K-12. Both positions draw on Leah’s classroom teaching experience and her belief that it’s never too early to expose students to research methods in the sciences and technical fields. The Engineering Place is a direct outgrowth of NC State’s College of Engineering program to cultivate women’s interest in applying for admission. The current belief is that interest develops early when the opportunity is provided.
More from Leah:
My talk will be focusing on my work as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair. I have had the honor of attending the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair last March and joined NC Students at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, AZ last May. I am excited to share with you the impact these programs have had in inspiring students in STEM education. We are looking at ways to increase underrepresented student participation in the regional and state fairs, so I look forward to brainstorming with you!
Heading east on MLK Blvd, turn LEFT on Haywood St.
(If westbound, turn RIGHT.)
Next turn LEFT on a very short access road called Hopemont St.
Finally, turn RIGHT on Bright Creek Way.
Your destination, 781, is on the RIGHT.
August 20 Meeting
AAUW’s Raleigh-Wake Branch
is proud to present the speaker for our
August 20th Meeting
Georgina Dukes
speaking on
NCCARE360: Addressing Social Determinants of Health
About Georgina:
Georgina Dukes is the State Project Manager for Unite Us – a tech company created to
address Social Determinants of Health. Prior to her employment with Unite Us, Georgina
served a Strategic Services Associate for Duke Heart and an Administrative Fellow at Duke
University Hospital. Her career has involved working in academic medical center strategic
operations and bridging the gap between hospitals and community health initiatives.
Georgina earned her Bachelors in Health Science from Clemson University and her
Masters in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Heading east on MLK Blvd, turn LEFT on Haywood St.
(If westbound, turn RIGHT.)
Next turn LEFT on a very short access road called Hopemont St.
Finally, turn RIGHT on Bright Creek Way.
Your destination, 781, is on the RIGHT.
See you in September
Summer brings a time for the leadership team to reflect and plan for the coming year. No doubt the monthly speakers will continue to provide informative programs about which all of us will want to hear. Last year’s schedule brought timely topics like various community organizations providing support for girls/women, women serving in local government positions, and a discussion addressing the pros/cons involving Medicaid Expansion in our state. Reading our newsletters is another way to be informed about Branch activities so check out the tab under the About Us page. Mark your calendar for the September 17th kick-off program. We hope to see you then!
June 18 Meeting
The membership of the Raleigh-Wake AAUW branch will hold its final meeting of the year at 5:15 PM on June 18. We traditionally take July and August off for evaluation of the previous year and planning of next year’s programs.
AAUW’s Raleigh-Wake Branch
is proud to present the speaker for our
June 18th Meeting
Rebecca Cerese
Health Engagement Coordinator for the NC Justice Center
Our June program featured Rebecca Cerese who is the Health Engagement Coordinator for the NC Justice Center. Rebecca lead the six individuals in attendance through a very informative power point presentation sharing the basic premise of the Medicaid Expansion Option, the pros and cons to adopting it for North Carolina, and fielded questions from the group. On June 5th , there was a state-wide Vigil to highlight the importance of expanding Medicaid before our General Assembly retires its session. She stressed five important actions all of us can take: tell your story because every story matters; meet with your local representatives and check vote411.org if you do not know who they are; write a letter to the editor expressing your concerns; sign-up for action alerts from the NC Justice Center; and sign a petition at https://tinyurl.com/yxkcsyzq.
Heading east on MLK Blvd, turn LEFT on Haywood St.
(If westbound, turn RIGHT.)
Next turn LEFT on a very short access road called Hopemont St.
Finally, turn RIGHT on Bright Creek Way.
Your destination, 781, is on the RIGHT.
May 21st Meeting
AAUW’s Raleigh-Wake Branch
is proud to present the speaker for our
May 21st Meeting
Jenna Wadsworth
Wake County Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor
Here is a thumbnail sketch of our speaker’s curriculum vitae:
2007 Diploma from NC School of Science & Mathematics
2010 Elected Supervisor, Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board
2011 BA with High Honors in Political Science and Women’s & Gender Studies, NCSU
2015 Elected Vice Chair of the SWCD Board of Supervisors
A little more about Jenna Wadsworth:
She has been a strong advocate of environmental education, farmland preservation and local foods enhancement. She has entered into innovative programs with the Marines and the Navy to preserve open space and restrict development under vital military flight paths.
She keeps a heavy calendar of speaking engagements, finding time also to be managing partner of a political and fundraising consulting firm. She is running for North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture in 2020.
We look forward to hearing our speaker describe her impressive career path and to learn more about her plans for North Carolina’s agricultural and political future.
Heading east on MLK Blvd, turn LEFT on Haywood St.
(If westbound, turn RIGHT.)
Next turn LEFT on a very short access road called Hopemont St.
Finally, turn RIGHT on Bright Creek Way.
Your destination, 781, is on the RIGHT.
April 16th Meeting
AAUW’s Raleigh-Wake Branch
is proud to present the speaker for our
April 16th Meeting
Shauntae Brown White, Ph.D.
presenting
The Dress for Success program
The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Dr. White will share with us her vision of volunteerism and its importance in our communities and in our daily lives.
Shauntae Brown White, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Mass Communication at North Carolina Central University where she also serves as the coordinator of the Women’s & Gender Studies program. She earned a B.A. in journalism from Howard University, an M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Alabama, and a doctorate from the University of Kansas in Communication Studies. Dr. White’s research focuses on media images of black women, the politics of hair in the African American community, and the negotiated roles of African American pastors’ wives. She has published multiple academic articles and is co-editor of the upcoming book, Being Mara Brock Akil: Television Representations of Black Womanhood. She is also the author of several books including the devotional and bible study for Communication Matters: 31-Days to Speaking Life into Your Relationships and The First Lady: African American Pastors’ Wives in Their Own Voices.
March 19th Meeting
AAUW’s Raleigh-Wake Branch
is proud to present the speaker for our
March 19th Meeting
Rep. Cynthia Ball of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Presenting
Our Children’s Public School Education DOES Matter!
Rep. Cynthia Ball. North Carolina House of Representatives, District 49 – Wake County (Parts of Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville)
In her second term in the NC House, Rep. Ball places as her top legislative priority strengthening public education in North Carolina. To connect with her constituents on important issues, she has hosted Town Hall Forums on topics including public education, healthcare, and nonpartisan redistricting.
Since she began serving, Rep. Ball has sponsored or cosponsored 93 pieces of legislation including one signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper after passing both the House and Senate unanimously. In recognition of her leadership skills, she was elected by her peers to serve as a Democratic Whip in the 2019-20 Session. In her first term in 2017-18, she was one of the first two freshman legislators to ever receive the Legislative Excellence Award from the NC Police Benevolent Association, their highest award. Also in her first term, the NC League of Conservation Voters recognized her voting record on protecting our environment with their “Green Tie Award”.
Her parents instilled in her the importance of education and hard work. She attended NC public schools in Franklin County, and then went on to UNC-Greensboro on a full academic scholarship, graduating with a BA in Psychology, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Rep. Ball also earned an MBA at Virginia Commonwealth University and pursued doctoral coursework in Human Resources and Organizational Development at NC State University.