The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of Cumberland County will host its 2021 Master Gardner Spring Symposium virtually on March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The purpose of the horticultural event is to help educate local residents in “state and research approved horticultural practices,” and raise money for education. With this event, two $1,500 dollar scholarships will be awarded to FTCC horticulture students, as well as a $500 grant for a horticulture professor teaching hands-on horticulture education.

Participants will not only be helping those students and professors with an educational opportunity, they will also be helping Master Gardeners to go out to provide physical and financial assistance to surrounding area gardens. These area gardens include Cape Fear Botanical Garden, the Wounded Warrior Garden at Fort. Bragg, the Second Harvest Food Bank and Garden, and more.

Guest speakers at this year’s symposium will be Kirk Brown, who is a nationally known horticulturist. His presentation, “A Gardeners Guide to 200 Years of Growing America,” will speak to the importance of “sowing, growing and owning green in our lives.” During the presentation, Brown will be talking about travels in America and how to recognize the design and art within gardening. In a second presentation, “If I had an Apple,” Brown which will discuss what the digital generation knows that older gardeners may have forgotten and how social media, crowdsourcing, etc., can actually work for people who work hard in the dirt for their gardens. This presentation will show different examples of gardens that he calls “American Edens.”

Another guest speaker will be Craig LeHoullier, also known as the North Carolina “Tomato Man.” LeHoullier will discuss how those who garden in the 2020s are the most fortunate and will use history to explain why. He will also talk about how his 15-year-old dwarf tomato breeding project has now landed him with 135 new varieties. LeHoullier will also explain his techniques in producing such a great garden and compare how the different living zones contributed.

Registering for the symposium will allow Master Gardeners to provide assistance to the community as well as educate locals and help them to get their gardens up and blooming this spring/summer season. This event will be include door-prizes, a virtual auction and a virtual tomato sale of LeHoullier’s variety of tomatoes. The registration link, action link and tomato sale link are provided below. This event is one you will not want to miss and provides a “once in a lifetime learning experience” from professional gardeners.

Judy Dewar, chairperson for this event said, “We hope to improve all of our quality of lives by providing educational opportunities for residents to learn how to be good stewards of our environment while also being sustainable. And just because life is short, we hope our participants will have a ‘fun time’ while they are with us.”

Registration for this “one in a gardening lifetime event” can be made on Eventbrite on the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cumberland-county-master-gardener-virtual-symposium-2021-tickets-13508558

To bid on items in the auction – with items ranging from artwork, handmade quilts to live plants – visit https://www.32auctions.com/CCEMGVA . The tomato sale link is https://www.32auctions.com/Tomatoes. The tomato plants offered for sale are dwarf tomatoes that are part of the “Dwarf Tomato Project.”

Pictured above Craig LeHoullier

Each year many celebrate the month of March as Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month, but Nancy Szymkowiak strives year round to spread awareness and help those in the community living with disabilities.

Kaleo Supports was founded by Szymkowiak and Karen Campbell in August of 2007 to provide services leading to meaningful and real outcomes for those living with disabilities and to help Szymkowiak’s daughter who has disabilities.

“I learned early on that services and information were not easy to obtain, so I became a self-studied advocate,” Szymkowiak said. “I started researching and learning so I could get my daughter what she needed.”

When looking for the right programs for her daughter Lacey, who was then four and was offered the pre-school handicap service, made Szymkowiak realize that Lacey needed to be with her peers without disabilities to learn.

“I didn’t know then that was inclusion, meaning you are included in the world and you’re not just in a segregated community, she said. “And she’s now about to be 31 and she lives in her own place.”

Szymkowiak’s daughter suffered a stroke at birth and currently has a speech impediment, left side paralysis in her leg, and limited use of her left hand.

Our children take us on journeys, she said.

What began as a journey to find her daughter the right programs, tools and support led to her helping other families, getting involved in support groups and workshops, and in 2007 she quit her job and decided to launch Kaleo Supports.

“I started in the corner of my living room, I pulled it together, got credentials to do services through alliance and now we do services with four different managed care organizations,” she said.

Some of the services Kaleo Supports offer are in-home intensive support, residential support, community networking, supported employment, personal care, natural support education and more.

We provide innovations waiver services, which is a North Carolina Medicaid waiver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; traumatic brain injury waiver, which is the pilot program through Alliance Health Plan; and vocational rehabilitation services, Szymkowiak said.

Through the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation service, Kaleo provides job placement, job training, stabilization and closure to recipients. The team at Kaleo helps clients with daily living by promoting physical wellness and quality of life.

“We don’t just cook a meal, we help them learn to prepare a meal, we teach them to be more independent,” Szymkowiak said. “Then we have people working jobs, we provide support at the job site.”

Currently, Kaleo Supports currently has two licensed facilities. The staff helps clients including Szymkowiak’s daughter to cook breakfast, budget and shop for groceries, laundry and more.

We try to make it as natural as possible and not clinical like home help,” Szymkowiak said.

Currently the company has a staff of about 67 to 74 people serving about 25 different counties in North Carolina.

“My job functions are to make sure that my clients' needs and goals are met, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” Direct Support Professional for Kaleo, Alisha Kelley, said. “I focus on making sure that the life they live is happy and full of laughter and structure by meeting goals that are laid out and trying to go above and beyond.”

My staff, they think big for them, they want them in the community, want them doing things, Szymkowiak said.

Terri Kane, a family member of a 58-year-old Kaleo Supports client with developmental disabilities said Szymkowiak saved her sister.

“We've been with Kaleo for several years and I truly appreciate Nancy because she walks the walk, it's not just lip service,” Kane said. “She began her company because she has a daughter with certain disabilities so she's the owner of the company, but she's also a parent of someone who needs the types of services she provides.”

We did not realize my sister was going through depression, but Nancy did and once she identified the issue, we took my sister to the doctor and she's much better now, she said.

Helen Black works as a direct support professional for Kaleo Supports as well as uses their services for her 40-year-old son who lives with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy and strained speech. He receives community living and networking services.

Through the years as my son has gotten older it has become difficult because he needs total care and it became difficult with other agencies in the past to find male providers to help him but with Kaleo he has had at least two, she said.

“It’s like a unicorn in this field, really really wonderful that he’s been able to have male providers,” Black said. “I believe that Kaleo is extremely dedicated to helping find the right fit for each client and I know personally with my son they have, sometimes it takes a little while, but I know they continuously work on it.”

Black has been an employee with the company since 2019 and currently services two clients and assists them with every day and engaging activities.

“Through the years I have noticed that once you get a client and you work good together, to really keep those same people and expand that so the work involved advances their capabilities more,” she said. “It’s good for them to have some stability.”

Kaleo in Greek means ‘called to a purpose’ and in Hawaiian means, ‘to speak up for,’ both of which are my God called purpose, Szymkowiak said.

“One of the things is when I started my company, with my strong philosophy, I thought we could help everybody but It took me a bit, but I came to realize not everybody wants what we offer, and that's okay,” she said.

Kane said Nancy truly cares about the people she serves and her staff. I have seen her be selfless and creative as she's assisting a family seeking services.

“The people employed here love what we do, and who we work for. Kaleo Supports has not only made a difference in the disabilities community but also in the employees’ life,” Kelley said. “We are happy coming to work, and therefore make our clients' lives happier as well.”

Kaleo Supports hopes to provide more supportive living, independent living and to expand to a community guide which is an advocate for families.

We would like to have a conference room along with some other rooms, where we could get 10 to 12 people, classroom style, have a sensory room to work on sensory issues, an area to work on motor skills, and life skills and such, Szymkowiak said.

It is important that people with an IDD are not secluded and are active participants in the community just like everyone else and they just need a little support to do that, and it’s the right thing to do,
she said.

Organizations like these are important to our community because even though it's behind the scenes, it’s there for a population that otherwise may not be able to have the best quality of life and it makes us a better and more inclusive community, Black said.

“Kaleo takes great pride, we are an outcome-based service,” Szymkowiak said. “I always tell my staff it’s not enough to say we did six hours of service, but at the end of the day, what difference did we make in that person’s life.”

For more information about Kaleo Supports visit http://www.kaleosupports.com or call 910-630-2255.

Fayetteville Technical Community College cybersecurity instructor Chris Herring has been recognized by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants with its 2020 Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award. The organization is also known as the EC-Council.

The Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence award is one of several partner awards given annually by the council to highlight “academic institutions and instructors across the world that excel each year with lasting impacts on their students’ cybersecurity education and local communities.”

Herring, who is department chair of Systems Security & Analysis at FTCC, said he is honored to be selected for the Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence award. Two other instructors from the United States also received the award.

“During our short time working with EC-Council, the partnership has had a major positive impact on our program. The curricula is very popular with our students and our faculty alike,” Herring said. “The support team they provide is exceptional and we truly value our partnership.”

FTCC’s Systems Security & Analysis department is part of the College’s Computer Information Technology programs. It includes the college’s Cyber Education Center, which is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education. That designation comes from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The EC-Council says it determines award recipients based on more than seven areas of criteria, including continuous program development, incorporating new technologies and innovative methods of education, specialized initiative engagements, and commitment to educate and make a difference in the cybersecurity workforce.

The council describes itself as the world’s largest cybersecurity technical certification body. It operates in 145 countries and has trained, certified more than 200,000 information security professionals across
the globe.

Pictured: FTCC cybersecurity instructor Chris Herring received the 2020 Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award from the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants.

The staff of the Student Learning Center had grown accustomed to seeing Fayetteville Tech’s student-athletes regularly show up in the center, using the space for studying, tutoring and computer access between classes and afternoon
practices.

“I’d usually be in there about four hours,” men’s basketball player JeKael Gay said. “I’d finish up class around 10 a.m. and then be in the Student Learning Center until we had practice or a game. It’s a good way to get your stuff done.”

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the athletes, conscious of limiting indoor gatherings, disappeared from the SLC.

That prompted the center staff to get proactive about helping student-athletes. Center Director Kareka Chavis developed the Student Learning Center Intercollegiate Athletics Collaboration, a partnership between the two departments to promote learning opportunities for FTCC’s 130-plus athletes.

“We wanted to partner with Athletics to help any athlete who needs or wants one-on-one assistance,” Chavis said. “Mainly, we’re just trying to be an extra helping hand for them. We don’t want our student-athletes to get left behind or to lose their eligibility.”

As part of the collaboration, each athletic team is paired with a SLC staff member who serves as their team liaison, the main point of contact for helping each athlete navigate the center’s resources.

Athletic Director Dr. Shannon M. Yates said the partnership has provided valuable support for the student-athletes.

“It has been the Athletics Department’s pleasure to work with Kareka Chavis and her outstanding staff as we develop and implement the Student Learning Center Intercollegiate Athletics Collaboration,” Yates said. “This is an excellent resource for FTCC student-athletes as we continue to work through the challenges of COVID. I can not thank Kareka and her team enough for going the extra mile to foster academic success as we work to become champions in the classroom.”

The program kicked off in October, making this spring its first full semester in action.

The center staff went to work early, reaching out to student-athletes through email, phone calls and text messages, making them aware that academic help and support was available.

The center’s offerings run the gamut — from subject-specific tutoring and assistance on assignments to more fundamental skills, like time management and organization.

The SLC has ramped up its virtual assistance to fit the times and the pandemic. In addition to Net Tutor, a third-party virtual tutoring service accessible through Blackboard, the center also offers virtual one-on-one tutoring with FTCC instructors.

Brenda Harris, an athletic team liaison and instructor, said the options help student-athletes get help in a way that works with their schedule.

“The athletes have a lot of demands,” Harris said. “I’ve worked with students who are working, going to school and have athletics and have children. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it’s nice to know that someone here is available to you at a specific time.”

Through the collaboration, the center staff will maintain contact with student-athletes, checking in on their academic progress and help them navigate their overall FTCC experience.

Gay said the center’s instructors have helped him become a better writer and improve his grades, landing him on the Dean’s List for the fall semester.

“I’ve told my teammates about it, and I’d refer it to anybody, any student,” Gay said. “If you’re struggling, they can really help you out.”

Pictured above: JeKael Gay, FTCC student-athlete

Pictured below left: Kareka Chavis, Student Learning Center Director

Pictured below right: Brenda Harris, SLC instructor and team liaison

Dr. Shannon Yates, the Fayetteville Technical Community College Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, has been selected as a NJCAA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Region Ambassador.

In a news release, the National Junior College Athletic Association said “Region Ambassadors will set the foundation for Region Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committees to make an impact on the regional and national level while placing an intentional focus on educating, empowering, and engaging NJCAA student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, and administrators.”

“I am very excited and honored to represent FTCC and Region 10 as an NJCAA Ambassador for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,” she said. “I look forward to working with this group to promote and advance equality for both student-athletes and staff.”

Yates, who is in her first year at FTCC, has served in other capacities focused on equality and inclusion during her athletic administration career. She provided leadership and support for Title IX and gender equity initiatives while at Southeast Missouri and chaired the Gender Equity and Minority Enhancement NCAA Certification committee while at N.C. State.

The NJCAA has selected 39 individuals as Region Ambassadors.

“We’re excited to expand our EDI members who will bring diverse expertise, insight and energy into furthering our mission,” McTiernan said in the release. “The Region Ambassadors are comprised of a dedicated team of leaders committed to promote and advance equity, diversity and inclusion with an intentional focus to educate, empower and engage our student-athletes, coaches and athletic directors.”

The Region Ambassadors will join other NJCAA committee members and staff in a training session with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.

Pictured: Dr. Shannon Yates is the FTCC Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

A 38-year-old Fayetteville man is the first person to successfully complete a new job-training and job-placement program at Fayetteville Technical Community College called Project Cumberland Grow.

Eddie Morris’s success in the program led him to a full-time job with Comtech Inc., a supplier of wood trusses. He had interned with Comtech while participating in Project Cumberland Grow.

The FTCC-led program began last fall with $296,535 in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation through its Golden LEAF Opportunities for Work initiative. The funding provided job training and job placement assistance for individuals considered hard to employ, including people who had been previously incarcerated for non-violent crimes, those who had experienced long-term unemployment and young adults aging out of foster care.

Morris was one of five graduates of the program’s inaugural job-training class. Four students entered the next phase – internships. In December, Morris completed his internship with Comtech, thus completing the program. He was offered a full-time job with Comtech in January.

“I liked the hands-on part of the training instead of being in a classroom all day,” Morris recalled. “This [program] helped me stabilize myself and become more structured.”

Prior to joining the program, Morris experienced personal losses. His youngest son died in infancy and his father died last year from complications of COVID-19. Morris turned to alcohol for solace and accrued multiple driving under the influence charges.

As a student in Project Cumberland Grow, Morris completed required counseling treatment as part of his probation. He said he has made a conscious decision to stay sober for himself, his fiancée and his children. FTCC Success Coach

Marvin Price Jr., who mentored Morris throughout the program, said Morris saw Project Cumberland Grow as an opportunity to create a new future for his loved ones.

“He told me, ‘I will not let you down, sir,’” Price said. “Through it all, Mr. Morris demonstrated perseverance, character and a commitment to prove not only to himself, but to those who have supported him along the way, that he was going to finish what he had started. He continued to look onward and upward.”

In Project Cumberland Grow, FTCC partners with local agencies, employers and nonprofits to identify prospective trainees. Participants work with a success coach and receive ongoing counseling during the program’s 15 weeks. They also take basic courses in electrical, HVAC, plumbing and carpentry trades. Morris earned a certificate for completing more than 300 hours of basic building construction training, a card indicating completion of OSHA 10-hour safety training course and the National Center for Construction Education and Research’s (NCCER) Core Credential.

“Jobs provide hope, opportunity, and dignity,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President and Chief Executive Officer. “This initiative is a key component in building a skilled workforce to meet the needs of local employers.”

Seven students are currently enrolled in the program’s second cohort, which began Jan. 25. The Golden LEAF funding will support the program for two years and, FTCC plans to sustain the program in the future depending on its outcomes.

Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 36,000 students annually with over 280 occupational, technical, general education, college transfer and continuing education programs.
The nonprofit Golden LEAF Foundation uses funding from the 1998 settlement with cigarette manufacturers to support economic and workforce development in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities.

Fayetteville Technical Community College has been named a Top Ten Military Friendly School in the 2021-22 national rankings by Viqtory, an independent media firm that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. FTCC ranked ninth among large community colleges.

More than 1,200 institutions participated in Viqtory’s annual survey to determine its 2021-22 list of Military Friendly Schools. Of the participants, 747 schools earned the Military Friendly designation.

Viqtory also determines the top ten schools in categories such as large community colleges and awards gold status both to the top ten and to other institutions within 10 percent of the tenth-ranked school. FTCC has been among the top ten in its category for several years.

“We are delighted to be recognized again as one of the nation's top Military Friendly institutions,” said FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen. “Fayetteville Technical Community College has a longstanding commitment to helping members of the military and their families. We continually appreciate the safety and security that they provide for each of us in this country. We’re pleased to be able to provide them with exceptional educational opportunities that are also affordable and convenient.”

The methodology, criteria and weightings for the annual Military Friendly list were determined by Viqtory with input from an advisory council of independent leaders in higher education and the military recruitment community.

Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and public data from government and agency sources, within a logic-based scoring assessment. Institutions are measured on their ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

The 2021-22 Military Friendly Schools list will be included in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, which is published by Viqtory. The list is also available at militaryfriendly.com.

FTCC has a wide range of classes and programs are available in a variety of settings, including on FTCC’s campuses, at Fort Bragg and online. FTCC awards appropriate credit for prior military learning and follows up with comprehensive services to meet the special educational needs of military personnel and their families.

FTCC’s All American Veterans Center, on its Fayetteville campus, provides educational assistance and support to veterans. The College’s Transition Tech program provides industry-focused training for military members who are preparing for civilian life.

To learn more about FTCC’s programs for the military and veterans, visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/military-veterans/

Amanda Parra dreamed of becoming a physician but figured it was an idea that was well beyond reach.

She was a married stepmom of two teenagers. She had no experience working in healthcare. And she suspected the education she’d need would be too expensive.

So Parra explored healthcare careers that seemed affordable and attainable, as well as professionally satisfying, and she enrolled in the radiography program at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

At FTCC, she earned an associate degree in radiography that helped her land a good job. She also gained the confidence to act on her dream of medical school.

Parra remembers the moment she started believing in her dream. She was chatting with Anita McKnight, the chair of FTCC’s radiography program.

“I said, ‘It popped into my head that I want to go to medical school,’” Parra recalled.

She waited for McKnight to look doubtful. Instead, the instructor smiled. “Yes,” she told Parra, “that’s possible.”

And Parra suddenly believed that it was.

“That was kind of the catalyst that helped me get to where I am now,” said Parra, who’s in her second year at Ross University School of Medicine. She hopes to specialize in emergency medicine. “That would dovetail with my X-ray experience,” she said.

Parra, who is 32, worked at various jobs in retail and banking early on but was bored by them. When her husband was reassigned to Fort Bragg, she decided she wanted to work in healthcare. “I was, ‘I want to do better,’” she said. “‘I want to help people.’”

She researched educational options and liked what she learned about FTCC’s health programs – “they had a good reputation, it was all accredited” – and the cost fit her budget.

Med school was not on her radar then. “I thought that was for rich kids and kids who are 24 or 25 whose parents can pay for stuff,” she said. “Not for me as a married stepmom.”

Parra loved FTCC’s radiography program. She said the faculty set high standards and demanded excellence but were also helpful and encouraging.

“They were just always so supportive,” she said. “They were always so warm and welcoming. It’s not the coddling kind of warmth. They’re always very honest.”

After graduating from FTCC in 2017, Parra worked full-time as a radiologic technologist at Moore Regional Hospital. At the same time, she also took a full load of classes at Campbell University. With full credit for her associate degree from FTCC, she earned her bachelor’s degree in health science in just over a year’s time. She then started applying to medical schools.

Parra started at Ross University School of Medicine in January of 2020 but had to take all of her first-year courses online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the school, which is located on the Caribbean island of Barbados, is open for face-to-face instruction. Parra flew there last month, but had to start her classes online while she waited out a required two-week quarantine.

Still, she was excited to be there – for the education, not the tropical paradise. Via a Zoom call, she said she expects to see some of Barbados in coming months. But she said most of her waking hours will be spent in class or studying.

“You have to set your standards,” she said. “Do I want to get Cs or do I want to get As?”

Parra wants As. She wants to become an excellent physician.

While at school, Parra is separated from her family. Her stepsons serve in the Navy now – a source of pride – so they’re no longer at home, needing her day-to-day attention. But her husband is still stationed at Fort Bragg and the couple miss each other. But, Parra said, the separation won’t be forever. “He’s been a huge supportive factor,” she said.

Meanwhile, throughout the years, she has remained in touch with McKnight and Michelle Walden, FTCC’s Dean of Health Technologies and she expects to continue to do so.

“I see them as my mentors and my friends,” Parra said. “I never in a million years would be here pursuing a medical career without them and all of the lovely professors and teachers at FTCC. I wouldn’t be here at all without FTCC.”

Five years after House Bill 2 put North Carolina at the center of national controversy, cities in the state’s liberal enclaves are once again discussing discrimination and the LGBT community.

Six cities and counties in North Carolina have passed ordinances that designate sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes, and LGBT advocates are now pushing two dozen more to follow suit.

But the new ordinances studiously avoid the flashpoint of 2016 — bathroom policy for transgender people. Both LGBT advocates and the General Assembly appear hesitant to wade back in to that debate.

The six new ordinances are nearly identical and largely symbolic. They prohibit businesses from denying services or employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as federally protected classes like race, religion, sex and disability. Several also include prohibitions against discrimination based on hairstyles “commonly associated with race or national origin.”

Under most of the new ordinances, violators can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $500 per day. These moves renew a debate that began in 2016, when the city of Charlotte passed a sweeping nondiscrimination ordinance that protected gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. More controversially, Charlotte’s ordinance also allowed people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify, a measure aimed at making transgender people more comfortable.

Opponents feared that people would abuse the ordinance to illicitly use women’s bathrooms and changing facilities. Legal experts also said Charlotte’s ordinance essentially outlawed separate men’s and women’s restrooms.

In response, the General Assembly passed and then-Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2, a measure that undid Charlotte’s ordinance and required people to use the bathroom of their biological sex in public buildings. The law touched off a national firestorm. The NBA moved its All-Star Game planned for Charlotte out of state, businesses canceled expansions and entertainers canceled performances as a form of protest.

Gov. Roy Cooper campaigned for office on repealing H.B. 2, and did so in March 2017.

The repeal bill included a provision that cities could not pass nondiscrimination ordinances, a provision with a sunset in December 2020.

Hillsborough became the first N.C. city to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance since the sunset, on Jan. 11. Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, and Orange County quickly followed suit.

Mecklenburg County has passed a resolution professing support for the LGBT community but has not yet considered an ordinance.

Organizations like the N.C. Family Policy Council and the N.C. Values Coalition have lined up against the new ordinances, saying they violate women’s privacy and could harm religious institutions and faith-based businesses. For example, churches or mosques would not be able to take sexual orientation or gender identity into account when hiring even if their religious doctrine spoke to the matter.

General Assembly leaders have been relatively quiet on the new ordinances but have indicated they will not act unless these potential problems become widespread.

A spokesman for Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, declined to comment. In an interview with Spectrum News, Berger said that any next steps would come from private legal actions if small business owners felt their religious liberty in jeopardy — not a new law.

“The courts are probably the appropriate forum for us to look at,” he said.

An audit released by State Auditor Beth Wood’s office Feb. 18, found the state Department of Health and Human Services did a poor job of gatekeeping the Medicaid Provider Enrollment process.

The auditor’s office says HHS didn’t properly ensure that only qualified providers were approved to provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries and to get payments from the state’s Medicaid program. HHS didn’t identify those providers who had professional licenses suspended or terminated so they could remove them from the program, the audit said.

Furthermore, the audit found that HHS didn’t ensure its contractor General Dynamics Information Technology verified all professional credentials and provider ownership information during the enrollment re-verification process. Auditors sampled 191 approved applications and found that 185 of them never had their professional credentials verified.

“The Department of Health and Human Services does not check any credentials during this reverification process. None,” Wood said in a video accompanying the audit.

Examiners discovered that of 66 Medicaid providers disciplined by their licensing board in fiscal 2019, 26 had their license suspended or terminated. HHS only removed eight of the 26 from the Medicaid program.

The reasons for the suspended or terminated licenses ranged from substance abuse to sexual misconduct to a felony conviction related to health-care fraud.

These errors increased the risk that ill-equipped providers could receive millions of dollars in improper payments, the audit said. Such neglect is a big deal across the country: The Government Accountability Office reported that non-compliance with provider screening and enrollment requirements among the states contributed to more than a third of the $36.3 billion in estimated improper payments in 2018.

States are required to screen and enroll Medicaid providers in accordance with standards set by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help combat waste, fraud, and abuse of the system. It’s also a matter of safety, as Wood’s office said that some providers on the Medicaid rolls lost their licenses due to patient deaths.

The audit said that unlicensed providers received $1.64 million in Medicaid payments in North Carolina during fiscal 2020. Providers lacking proper credentials got $11.2 in funds that year.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of HHS, said in a response included with the audit that she agrees with the findings, and the department has removed ineligible providers and is working to recoup improper payments.

“Ensuring that we enroll and maintain only qualified providers to care for the beneficiaries is a fundability responsibility of the Medicaid program,” she wrote. “I have directed our Medicaid program leadership to make the issues identified in the report a top priority.”

Legislation introduced by Republican lawmakers would mandate recipients of unemployment benefits actively search for work, a requirement that hasn’t been in place since the pandemic began in March.

Traditionally, unemployment benefits have been linked to a job-search requirement. But in a March 10 executive order, Gov. Roy Cooper waived that requirement due to the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.

Now that the economy is improving and rates of infection, hospitalization, and death in North Carolina are steadily declining, lawmakers believe it’s time for the job-search requirement to make a comeback.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate peaked at 12.9% in April before declining to 6.2% by December, the most recent month for which data are available.

Due to the state’s improving employment situation, North Carolina no longer meets the federal government’s threshold for paying extended unemployment benefits up to 24 weeks after traditional unemployment benefits run out. Those extended benefits ended Feb. 20.

The bills introduced in the state House and Senate would only apply the work-search requirement to those who lost unemployment for non-COVID-related reasons.

The N.C. Division of Employment Security has the option of waiving the requirements, even without legislative authorization.

At a legislative meeting Feb. 17, DES assistant secretary Pryor Gibson signaled to lawmakers that his office would reintroduce the work requirement “within days, certainly within weeks.” That directive would apply to all recipients of unemployment benefits, not just those who lost work due for reasons unrelated to COVID-19.

“It makes sense for DES and legislators to reinstate job-search requirements for people who are unemployed for reasons unrelated to COVID-19,” said Joseph Coletti, senior fellow for fiscal studies with the John Locke Foundation.“Even people who lost their job because of the pandemic have found new jobs.

“As parts of the economy strengthen, businesses need to fill those roles. Since the governor waived the job-search requirement nearly a year ago, workers and businesses have learned how to take precautions to limit risk. This is a reasonable step in the process of restarting.”

All told, North Carolina has paid more than $10 billion in unemployment claims since the pandemic began in March.

With new U.S. Census data not expected until September, the State Board of Elections is recommending moving all of this year’s municipal elections to 2022.

Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell also told the elections board Feb. 23 she recommends delaying the 2022 primary elections from March until May.

The changes would need to be passed by the General Assembly. Bell said she would present these recommendations to a House committee on Feb. 24.

Sixty-two municipalities, including North Carolina’s largest city of Charlotte, use districts or wards to elect council members. These districts are reapportioned every decade with data provided in the U.S. Census.

This data traditionally is finished by the end of March of the following year, and redistricting is completed by the summer. But the U.S. Census Bureau said results this year would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Numbers won’t be delivered to the states until Sept. 30.

This poses a problem for the 2021 municipal elections. Filing is currently set to begin in July. Holding elections under previous census data could pose constitutional and other legal issues for those 62 municipalities.

The delayed census results could also create a tight turnaround for the 2022 primary elections, which are scheduled for March. North Carolina could be in line for an additional seat in Congress due to population growth.

Once redistricting is complete, it takes about two months for the State Board of Elections to finish coding and preparing ballots for the new districts.

Thus, Bell recommended moving the primary to May. This election will include several high-profile contests, most notably the party primaries for the U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is expected to retire at the end of this term, making it an open seat.

The recommendations were met with little comment by the State Board of Elections members. One member said he was hesitant to endorse the changes.

“It causes me some heartburn to talk about making such a sweeping change,” board member Stacy Eggers said. Chairman Damon Circosta said he trusted the General Assembly would make the right decision.

Off-year elections tend to have significantly lower turnout than even-year federal election cycles. Moving municipal elections to 2022 could pose problems for Republicans in urban areas, which have trended Democratic in recent years.

Cape Fear Valley Health’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics are now open to “frontline essential workers”, which includes all of Group 3.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services define "frontline essential workers" as people who must be in-person at their place of work and work in one of the eight essential sectors including: education, critical manufacturing, essential goods, food and agriculture, government and community services, health care and public health, public safety and transportation. Any frontline essential workers ages 18 and older are now eligible as part of Group 3 to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, in addition to individuals in Groups 1 and 2 — healthcare and long-term care workers and anyone aged 65 and older.

“This is a very broad category that includes most workers, if they are working in-person with others or the public,” said Chris Tart, PharmD, Vice President of Professional Services at Cape Fear Valley Health. “If you’re not sure whether your job fits in this category, we encourage you to go online to www.capefearvalley.com/covid19 to schedule your vaccination and find what group you fit in.”

All first-dose visits for those in Group 3 require an appointment, but appointments are not required for second doses. Patients should return to the site of their first vaccination shot at the appropriate time to receive their second shot. Appointment times open on Fridays each week by 5 p.m. A full list of vaccine clinic hours for March 2–5 are below.

Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center Auditorium in Fayetteville: (This clinic offers the Pfizer Vaccine.)

First doses: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 1-hour appointment blocks.

Second doses: May walk in (no appointment required) Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: 1638 Owen Drive. Individuals should arrive to the building from the corner of Melrose and John Carlisle Lane and look for the "Event Parking" sign for the designated parking lot.

Health Pavilion North ExpressCare in North Fayetteville: (This clinic offers the Pfizer Vaccine.)

First doses: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 1-hour appointment blocks.

Second doses: May walk in (no appointment required) Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: 6387 Ramsey Street. Individuals will pull in the main entrance, and be directed to check in, where they will receive instructions. Individuals will wait in their vehicles until they are called in to the building to receive their vaccine.

Cumberland County, the City of Fayetteville and Sustainable Sandhills have launched an anti-litter campaign called “5 for Friday.” The goal is to encourage businesses, schools, community groups and individuals to reduce litter by having people pick up five pieces of trash and recyclable materials every Friday. “If 5,000 people picked up five pieces of litter every week, Cumberland County would reduce its litter footprint by 1.3 million pieces of litter,” said Cumberland County Solid Waste Management Director Amanda Bader. Litter pickup along roadways is managed by NCDOT. There are 2,900 travel lane miles countywide. “The more residents and businesses help, the cleaner our community will be; we are all in this together,” said Fayetteville Assistant Public Services Director Daniel Edwards.

All Fayetteville Area System of Transit routes have resumed full service following several weeks of reduced bus routes because of COVID-19. Contact tracing continues after several employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The safety of employees and passengers is priority according to Transit Director Randy Hume. Lines on buses now mark a ‘no standing zone’ to encourage six feet of physical distance between the driver seat and passengers who must enter and exit the rear doors.

Additionally, FAST crews have increased the frequency of cleaning of buses and FAST facilities. Bus roof hatches are opened to increase airflow when weather permits. “Each FAST employee plays a vital role in providing transportation throughout Fayetteville. Our employees are truly the heart of our department and kept our community moving,” Hume said. All FAST employees, passengers and visitors are required to wear masks on board buses and at FAST facilities.

Protesters-turned-rioters who massed at the Capitol on Jan. 6 carried with them pro-Trump signs, American flags and an array of political banners. Some waved Marine Corps flags; some sported military and tactical material. More than two dozen people who were later charged in crimes stemming from the attack on the Capitol had military ties. One veteran was accused of being the leader of the far-right, anti-government extremist group Oath Keepers. For decades, the U.S. military has sought out extremists such as militia groups, white supremacists, skin heads and others who advocate violence against the government. But the Defense Department has no method of tracking allegations of extremism.

The concerns were evident long before the attack on the Capitol. 25 years ago, then-Army Secretary Togo West ordered an army-wide investigation of subversives by a special task force he appointed. A two-month inquiry found only isolated cases of extremism in the ranks. West convened the task force following the 1995 murders by 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers of a black couple in Fayetteville. Police concluded the three white soldiers who were charged in the killings were skin heads with racial motives. The task force said many soldiers reported "an undercurrent of subtle racism" which focused on racial, ethnic and cultural differences.

I’ve never really been a victim of cancel culture. But that’s not to say my critics haven’t tried to make me one.

I began my syndicated column in 1986. It ran initially in a couple of newspapers in eastern North Carolina, then spread to dozens of others over the ensuing decade. On several occasions, left-wing activists have tried to get editors to drop my column. It never worked. In my experience, local newspaper folks didn’t like obviously orchestrated attempts to dictate editorial decisions.

During my quarter-century as a regular panelist on TV shows, I can’t say producers or stations were never subject to political pressure. They were. But I was never silenced.

I am, of course, just a relatively obscure scribbler and pontificator. At the national level, cancel culture has become a real and pervasive threat in universities, business and media. Teachers, writers, actors, and even low-level employees have been fired not for doing their jobs poorly, or for truly egregious personal behavior that reflected poorly on their judgment and their employers, but simply for expressing or even tolerating political views that online bullies didn’t like.
Before you jump to the conclusion I’m only talking about political conservatives, I’ll offer two cases of non-conservatives who’ve lost their jobs at just one outlet, The New York Times, for reasons that can only be described as ridiculous.

The first example, James Bennet, is someone I happen to know slightly. We were both reporter-researchers at The New Republic at the same time, just as the Reagan administration was drawing to a close, although the number of meaningful conversations we had could be counted on one hand.

During the riots last summer, Bennet ran an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas that advocated deploying the military if necessary to protect lives and property. Many people had a strong negative reaction to it. I disagreed with part of Cotton’s argument myself. But it was an obviously newsworthy column by a sitting U.S. senator that expressed a mainstream view held by many millions of Americans.

No doubt Bennet disagreed with Cotton, too. But he was editorial-page editor of a national newspaper. It was his job to run such op-eds. In fact, the Times even solicited the piece! But Bennet was forced out over it.

More recently, you may have heard, Times science writer Donald McNeil Jr. was cancelled because he used the “n-word” in a conversation with a student. Was McNeil engaging in some racist fulmination or treating the student in a creepy way? No. The student asked McNeil for his opinion about the fate of another student who’d been suspended for using the n-word in a video made when that student was 12 years old. While asking for clarification of the question, McNeil repeated the word. For that, he was forced out.

To be sure, there is a lot of hyperbole, hypocrisy, and shoddy reasoning to be found among current condemnations of cancel culture. When Sen. Josh Hawley lost a book contract with a major publisher after the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, he said, “This is not just a contractual dispute. It’s a direct assault on the First Amendment.”

Nonsense. The constitution prohibits the government from restraining our right to speak or publish, or to punish us later for expressing political views that government functionaries dislike. It has nothing to do with the decisions of private actors.

A better argument is that even perfectly legal private decisions to cancel will, over time, weaken the culture of free expression. We need that culture. We need it to foster good journalism, to create great works of art, and to lubricate our daily interactions within a society of diverse opinions.

Remember the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s? It’s been denounced repeatedly ever since. But now I can’t help wondering: were those denunciations really about the injustice of people losing jobs because of their political views and friendships? Or is cancel culture okay as long as the victims aren’t communists?

Welcome back to both of my readers.

As you two may recall, in the column two weeks ago we enjoyed the first six labors of Hercules in an effort to make you feel better about your own lives in comparison to Hercules’ cosmic troubles. For those of you who came in late, the nutshell version of Herk’s story was that he was the illegitimate child of Zeus. When Mrs. Hera Zeus learned Zeus was Herk’s Baby Daddy, she was sorely vexed. Hera tried to kill Herk in his crib with some snakes, failed, made Herk insane, and made him kill Mrs. Herk and his kids. Herk came to his senses and sought forgiveness by Apollo by doing penance in the form of 12 difficult labors.

Today we learn what Herk had to do in his last six dirty jobs. Job Number 7 was to capture the Cretan Bull. The Cretan Bull had an interesting family tree. The Bull’s mom was Pasiphae who was the Queen of Crete. She managed to aggravate the Sea God Poseidon. Poseidon put a spell on her that made her fall in love with the Cretan Bull. From this interspecies love affair, she gave birth to the Minotaur who was half bull, half man. Their family reunions were a caution. The Cretan Bull was raising heck all over Crete messing up fields and knocking down walls. Being a superhero, naturally Herk caught the Cretan Bull.

Labor 8 was to steal the Mares of Thrace. These were no ordinary cayuses. Instead of eating grass these horses ate people. Capturing a herd of giant carnivorous horses was a challenge even for Herk. The herd belonged to Diomedes the King of Thrace who wasn’t inclined to give them to Herk. Word on the street said Alexander the Great’s very own horse Bucephalus was a descendant of the Mares of Thrace. Herk whipped Diomedes’ cowboys. He unchained the horses and drove them down to the sea. Herk then left his buddy Abderus in charge of the horses, leaving to fight Diomedes himself at High Noon. Unfortunately, the horses ate Abderus. Herk was displeased and fed Diomedes to his own horses. Chowing down on humans had a calming effect on the horses. Herk duct taped their mouths shut and got them under control.

Number 9 was to steal the girdle of Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. This was no mere panty raid. Hippolyta was an upper crust Amazon debutante who proudly wore her girdle that her Daddy had given her at her coming out party. Ever the ladies’ man, Herk sweet-talked Hippolyta out of her girdle. Herk’s old enemy Hera disguised herself as an Amazon to spread the fake news that Herk had kidnapped Hippolyta. The other Amazons attacked Herk’s ship thinking to save Hippolyta as a result of Hera’s lying mouth. In the confusion of the battle, Herk mistakenly killed Hippolyta. Luckily, he did get to keep her girdle.

Labor 10 was a doozy. Herk had to rustle the cattle herd of a three-bodied Giant named Geryon. A Giant with only one body is major trouble. Imagine what a three-bodied Giant could do. The mind boggles. There is some confusion as to whether Geryon had one body and three heads, or three bodies and three heads. He may have had six legs and six arms. Accounts vary. But whatever, he was a warrior. He owned a two-headed dog named Orthrus who guarded his cows. When Herk got near the cows, Orthrus attacked him. Herk smote him with a club sending Orthrus to doggy heaven. Geryon heard the ruckus and rumbled with Herk. Herk shot Geryon square in the head with a poisoned arrow causing his demise. To cover his tracks with the herd, Herk made the cows walk backwards all the way to the
stock yards.

Job 11 required Herk to steal the golden apples of the Hesperides who were three or more beauteous young nymphs of the female persuasion. They were sometimes called the Nymphs of the West because they lived at the edge of the world. Not only could they grow golden apples but they were excellent singers. When the occasion called for it, they could turn themselves into trees. Herk ran into Atlas who was holding up the sky. Herk volunteered to give Atlas a rest from sky holding if Atlas would steal the apples for him. Atlas shrugged and stole the apples. Atlas didn’t want to go back to holding up the sky. Herk tricked Atlas into holding up the sky again and ran off with the apples to make a really large pie.

Herk’s final job was to be a dog catcher to catch Cerberus the dog that guarded the Gates of Hell to keep the dead inside. Cerberus had three heads with a poisonous snake as his tail. He was meaner than a junk yard dog. Herk strode down into Hell setting out to capture Cerberus. Herk used his lion skin cape to wrap around Cerebrus to squeeze him into submission. Herk put Cerberus on an iron leash and his labors
were over.

Editor’s Note: No bulls, carnivorous horses, Amazons, Giants, two or three headed dogs were injured, nor were any golden apples bruised during the writing of this column. Now don’t you feel better about your own tasks in life? Now get back to work.

In Other News … millions of Americans, including this one, are breathing sighs of relief and feeling our bodies relax a bit now that hardball and toxic partisan politics are taking a break under a new Administration. Its absence gives all of us a chance to absorb other news perhaps not as intense, but important, nevertheless. Here are several national stories that have caught my attention.

Like many other developed nations, the United States’ birth rate is falling, beginning in 2008 and dipping below the replacement level. Americans are marrying later, if at all, and having fewer children. Demographers say there are multiple reasons for this, including the phenomenal expense of raising and educating children and our nation’s distinctly unfriendly family support policies.

Both Democrats and Republicans, including President Biden and U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, are proposing financial supports for families, albeit of different sorts and for different lengths of time. Other nations, notably Spain, Hungary, France and Japan, have instituted various financial incentives, but none have worked over the long term. A recent story in the The New York Times concludes, “Public child care is the only policy that has been shown to increase fertility in a lasting way … especially if its quality is high, and if it’s available for children of all ages and covers a range of work hours.”

Researchers at the Wittgenstein Centre in Vienna, which studies population, stress this: “Policies should respond to diverse needs of the population, and not to the ideological beliefs of the policy makers.”

And why should we care whether our birth rate declines? We should care because babies grow into the workers of tomorrow who provide society’s financial safety nets and become the movers and shakers for everyone’s futures.
COVID has changed so much about how we live. We must now wear masks, limit our social interactions and the number of people we see, including family and friends, and many of us are suffering mental and emotional distress of all sorts because of COVID’s effects. We now know COVID has also changed how long we live.

More than half a million Americans have died of COVID, more than in any other nation and more than Americans deaths in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts combined. The massive number of fatalities has literally lowered the life expectancy for all of us by at least one year, and more for racial and ethnic minorities. The gap between the life spans of white and Black Americans is now six years, the widest gap in more than two decades. Such declines in developed nations are unusual, and the United States had begun rebounding from thousands of opioid epidemic deaths between 2014 and 2017. Those gains are now gone. The last major U.S. life span decline was between 1942 and 1943 when our nation entered World War II.

The United States has historically prided itself on being just that— individual states that united. Each state makes its own laws and regulations, which creates a patchwork which has worked for more than 250 years. Occasionally, we find situations where a national strategy would have been more effective than the patchwork. Imagine how much more efficient and almost certainly less lethal a comprehensive national approach fighting COVID and delivering vaccines would have been than our system of each state — and in North Carolina each county — working independently. And, the 29 million people who live in Texas and who suffered through this month’s record cold snap probably wish Texas had become part of the national energy grid so that other states could have sent them some power.

In other words, national responsibility for issues involving public health and safety is not always a bad thing.

Howdy folks! Truman the Dragon here from Kidsville News! I know you may be wondering why I am writing an article in the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper. Well, this is a first for me, but I have a very important message for the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community. You see, I created the Kidsville News! Educational Resource back in the day with my friend Bill Bowman and the assistance and guidance of Cumberland County Schools. Yep. My friend the Character Bear and I came to the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community at the very same time. Together and with the support of CCS and local businesses and educational sponsors, we have had the privilege of supporting Fort Bragg, Cumberland County and Hoke County schools for 23 consecutive years.

Pretty cool, huh? It has been a wonderful and rewarding experience providing this fun and valuable literacy and educational resource to the young K–5th-grade children, their teachers and parents. Now, summer is fast approaching! With all the lockdowns and prudent precautions our educational leaders are taking to protect our teachers and children's health and welfare, it is essential that these caring adults understand that children also need to have fun and recreation! So, my message is one of awareness for parents, teachers and the dozens of local Fayetteville and Cumberland County businesses, daycare centers, churches and nonprofit organizations that are considering hosting Summer Camps in 2021. These essential SUMMERTIME SANCTUARIES are more critical now than ever to develop a child's physical and mental health. I want to encourage every business and organization thinking about hosting a Summer Camp to know how vitally important it is to get their camp information and message out to families and the general public about what creative and exciting adventures await their children. Here's why: First and foremost - children need to have fun! They need fresh air outside of the house and away from their computer screens. They need to run, jump, play and socialize with their friends and children of their age. In other words, "kids need to be kids!" That's also why I want to remind teachers, parents and guardians that they are responsible and in full control of their child's health, development and happiness. I have tens of thousands of young friends, and it has been heartbreaking during the last year to see them sad, lonely and missing their friends and classmates. Unfortunately, that's not all they are missing. They are missing playgrounds, field trips, music venues, sports, theater. More concerning, they are missing way too many nutritious meals with healthy fruits and vegetables.

Getting children enrolled in a Summer Camp with educational and fun summertime activities will prepare them better for dealing with social and academic challenges in the coming school year. Again, this is why I am encouraging anyone (businesses, daycares, churches, theaters, schools, etc.) who is having a Summer Camp this May, June, July or August to contact me. I want to assist them in marketing and advertising their Summer Camp in the Kidsville News! 2021 Summer Camp Directory. I'm providing significant discounts for local businesses and nonprofits, a free camp directory listing, and free reading and educational resources with activity worksheets for every child. This is an important publication because parents, teachers and guardians need to know what is available for their children other than COVID masks, social distancing and a computer screen. Children need to have FUN! and parents and guardians need to know where the fun is. So, if you know a business, church or organization offering fun and exciting summertime experiences, ask them to let me help them get their message out.

Businesses and organizations promoting Summer Camps in Kidsville News! will have a chance to win a FREE $100 Shopping Spree at my very, very favorite place — Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop. Yep, and all the participating Campers will receive a delicious FREE gift from Rocket Fizz and a special edition of Kidsville News! For more information or to advertise, promote and market your Summer Camp call Up & Coming Weekly at 910-484-6200 or contact me directly at Kidsville 910-391-3859. Thanks a million! I will be looking forward to seeing you at Rocket Fizz this summer.

Oh, by the way, if you see my friend Bill Bowman make sure you thank him for allowing me to use his space for this important message. I'm sure he would want me to tell you, "Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly."

Leadership moves the world. That’s why it’s important, why we study it, and why we strive to be successful leaders in today’s winning organizations. Did you know that 37% of employees surveyed reported they had left a job mainly due to poor leadership? At its core, leadership is about human beings coming together to accomplish some desired outcome.

Start 2021 off on the right foot by pursuing a Leadership Studies degree at Fayetteville Technical Community College. Our Leadership Studies Program seeks students with the passion and dedication to join a new generation of organizational leaders who will confront challenges in an increasingly complex and constantly changing world. It guides and facilitates the processes that allow students a deep understanding and appreciation of the dynamics of leadership, the convergence of leadership with other people, and the role of the individual as a leader in groups, organizations and society.

In the program, students develop an understanding of leadership as a process and as a relationship among people that transcends the setting. Students gain a deep appreciation of the dynamics and responsibilities of leadership. In addition, the program prepares students for a successful career in leadership positions in a wide variety of career paths and professions to meet their professional and educational goals. For example, the program fosters crucial skills sought after by employers — innovation, teamwork, change management, adaptability, communication, critical thinking and analysis — hallmarks of leadership. These skills enable FTCC graduates to succeed in management or leadership roles in their organizations.

The program also prepares students for employment in a competitive marketplace or guides students to a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college. FTCC has numerous articulation agreements with four-year universities, allowing students to complete additional upper-level courses with the value of FTCC’s affordable tuition.

The program helps students understand leadership not only as a position but also as a process and a relationship among people, learn how to examine issues from varied perspectives, embrace differences and change, and seek innovative solutions to complicated problems. Courses challenge students to think critically, communicate effectively and anticipate change. Students can enter the program through the gateway course (LDR-110) Introduction to Leadership.

Without question, today’s workforce must be competitive, interactive and diverse to compete and succeed in a changing global economy. Leaders will be required to meet these global challenges with exceptional leadership skill sets needed to keep their companies successful and profitable in an ever-changing economic environment. Are you ready for the leadership challenge? Experience high-quality instruction at FTCC, regardless if the class is face to face, online or blended. At FTCC, students learn from proven business leaders who excel in many levels. Visit www.faytechcc.edu to apply. Feel free to email me at bellfloj@faytechcc.edu for help or questions about the degree program. Make the SMART choice for your education — Fayetteville Technical Community College!

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation has selected Methodist University to award Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan medallions and certificates beginning at the May 2021 commencement ceremony.

The University will also house a permanent plaque where the names of the recipients will be added annually.

“It is a tremendous honor for Methodist University to join the ranks of other distinguished universities and colleges that are authorized to present the Sullivan Award,” said Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden.

“This will become one of our highest distinctions for students, an honor that recognizes the well-rounded student: academically strong, meaningfully engaged in the community, driven by a commitment to putting others before themselves. These are the qualities to which we aspire. Our mission statement commits Methodist University to truth, virtue, justice, and love, which correspond well with the goals of the Sullivan Foundation. This award gives Methodist the opportunity to recognize members of our university community who best exemplify these values.”

The medallions are awarded to college students and members of the college community who have demonstrated noble character and have acted as humble servants by serving those around them. Rev. Kelli Taylor, Methodist University’s vice president of Religious Life and Community Engagement, received a medallion in 1989 when studying at Converse College.

“Receiving the Sullivan medallion moves beyond recognition and joins recipients to a community of scholars who value the ideals of heart, mind, and conduct as evince of a spirit of love for and helpfulness to humanity,” said Taylor. “Nobility of character, a criterion that the Sullivan Foundation defines as ‘when one goes outside the narrow circle of self-interest and begins to spend himself for the interests of mankind,’ is critical to a society immersed in conversations of racial justice, love for neighbor, and unity.”

Notable recipients include former First Lady Elanor Roosevelt, TV personality Mr. Fred Rogers, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and tennis star Betty Pratt.

The Sullivan Foundation was established in 1934 and began awarding service-based scholarships to deserving students while establishing endowments at certain schools within its network. Its roots go back nearly 80 years earlier, when Algernon Sydney Sullivan himself was a young lawyer in Indiana. He used his legal talents and personal wealth to help those in trouble in his community, building a reputation for taking on clients who could pay him little or nothing when he believed their cause was just. When Algernon and his wife Mary Mildred Sullivan moved to New York in 1856, they remained dedicated to the cause of helping people in trouble. A believer in equality for all, Algernon also sponsored the first African American member of the New York Bar Association.

The honor that Algernon would have appreciated the most was the one he received when the New York Southern Society — an organization he himself founded — established the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award in 1890. The award was created to recognize college students in the South for “excellence of character and service to humanity.” Algernon and Mary’s only son, George, continued and cemented the Sullivans’ legacy when, in 1934, he created the Sullivan Foundation to ensure the continued existence of the awards. The Foundation remains as strong as ever today, building a legacy of service, courage, and character.

Methodist University is an independent, four-year institution of higher education with approximately 2,000 students from across the U.S. and more than 70 countries. Methodist University offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs (including doctoral-level options) on campus and online.

According to a 2020 research study by coworkingresources.org, an expected 5 million people will be working from coworking spaces by 2024, a 158 percent increase since 2020.

The need for facilities to provide coworking spaces is already being addressed in Fayetteville with current and new offices sweeping in.

Fayetteville’s newest coworking venture called The Hub is owned by Tyson Commercial Real Estate. The space, located at 109 Hay St., is set to open in March, and join existing spaces like Revolutionary Coworking and The Common to accommodate the increasing need for coworking facilities.

“The Hub is Fayetteville’s community connector and offers a turnkey experience and workspaces for business owners and entrepreneurs in our area,” Henry Tyson, co-founder of The Hub, said. “It’s a space to incubate an idea for an emerging company, a place for people to get together and do business with one another all while spurring each other on towards accomplishing their goals.”

The 3,500 sq ft. coworking space will offer small office spaces, desks, storage, conference rooms for meetings, patio space, and options for designated parking with the goal of flexibility for customers.

It’s a membership model said Clark Rinehart, consultant for The Hub. There is a monthly option, or folks can also come in and use the space for the day or week, Rinehart said.

Rinehart owns a coworking business in Raleigh and says his expertise is the layout and design of such spaces helps him make recommendations for the Fayetteville market.

While there are other great providers in Fayetteville, Rinehart said The Hub aims to establish a premium working space with all the amenities people expect in a professional office space.

Due to pandemic social distancing restrictions, The Hub will accommodate about 55 to 60 spots for coworking. The facility will provide premium coffee, dedicated parking, high speed Wi-Fi and staff on site to help with any issues.

Our team has worked really hard to create a premium and professional environment that will foster growth from the heart of the city, Tyson said.

The Hub is offering scheduled tours and information to potential customers and can be reached at http://hubfaye.com/landing-page/ or their email hello@hubfaye.com

“Is the traditional office space dead? No, but a hybrid model having flexibility — like you can work from home and then have a place perhaps even a small footprint companies had prior to the pandemic — that’s why I think these models will thrive,” Rinehart said. “I do think there is a market for coworking spaces in Fayetteville, especially downtown, lots of small businesses, military, entrepreneurs and people who have been running very successful companies from home who are yearning for these types of spaces.”

The Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation’s CORE Innovation Center located in the PWC building downtown offers tech-focused coworking spaces.

The Core Innovation Center is little different than a coworking space. Designed for government contracting and energy companies, it places emphasis on those doing business with the government, said Robert Van Geons, President/CEO of FCEDC.

Launched about 18 months ago, it hosts military contractors and technology companies with FCEDC’s that share their primary focus of recruiting and developing new businesses for Fayetteville.

The effort was designed to support the adoption of advanced technology in the Fayetteville-Cumberland County area and work to retain innovative entrepreneurs, he said.

“I think that it’s a very exciting development for our community to have various coworking spaces, many that are currently successful and many that are starting up,” Van Geons said. “It provides options for people that are teleworkers, entrepreneurs, startups.”

Kyle Simms, who rents a space out of Revolutionary Coworking located downtown said he works for a medical device company based in Oregon.

“The company hired me, and I didn’t want to move to Oregon, so they let me stay here in North Carolina, so the company picks up my rent space. It's a good flexible way of giving me an office,” Simms said. “The biggest reasons I need an office is for personal meetings, small groups and the conference room space for larger focus groups.”

As a member, Simms describes one perk of getting to use 20 hours of conference room time every month at Revolutionary Coworking. When he was working from home, it would cost $700 to $800 to rent a conference room at a hotel.

“I was already working remotely out of the coworking space since 2017 before the pandemic,” he said. “I have had an office there since, but now I use it more just because the kids are at home and remote learning and it’s made it a bit difficult to work from home.”

Revolutionary Coworking offers different membership levels, for more info visit https://www.revolutionarycoworking.com.

While family may be a distraction for some who work from home, others can feel a sense of isolation working from home. Some workers want the option to come work in a dedicated space two to three days outside of their home, Rinehart said.

“Bringing people who have certain interests and affinities together to really create this greater sense of ‘we are in this together’ and we want to see this innovation hub emerge from the heart of Fayetteville,” Rinehart said.
Van Geons said there is absolutely a market in Fayetteville for coworking spaces.

“If you look at the Commons, they are expanding their coworking space on Morganton Road, The Hub will serve more everyday folks, and Revolutionary has more short-term folks as well,” he said. “Each of them is serving a different audience and there's room for a lot more here.”