February Spotlight

Area women making news

National Spotlight Shines on Amy Wright 

AMY WRIGHT, co-founder of BITTY & BEAU’S COFFEE, owned by the nonprofit organization the Wright family also founded, ABLE to WORK USA, was named the 2017 CNN Hero of the Year.

“People with disabilities have been in the shadows for too long, but no more,” Wright said as she accepted the award, announced by TV personalities Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper.

Bitty & Beau's Coffee, named after Wright’s two youngest children, Bitty and Beau, who have Down syndrome, is located at 4949 New Centre Drive in Wilmington. A new location is in the works on Church Street in Charleston, South Carolina.

Wright says that the money that came with the CNN Hero awards – $10,000 for each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists and $100,000 for the CNN Hero of the Year – will help ABLE to WORK USA and Bitty & Beau’s Coffee advance its goals for those with IDD.

 -Cece Nunn 

Healy Recognized as ‘Unsung Legal Hero’

JENNIFER HEALY, an office administrator in SMITH MOORE LEATHERWOOD’s Wilmington office, is one of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s four Unsung Legal Heroes honorees.        

In her role with the law office, Healy is responsible for interviewing potential employees, overseeing the hiring process, managing the onboarding process for new employees, and conducting staff evaluations and managing vendors as well as other day-to-day operations.

She also serves as the head real estate paralegal in the Wilmington office and as the office administrator for the firm’s Raleigh office.

“These colleagues are key to our strong foundation, a foundation that allows our attorneys to serve our clients at the highest level every day,” says Julie Earp, managing partner at Smith Moore Leatherwood.

“Working behind the scenes, these team members inspire confidence through their handling of both routine responsibilities and complicated special projects. We are grateful for their service.”

-Christina Haley O’Neal 

AFP Chapter Hands out Annual Awards

Several area women took home awards at the Cape Fear Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals’ annual National Philanthropy Day Awards.

LINDA WILSON received the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award.

“Linda Wilson is a selfless individual, putting others, the community and family before herself. As a member of the family whose philanthropy brought about the beautiful new Wilson Center for the Performing Arts to Wilmington, Linda has spent her whole life giving back,” AFP officials say.

JUDY GIRARD, founder of the GLOW Academy all-girls charter school received the Philanthropist of the Year award.

MARY BRADLEY, WHQR’s development director (above), received the Outstanding Fundraising Executive award.

And, KATIE EVANS, who helps the Brunswick Community College Foundation, won the Outstanding Student in Philanthropy award.

For area groups, Wells Fargo Bank earned the Outstanding Philanthropic Organization award, and PHOENIX HOMETOWN HIRES took home the Outstanding Fundraising Board of Directors award.

 -Vicky Janowski 

Cape Fear Crew Names 2018 board               

ELISE ROCKS will head up the board of directors this year for CAPE FEAR CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women).

Rocks (above), who works for real estate appraisal and consulting firm JC Morgan, takes over as board president from CHERYL NABELL, of JJ Wade & Associates, who remains on as past president.

The other board officers this year are CONNIE RONNER (SunTrust Bank) as president-elect/CREW network delegate; JULIE ANDREWS, (Logan Homes) as secretary/CREW network delegate; and JENNIFER BOLTON (Chicago Title Insurance Company) as treasurer.

DANA PELLIZZARI (Pellizzari Law Firm) and MORGAN SCHEIBEL (Allstate Insurance) serve as at-large members. “

As part of a professional sisterhood, I am becoming a more confident, prominent and valuable member of our commercial real estate community,” Rocks says. “The opportunity to serve these women is an incredible honor.”

The Cape Fear chapter of CREW includes nearly fifty members representing a range of commercial real estate interests in the area. CREW Network is the affiliated national association, which represents over 10,000 women throughout the United States and Canada.

-Vicky Janowski

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