A Lifetime Leader

Judging from the list of organizations, causes, and projects with which WILMA DANIELS is involved, it would seem that she possesses more than one pair of helping hands. Over the years, she’s given her time and many talents to an array of groups – from the YWCA Lower Cape Fear to Wilmington Business Development to the local chapter of the American Heart Association. She has helped shape numerous others – like the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington – even when her busy schedule kept her from accepting a board position.

Daniels’ decades of community engagement will earn her the Duke Energy Lifetime Achievement in Business Award at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting February 15.

Daniels has long blazed a trail as a Wilmington change agent, but the 2008 heart attack death of her husband, Windell Daniels, spurred her into accelerated action.

“I felt I had to keep myself busy,” she says. “It was like an awakening. My children were grown. So, I went back to work quickly. And I got involved with the American Heart Association; the (annual) Heart Walk is named in honor of my husband. I tell people to take care of themselves, exercise, watch what they eat. Then I got involved with stroke (associations). The more I read, the more I got involved. One thing led to another.”

Like her late business owner husband, Daniels has both a ready helping hand and a heart for service. Windell Daniels’ involvement with the Wilmington Housing Authority and concern about homelessness led the couple to purchase, in 1998, an entire block on Meares Street that included the former William Hooper School. They converted the property into the William Hooper Apartments, offering 50 units of affordable housing for older adults.

“That was our baby,” Daniels says of the development. But the apartments aren’t her only channel to help house vulnerable populations. She keeps in close touch with Katrina Knight, executive director of Good Shepherd Center, which works to rehouse homeless people and connect them with sustaining resources.

“I have a close working relationship with Katrina, and help out when I can,” Daniels says, adding that sometimes, when she drives past the center, she’s inspired to stop and pray for the organization.

Education is also close to Daniels’ heart. A Williston High School and Shaw University alum, Daniels  became active with Cape Fear Academy (CFA) through her participation in Leadership Wilmington some years ago. A product of public schools herself, she was interested in how a private institution designed its curriculum. In particular, she was impressed with the critical thinking skills CFA sought to instill in even its youngest students. She also noticed that the student body lacked diversity.

“They wanted to get more African American students, but didn’t know how,” Daniels says.

She arranged for a school representative to address Black audiences. Together, they visited Black churches. The school began advertising in the Wilmington Journal. As youngsters showed interest in CFA, Daniels provided information; if they needed financial help, she steered them to the school’s scholarship opportunities.

Daniels has also had a hand in the growth and development of University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she served 11 years as a trustee and chaired the board for two years.

“When I was on the UNCW board, I really got involved with students, just talked to them and encouraged them,” she says, adding that she tried to educate and inspire students about the work Wilmington-area nonprofits were doing.

During her time on the board, Daniels witnessed tremendous growth and change at the university. She still marvels every time she drives through campus.

“I see so many projects that came through my hands,” she says. “I’m proud of the … new buildings for the students that were approved while I was on the board. It was a win-win. … I won, learning so much when I was at the college, working with the Board of Governors. It was a win for the (students) and the faculty.”

Wilma and Windell Daniels also left their stamp on Cape Fear Community College. Union Station’s fifth-floor meeting space and ballroom bears his name, while the Wilma W. Daniels Gallery (shown above) gracing CFCC’s Third Street parking deck acknowledges her impact on many students.

Having grown up in a musical family, Daniels says she taught music for many years, helping children discover their own gifts through her philosophy of “Yes, you can.” And she has enjoyed helping build the confidence and skills of girls and young women from underserved neighborhoods, sharing her belief, “You can do anything you want to do. Make up your mind and stay focused.

“I used to go into the housing projects and pull out some of the girls and do a reception for them, bringing in professionals from the city – women from different fields,” she continues. “They talked to the young ladies, made them feel good about themselves. Unfortunately, everybody’s so busy now, we don’t have those services. Those girls are not getting the attention they need, so we are losing them. The same for the young guys; they need mentors who will make sure they have the tools they need to grow their interests.”

No one is busier than Daniels herself, president of Daniels Development Co., who still serves on the boards of Wilmington Business Development and the UNCW Foundation and lends her hand and her heart to any number of other endeavors. She’s also president of the Williston Alumni Community Choir, whose rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule requires serious commitment from its members. Most days, she’s working at the William Hooper Apartments, filling in for the manager who is seriously ill. She tries to spend as much time as possible with sons Windell Jamar and Euran and their families.

“My goal this year is to take more time for vacation, to do a little more for me, because I have gotten so busy,” she says. “But I love what I do. I love people; love helping people and making a difference in my city. That’s what counts – giving back. Your time, your energy. Serving. That’s mainly what I’m all about. God blesses me every day.”

To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.

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