FOURTH ANNUAL LEAD GIRLS OF NC ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION & AWARDS
TOGETHER, WE ARE CHANGING GIRLS’ LIVES

Thank You for Being Our Village

"At LEAD Girls of NC, we work to truly change the lives of girls in our community through programs that encourage, challenge, uplift and equip them to excel academically, physically, socially and emotionally. We could not do this work without the support of our partners, allies, supporters and most of all, our donors of resources, time and talent. We thank you for all that you do to keep LEAD and our girls shining. We are excited to honor our 2019 LEADing the Way Award recipients, and proud to share our 2019 Annual Impact Report, which highlights the amazing achievements of our girls and our programs."

JOY NELSON THOMAS
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
WILEY LEAD GIRL OF THE YEAR
JOCELYN PLEASANT
Jocelyn is a 7th grade student at Wiley Magnet Middle School. She is very determined and dedicated, excels as a student academically and as member of LEAD Girls by stepping up and being the true definition of a leader.
MINERAL SPRINGS LEAD GIRL OF THE YEAR
ESTHER NGUYEN
Esther is an 8th grade student at Mineral Springs Middle School. She is a ray of light in her LEAD group, shining with confidence and maintaining a sharp focus on her academics and musical talents.
COMMUNITY LEAD GIRL OF THE YEAR
DARNESIA GADBERRY
Darnesia is a Community LEAD Girl. She has been in the program since middle school and is now a 10th grader! She is determined to be successful. She participates in LEAD sessions, service projects, and is active in all LEAD programming.
WINSTON-SALEM PREP LEAD GIRL OF THE YEAR
ALMARIE WILLIAMS
Almarie Williams is an 8th grade student at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy. She is a stellar student and a true definition of a leader who works extremely hard in the classroom and in her extracurricular activities.
LITERACY GROWTH OF THE YEAR
KA’LEYCE GULLEY
Ka’leyce is a 7th grade student at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy. In our LEAD Literacy program, Ka’leyce is a true standout. Even with some challenges along the way, she persevered to excel in her school work.
INFLUENTIAL COMMUNITY AFFILIATE AWARD
CATHARINE GUSSMAN
Catharine’s generosity of time, talent and resources is a treasure for LEAD Girls and for our participants. Serving as a LEAD Academy volunteer and a founding member of the Wake Women Lead student volunteer organization, Catharine is an inspiration and a tireless cheerleader who helps our girls build brighter futures.
SCHOOL OFFICIAL AWARD
CHARLES R. HUNT
Principal Hunt is a visionary leader who is dedicated to equipping students with the tools and resources they need to excel. We honor Principal Hunt for working side by side with us to develop and launch LEAD Academy as a new resource for girls to improve their reading and writing, and to chart a course for academic success.
HONOREE OF THE YEAR
LAURA HART MCKINNY
Laura is a passionate and committed filmmaker who uses the power of documentary film to share stories, challenge beliefs and uplift our community. We honor Laura for her work to and her commitment to spread our mission. Her generosity has opened doors, inspired new supporters to rally around us and helped our organization grow to higher heights.

A Year of Change.
A Year of Growth.

Quite a lot changed in 2019 at LEAD Girls of NC. We expanded our services. We added a pilot literacy support program. We welcomed back past supporters and gained new allies. We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our girls, to honor the generosity and dedication of our partners, and to highlight the fantastic growth that LEAD Girls of NC experienced in 2019. Powered by you, our supporters. Read all about it in our 2019 Annual Impact Report.
JOY NELSON THOMAS • Founder & Executive Director
↑ click the image to view the report
Mose’ Delanie Belton
Nationalwide Insurance Agency

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Goodwill Industries
of Northwest NC

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Truliant Federal Credit Union

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Maynard & Harris Law Firm

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Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

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Therapeutiks

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Jewellery Unique Gifts & Accessories

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American Business Women’s Association

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Cook Elementary School

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Tommy Hicks

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Nancy Young

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Tiffany Parms

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Joy Nelson Thomas

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Shawan Gabriel

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Samantha White

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Shirley Fly

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Ashleigh Hargrave

Thank you to our donors and to our event partners who donated auction and raffle items!
a/Perture Cinema
Alma Mexicana
Amanda Myers (Young Living Independent Distributor)
As You Like It Landscapes
Black Mountain Chocolate Factory
Bookmarks
Carolina Vineyards and Hops
Cyclebar
Drive Flow
Enterprise Holdings
Eyeam Photography LLC
F.A.S.T.
Fiddlin’ Fish
Golf at Meadowlands
Goodyear (Country Club Road)
Jill Wiggs at Salons by JC
Kaleideum
Kendra Scott
Maid Brigade – Kernersville
Matt Logan Inc.
McCalls Reynolda Village
Mission Pizza
Mixxer
Mona Associates
New Garden Landscaping
Nicci Staton (Younique)
Painting with a Twist
Pure Barre
Raffaldini Vineyards
RiverRun
Soft Golf
Surge
Tasting Room Winston-Salem
The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel
The Original Brick Oven Pizzeria
Therapeutiks, Inc.
Tweetsie Railroad
Village Inn
Vision Beyond Image Photography
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem Dash
Winston-Salem State University
Wise Man
LET’S KEEP WORKING FOR GIRLS

The Best Is Yet to Come

"Serving as board chair has allowed me to see the best facets of our community: the passion for our girls, generosity of supporters, selflessness of volunteers, and tireless efforts of board members. I know that together we can #changeagirl #changeacommunity #changetheworld. Thank you for believing in the mission of LEAD. "

TIFFANY PARMS
2019-2020 BOARD CHAIR