Durham Magazine April/May 2023

Our 11TH Annual Women’s Issue

Highlighting 13 women who inspire, lead and create change pg. 56

Hours:M-F10-6

APRIL/MAY 2023 VOL 16 NO 2

durhammag.com

EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR

Amanda MacLaren amanda.maclaren@durhammag.com

EDITORIAL

EDITOR, CHAPEL HILL MAGAZINE & EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE

Jessica Stringer

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Renee Ambroso renee.ambroso@trianglemediapartners.com

Brooke Spach brooke.spach@trianglemediapartners.com

MANAGING EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE

Anna-Rhesa Versola

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Sam Annetta, Ellison Beaver, Cailey Cetani, Emily Davis, Anna Wesley Dubach, Sinclair Holian, Rong Huang, Lena Miano, Katie MacKinnon and Haley Pineles

CONTRIBUTORS

Julia Baker, Kate Brownstein, Justin Laidlaw, Dana Lange, Matthew Lardie, Elizabeth Poindexter, Shane Snider and Morgan Cartier Weston

ART

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kevin Brown

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Lindsay Scott

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Khadijah Weekes-Nolan

PHOTOGRAPHER

John Michael Simpson

Advertising

For advertising inquiries, email advertising@durhammag.com

Melissa Crane melissa.crane@trianglemediapartners.com

Lauren Phillips lauren.phillips@trianglemediapartners.com

Kem Johnson kem.johnson@trianglemediapartners.com

Lucinda Poole lucinda.poole@trianglemediapartners.com

Dana Statkun dana.statkun@trianglemediapartners.com

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE OPERATIONS

Ashlin Acheson

Corporate

FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN

Dan Shannon

PRESIDENT, TRIANGLE MEDIA PARTNERS

Ellen Shannon

PRESIDENT, TRIANGLE DIGITAL PARTNERS

Rory Kelly Gillis

VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Amy Bell

VICE PRESIDENT/ PUBLISHER, CHATHAM MAGAZINE

Chris Elkins chris.elkins@trianglemediapartners.com

PUBLISHER, HEART OF NC WEDDINGS

Jenna Parks

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TRIANGLE DIGITAL PARTNERS

Sally Scruggs

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

Lizzie Jones

DIGITAL CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST

Brian McIndoo

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT

Cassady Orsini

DISTRIBUTION

Matt Bair

HENDRICK SUBARU SOUTHPOINT

WE WANT YOUR CAR!

GREAT OFFERS ON NEW AND USED VEHICLES!

WE'RE OFFERING KBB VALUE + $500 ON YOUR TRADE!

WE SERVICE ALL MAKES AND MODELS!

MEET MICHAEL MILLIGAN SERVICE DEPT. DIRECTOR

MICHAEL’S VAST EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, COUPLED WITH HIS PASSION FOR ULTIMATE CUSTOMER SERVICE MADE HIM A NATURAL FOR HENDRICK SUBARU SOUTHPOINT’S NEW SERVICE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR. MICHAEL’S INTRIGUE AND EDUCATION, WITH THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY, EARNED HIS “MASTER TECHNICIAN” STATUS EARLY. TO HIS CUSTOMER’S DELIGHT, MICHAEL’S PASSION TO “FIX IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME” ACCELERATED HIS CAREER TRANSITION INTO CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT. HIS BROAD TRAINING AND AWARD-WINNING EXPERIENCE WITH MULTIPLE LUXURY & IMPORT AUTO LINES EXTENDS CONFIDENT CONSULTATION TO BOTH SUBARU'S CUSTOMERS AND STAFF.

WHEN OFF DUTY, HE HAS VOLUNTEERED HIS SKILLS THROUGH TEACHING A CAR CARE MINISTRY. AT HOME, YOU CAN FIND HIM GRILLING, GETTING CREATIVE WITH HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, CYCLING THROUGH HIS NEIGHBORHOOD WITH HIS BRIDE, OF 30 YEARS OR EXPLORING WITH HIS NEW DRONE!

WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT

58 Swati Khimesra

President and CEO, Surface 678

60 Anna Gibala

Owner and founder, Moonbelly Meat Co.

62 Daisy Magnus-Aryitey

Co-founder and co-executive director, Code the Dream

64 Gerri Houlihan

Faculty, American Dance Festival; Artistic director, Big Red Dance Project

66 Sen. Natalie Murdock

Senator, North Carolina District 20 Principal, Murdock Anderson Consulting

70 Brittni Winslow

Practice owner and executive director, Emerge Pediatric Therapy

72 Dr. Lisa Amaya-Jackson

Co-founder, Center for Child & Family Health; Co-director, UCLA-Duke National Center for Childhood Traumatic Stress; Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine

76 Nina King

Vice president, director of athletics and adjunct professor of business administration, Duke University

78 Constanza Gómez-Joines

Executive director, Center for the Global Learner; and Special Assistant for Hispanic Community Engagement, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Durham Technical Community College

80 Mavis Gragg

Co-founder, Pop Box Gallery; CEO, Heirshars

80 Laura Ritchie

Co-founder, Pop Box Gallery; Independent curator and arts organizer

82 Kristine Wylie

President and store manager, Jewelsmith

84 Julie Homen

Co-founder, Persnickety Content director, StitchedIn HOME & GARDEN

88 Love It, Part Two

These homeowners turned to a familiar design team to complete their dream home in the woods

102 Flower Power

Esteemed florists show off beautiful spring bouquets

106 Modern Luxury

An exclusive look inside two Durham houses on the eight-home, sold-out NCModernist Modapalooza spring tour

110 Welcome to the Neighborhood Visit this hospitable downtown speakeasy with swanky living room vibes

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

8 Letter from the Editor

10 Go.See.Do.

Spring’s top events

28 Pedal Pusher: Why Your Next Car Should Be a Bike Bike Durham board member Justin Laidlaw takes us on a tour of bikeable Durham

32 Noted What we’ve heard around our city …

40 A Patchwork Durham Influential members of our community share their visions for the city’s future in this new column

42 Our Top Dentists

126 Engagement & Wedding

DURHAM INC.

116 Biz Briefs

122 Rising Tides Women empowering women in the workforce

PEOPLE & PLACES

14 Durham Public Schools and DPS Foundation’s An Evening to Shine

15 Book Harvest’s Dream Big Book Drive

16 Meals on Wheels Durham’s Feed the Need Gala

17 Hill Learning Center’s Reading Achievement Program Acquisition Celebration

18 Caring House’s A Night Among the Stars Gala

20 Youth Mentoring Collaborative’s Champions of Mentoring Awards Ceremony

SPONSORED CONTENT

21 The Big Give

Our local nonprofits, how they support the community and how you can get involved

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Common Factors Affecting Retirement Income

You should consider how your retirement income can be impacted by investment risk, inflation risk, illness or long-term care, and taxes to enjoy the retirement you envision.

1. Investment risk: Three different types of risks can influence your available income in retirement: investment risk, reinvestment risk and interest rate risk.

Two important factors that determine how long your investments will last are the amount of the withdrawals and the growth and/or earnings of your investments. Maturing assets might be reinvested at a time when interest rates are lower than the previous rate you received, causing you to take additional risk to achieve the same level of return (i.e., bonds, bank certificates). And some existing investments decline when interest rates rise (i.e., newer bond issues).

2. Inflation risk: The purchasing power of a dollar will decline over time, due to the rising cost of goods and services, as we have experienced in the last 18 months. If inflation runs at its historical long-term average of about 3%, the cost of goods and services today will double in 24 years. When inflation jumps to 4%, that doubling of costs happens every 18 years.

3. Long-term care expenses: As life expectancies increase, so does the potential need for long-term care. Paying for long-term care can have a significant impact on retirement income and savings, especially for the healthy surviving partner or spouse. Failing to plan for it can leave you with little or no income or savings, if such care is needed.

4. Taxes: Taxes can impact your available retirement income, especially if a significant portion of your income comes from pre-tax accounts like pensions, 401(k)s, and traditional IRAs. Understanding taxadvantaged investing is pivotal to managing your wealth and planning for retirement distributions.

Be sure you’re prepared for these factors

While many of these same issues can affect your income during your working years, you may not notice their influence because you’re not depending on your savings as a major source of income. However, be sure you’ve stress-tested your financial plan for investment risk, inflation, taxes, and health-related expenses.

Marie E. Baker, CFP®, AAMS® President, Baker Wealth Advisors Wealth Manager,

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

This is my favorite issue, year after year. Pretty sure I’ve written that in this letter before, but it’s worth repeating. Reading the stories of the amazing women in our community provides the extra boost of inspiration I often find myself craving come April. We’re a third of the way through 2023, and yet I can’t quite recall where the time went. But here we are.

Much like I can feel that I’ve written this letter before, I’ve also found myself more frequently overwhelmed with this same deluge of thoughts: There’s so much to do – balancing being a partner, a mentor, a sister, a daughter, a boss – that I can’t quite focus on one particular task or moment at hand, and instead just try to accomplish all I can simultaneously. Imposter syndrome soon kicks in, and I find myself at a standstill until I can push my way past the negative emotions and anxiety.

If there’s one thing that’s different about this note, this year, it’s that I now recognize that I’m not the only one caught in this cycle. It stems from a desire to be “everything, everywhere, all at once” (my main takeaway from watching this year’s Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards). Be present with the task at hand or the person in front of you, or you’ll miss something.

That’s why it’s important to tell these stories of hard work, persistence and triumph, which begin on page 56. The collective successes of those featured this year, and in years past, are a part of our shared experience, and it’s worth celebrating those who are putting in the work to lift us all.

“From the withered tree, a flower blooms.” That was the proverb my planner listed on the day I wrote this letter. As we come out of a dormant winter and realize the potential of spring, not just within ourselves, but externally, we look for ways to freshen our surroundings – our home & garden features that start on page 88 provide plenty of ideas to do just that.

Photo by John Michael Simpson. Mural by Candy Carver at American Underground @Main.

Piedmont Farm Tour

APRIL 22-23

As part of the nation’s largest sustainable farm tour, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, in partnership with Weaver Street Market, hosts the 26th annual self-guided tour of more than 30 farms throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont region, including Durham Public Schools’ The Hub Farm, Elodie Farms, Hawk’s Nest Healing Gardens, Bull City Farm and Catawba Trail Farm

Chicago

APRIL 28-30

The celebrated Broadway show tells the story of the murderous Roxie Hart set amid the glamour of the Roaring ’20s. This six-time Tony Award-winning musical celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and brings “all that jazz” to the stage at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

do see go

The Cookers

APRIL 29

The seven-person bebop supergroup – including drummer Billy Hart and saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., who were honored as 2022 Jazz Masters by the National Endowment for the Arts – perform tracks from their latest record, “Look Out!” along with other songs from their discography, in a Duke Performances concert at Baldwin Auditorium

SPRING'S TOP EVENTS

Compiled by Cailey Cetani

Bull City Beer Mile

APRIL 29

Bull City Running Co. and The Glass Jug Beer Lab team up to host the second annual beer mile at Durham Central Park. Runners will tackle four quarter-mile laps around the park, each preceded by polishing off a 12-ounce Bull City Beer Mile brew made specifically for the event by The Glass Jug. Runners and spectators can enjoy beverages and food from The Outlaw Pig, Mesas El Salvador and The Blue Window food trucks, and, of course, a variety of Glass Jug brews. The top three individual, four-person relay and two-person relay teams will receive medals with built-in bottle openers. 

BEAUTY

through movement, music, costumes, sets, and lighting during ADF’s 90 Anniversary Season!

Tickets on sale April 25!

Performances kick off June 8.

Photo by Whitney Browne

Earth Day Festival

APRIL 23

Durham Parks & Recreation hosts this annual celebration at Durham Central Park with a multitude of Earth Daybased activities, educational resources, live music, vendors, culinary offerings and more. Bike Durham and GoDurham offer a sustainable transportation expo plus valet bicycle parking and complimentary bike tuneups while Durham County Library’s Bookmobile provides free document shredding and take-home books at no cost.

Library Fest

APRIL 24-29

The third annual Durham County Library event, supported by the Durham Library Foundation, takes on a storytelling theme this year while highlighting award-winning writer Terry McMillan and children’s author Sheila Turnage. Attendees can listen to stories told by puppeteer Jeghetto and enjoy dishes prepared by Indigenous food educator, chef and two-time James Beard Award winner Sean Sherman.

Durham Blues & Brews Festival

MAY 20

The seventh annual blues music and craft brews festival returns to Durham Central Park. Enjoy unlimited 12-ounce pours from more than a dozen North Carolina breweries, cideries and wineries, and fare from a variety of food trucks, then pull out your lawn chair to watch The Mighty Messengers of Soul, Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers, and Vanessa Collier perform. Festival proceeds benefit The Exchange Club of Greater Durham, a service-oriented civic club working to improve the community and prevent child abuse.

Walk for the Animals

MAY 27

Bring your furry, four-legged friends to Duke University’s East Campus lawn for a 1.5-mile walk to benefit the Animal Protection Society of Durham, which cares for nearly 4,000 homeless and neglected pets annually. Enter your pooch in contests; watch agility demonstrations; visit dozens of vendors, from doggy day cares to vets and other animal-supportive businesses; meet adoptable dogs; and more. Last year’s walk raised more than $105,000 – a number APS aims to surpass this year.

Leslie Jones

JUNE 2

The three-time Emmy nominee and “Saturday Night Live” alum performs her stand-up routine at Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall The star has appeared on the HBO series

“Our Flag Means Death,” and launched a podcast, which she co-hosts alongside fellow comedian Lenny Marcus, in January.

53rd Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival

JUNE 3

Celebrating African and African American history, culture, arts and traditions, Durham Parks & Recreation hosts an afternoon of live music, arts and crafts, food and fun family activities at Rock Quarry Park. The festival, which is free and open to the public, was established in 1969 by a group of local students and community members to honor the West African celebration of harvest that includes dancing, feasting and more. Remember to bring a lawn chair or blanket.

(Clockwise from top left) Page 10: Piedmont Farm Tour photo by Casey Toth; Bull City Beer Mile photo courtesy of Chris Creech and The Glass Jug Beer Lab; "Chicago" photo by Jeremy Daniel; Page 12: Earth Day Festival photo courtesy of Durham Parks & Recreation; Walk for the Animals photo by Tara Lynn; Leslie Jones photo by Peggy Sirota; Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival photo courtesy of Durham Parks & Recreation

&places

Illuminating Student Talent

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY CUNNINGHAM JR.

More than 2,200 Durham community members gathered at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Feb. 21 for An Evening to Shine, a scholarship fundraiser co-hosted by Durham Public Schools and the Durham Public Schools Foundation Pierce Freelon emceed the evening, which featured choral and dance performances and visual art by 500 students from across the school district. Special guests gathered beforehand for a reception catered by Northern High School’s culinary arts program, and student artwork was on display throughout the DPAC lobby. The event brought in $50,000 in ticket sales, and all net proceeds support the The Durham Promise scholarship fund, which operates on the belief that every DPS student deserves an equitable, debt-free college education.

1 Elementary school students from across the district sing in a choir.

2 Grammy-nominated musician, author and educator Pierce Freelon on stage with a Paperhand Puppet Intervention artist.

3 & 4 Performances by two dance ensembles composed of students from DPS high schools.

5 Students in Northern High School’s culinary arts program cater a reception before the performances.

PHOTO BY JACYNTHIA BAILEY

Dream On

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HALEY PINELES

Book Harvest held its 12th annual Dream Big Book Drive, which honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service, at Golden Belt Campus on Jan. 16. More than 2,000 attendees posed for pictures with Wool E. Bull, snacked on popcorn from The Mad Popper, enjoyed entertainment like a Paperhand Puppet Intervention parade and a Bouncing Bulldogs jump-rope show, met a miniature horse, took home original improvised poems by the Poetry Fox, and participated in arts and crafts activities. Families at the event took 1,525 books home, and more than 20,000 new and gently used children’s books were donated throughout the day, with a grand total reaching more than 50,000 books donated by Jan. 19.

1 The Bouncing Bulldogs perform. 2 Lessa Manotti, the head of partnerships at Novel Effect, an app that plays layers of interactive music and sound effects as caregivers read stories aloud. 3 WUNC Director of Youth Reporting, New Talent and Community Partnerships Kamaya Truitt-Martin. 4 Book Babies literacy coaches Victoria Arrivillaga, Dani Rangel and Vanessa Collier-Robinson.

Movin’ and Groovin’

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LES TODD

Meals on Wheels Durham drives senior hunger and isolation out of our communities every day. In February, the nonprofit raised nearly $130,000 in style during a night of fine dining and fun at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. All 225 guests at the fourth annual Feed the Need Gala had the opportunity to bid in both a silent and live auction with auctioneer Matt Newsom, enjoy tempting cocktails and dinner and celebrate the fundraiser’s success on the dance floor, grooving to live music from Irresistible Groove. Proceeds from the gala will go to delivering meals and providing other lifeenhancing services for Durham’s homebound, older adults.

1 Jenny Bradley and Julia Kramer.

2 Suresh Balu and Rukmini Balu.

3 Gale Adland, Brittany Jennings and Ashlyn Smith. 4 Jameya Jones, MOWDurham Board President Pashara Black and Jimessa McLean.

5 Christina Pipkin, Jane Fellows and Cathy Penny. 6 MOWDurham board member Tiffany Bashore and Josh Anderson. 7 Durham Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton, Durham County Commissioner Brenda Howerton and Sen. Mike Woodard.

8 MOWDurham Executive Director Jason Peace, Director of Community Engagement Annette Read and board member Nate Jones.

Turn the Page

Hill Learning Center held a celebration in February to commemorate the acquisition of its Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) – a technology-based, structured literacy intervention solution for students who are persistently struggling to learn to read, including those with dyslexia – by 95 Percent Group, a national provider of literacy instruction and professional learning resources. Guests included current and former Hill Learning Center staff and leadership, as well as partners and supporters who have helped develop and grow the program over the past two decades. “We are proud of the work that we have done to advance literacy for students with persistent reading difficulties, and HillRAP has been an important part of that,” says Hill Learning Center Executive Director Beth Anderson. “Our vision has always been to reach as many students with learning and attention challenges as possible. We are grateful to have the opportunity to expand HillRAP’s reach and potential through its acquisition by 95 Percent Group while also doubling down on our mission and impact locally.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM WALKER, COURTESY OF HILL LEARNING CENTER

1 Lary Maskel, former Hill executive director Shary Maskel and Jim McLean. 2 Retired Hill educators Jean Neville, Diane Jaskot and Wendy Speir.

3 HillRAP mentors and teachers Kerry Blackwelder and Kolleen Sullivan. 4 Irvin Glass and Lois Glass.

5 Libby Lang, Ginny Lang and Steve Lang.

6 Hill Learning Center board member Stacy ParkerFisher. 7 Diane Jaskot and Hill Learning Center faculty member Shauna Saunders. 8 95 Percent Group CEO Brad Lindaas and Hill Learning Center Executive Director Beth Anderson. 9 Hill alum Abby Rosenberg and Sabri Math.

Shining Bright

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLEVELAND MAY

Caring House celebrated 31 years of providing a home away from home for Duke Cancer Institute patients at its “A Night Among the Stars” annual benefit gala – its biggest fundraising event of the year – in late January at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. More than 300 attendees enjoyed custom cocktails, dinner, a live auction and a speech from former Caring House guest Niki Plomaritis. The evening honored renowned breast cancer researcher Dr. Donald McDonnell and his wife, Mary McDonnell, for more than a decade of support as both donors and volunteers, and ended with dancing fueled by live music from The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra. The gala raised $199,249 for Caring House.

1 Mary McDonnell, Dr. Donald McDonnell and Caring House Executive Director Sasha Zarzour. 2 Susan Miller, Geraud Staton and Laine Staton. 3 Elizabeth Everett, Jeff Burch and Caring House Board Chair Robinson Everett Jr.

4 Joey White, Kathy Camitta, Christine Doan, Rebecca Perry, Michelle Gorrin and Michelle Christian. 5 Duke Cancer Institute’s Dr. Steven Patierno. 6 Auctioneer Leland Little.

Giving Out Gold Stars

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK CRANK PHOTOGRAPHY

Youth Mentoring Collaborative held its inaugural Champions of Mentoring Awards Ceremony and Reception on Jan. 17 at the North Carolina Executive Mansion, where Gov. Roy Cooper recently proclaimed January to be National Mentoring Month in North Carolina. The 2022 Mentor of the Year finalists included Sidekicks Academy Inc. Founder and Executive Director Freddie McNeil and Derek Rhodes, founder and executive director of the Durham Success Summit. YMC’s mission is to increase the number of Black and brown youth in identity-affirming mentoring relationships while working to dismantle the systemic barriers that they and their families face on a daily basis by providing training, resources, public awareness and advocacy.

1 Youth Mentoring Collaborative President & CEO Atrayus O. Goode, Freddie McNeil, Tyson Ashe and Derek Rhodes.

2 Erroll Reese and Dudley Flood.

3 Marcel Anderson, Andrea McCullough and Marquis Buford.

4 Saxophonist Collin Williams performed during the reception.

Mission Statement

Note in the Pocket provides quality clothing to homeless and impoverished children and families with dignity and love.

Brag Lines

Note in the Pocket is the only local organization that is addressing clothing insecurity at the scale of its distribution program and clothing children in confidence. Since 2013, NITP has clothed more 45,000 individuals. As they celebrate their 10th anniversary, they have a goal to clothe 10,000 children and family members in 2023. In 2023, 5,386 volunteers provided 26,151 hours of service through NITP.

Upcoming Events

• 10th Annual Socks & Undie 5k Rundie on Sat., April 22, 2023: In-person and virtual 5k race. Sign up online through noteinthepocket.org

• Spring Refresh Clothing Drive: Give your wardrobe a spring cleaning and host a clothing drive to collect donations of new and gently used clothing and shoes of all sizes. Contact info@noteinthepocket.org to schedule your clothing drive.

Wish list

• Boys’ t-shirts (size 5-16)

• Girls’ t-shirts (size 5-16)

• Boys’ & girls’ hoodies (size 5-16)

• Men’s athletic pants

• Women’s pants (size 14+)

• Girls’ athletic shoes

• Boys’ athletic shoes

• Boys’ underwear (new, all sizes)

• Men’s underwear (new, all sizes)

• Women’s underwear (new, all sizes)

Background

Note in the Pocket (NITP) believes that children should not be limited in their educational and social development because they do not have appropriate clothes for school. NITP works with school social workers and case managers from 21 agencies across Wake County and Durham to identify students in need and prepare seasonal wardrobes consisting of two weeks’ worth of outfits customized to each child’s specific sizes and styles. By providing personalized, high-quality clothing items that children can be proud to wear, NITP empowers them to succeed in their academic and social environments.

Get in Touch!

Volunteer center location: 4730 Hargrove Rd.

Raleigh, NC 27616

Drop-off Clothing Donation Sites: Hopler, Wilms, & Hanna, PLLC 2314 South Miami Blvd, Suite 151

Durham, NC 27703

Venture X Durham- Frontier RTP 600 Park Offices Drive, Suite 300

Durham, NC 27709

919-714-9403

noteinthepocket.org

info@noteinthepocket.org

Wish List

• Donate baby diapers and products. Our most needed items include diaper sizes preemie, 1s, and 5s, and baby formula.

• Donate period products.

Our most needed items include tampons, individually wrapped liners, adult underwear and leggings/shorts.

• Donate adult incontinence products.

Our most needed items include: tab and pull up style briefs from size large to 3XL and adult wipes.

• Host a product drive. Contact info@ncdiaperbank.org for more details.

• Shop from our Amazon Wishlist

• Make a cash donation. Cash donations allow us to purchase our most needed sizes when we run low, and because we buy in bulk, your dollars can purchase three times more diapers than retail!

• Become a sustaining donor through our Circle ofChange Program

• Volunteer with us.

Mission Statement

Diaper Bank of NC increases awareness of and access to essential hygiene items to promote dignity, health and quality of life for the people of North Carolina.

Background

Founded in Durham in 2013, the Diaper Bank of NC (DBNC) is the largest state-wide diaper bank in the country. Working with volunteers and partners from the communities we serve, we provide diapers, period products and adult incontinence supplies to individuals and families in need across the state. The need is great – research has shown that 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers every month despite working multiple jobs. By helping with these basic needs, our work enables children, families and seniors to thrive and live with dignity.

Brag Lines

Since our founding, DBNC has covered more than 20 million bottoms. During COVID, we saw a 2000% increase in need and still managed to fulfill every order despite volunteers being severely curtailed. This year we expect to distribute more than 7.5 million diapers. Together with our partners, volunteers and donors, we will keep more than 72,000 babies clean, dry and healthy. More than one million period products will be available in North Carolina schools so that students do not have to choose between going to class and having their period. More than a half million adult incontinence supplies will be provided so that seniors can live with the dignity that they deserve.

Upcoming Events

• Period Poverty Awareness Week: May 22-28, 2023

• Diaper Need Awareness Week: Sept.18-24, 2023

Get in Touch!

1311 E. Club Blvd.

Durham, NC 27704

919-886-8085

ncdiaperbank.org

Brag Lines

At Caring House, we deliver an integrated approach to healing through therapeutic guest programming such as art therapy and oncological massage, a volunteer-based meal program, and most importantly, a positive, uplifting community. While it is difficult to quantify the benefit of a stay at Caring House to our guests, we consistently hear from physicians, social workers, and most importantly, from our guests that their time at Caring House was integral to their mental, physical and emotional well-being during their cancer treatments.

“Ithinkthatwhenyou’re dealingwithcancer, it’s scary enough.Andyou know,taking awaythatfear ofbeing alone is important.You need people.You need support.”

- Former Caring House guest

Our Mission

Caring House provides patients at Duke Cancer Institute with peace of mind through affordable housing, a healing environment, and a positive and supportive community.

Background

Founded in 1992, Caring House provides comfortable, supportive, and affordable housing to Duke Cancer Institute adult outpatients and their caregivers. It is a 12,900 square foot home that has 18 private rooms, each with a private bath, phone and television. In addition to our 18 bedrooms, Caring House has a threebedroom apartment serving adult bone marrow transplant patients. Guests are encouraged to bring their caregivers, who may be a spouse, other family member or close friend, during their stay.

How to Help

• Provide a Meal: Now, more than ever, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Our goal is to provide dinner every weeknight (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) to our families. Please contact Robin Rogers, Director of Operations, at (919) 490-5449 or operations_manager@caringhouse.org for more information.

• Make a Gift: We rely on the generosity of many individuals, foundations, businesses and corporations to help us keep our nightly rates low ($45 per night) for our guests. Your gift is greatly appreciated! Donate at: caringhouse.org/donate

Get in Touch!

2625 Pickett Road

Durham, NC 27705

919-490-5449

caringhouse.org

Follow us on social: @caring_house

Mission Statement

Empowerment through Entrepreneurship. Our vision is to build a collective of individuals, businesses, and resources to pool together towards a common goal: social mobility through entrepreneurship.

Background

Echo is a result of a merger between Audacity Labs and Helius, two nonprofits working with youth and entrepreneurs in Durham from under-resourced communities. Echo is a space built for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. We envision a “we” - a collective of individuals to foster a sense of belonging and work together for broader change through entrepreneurship to build, succeed and repeat.

Wish List

• Volunteer coaches for specialized skills (marketing, finance, legal, technology)

• Volunteer mentors for youth

• One-time donation

• Sustaining sponsors

Brag Lines

Through our training programs, Echo has worked with more than 180 small business founders and entrepreneurs to successfully scale their venture ideas or pivot to a more lucrative business model. Through our year-round youth program, we helped more than 200 teens learn more about entrepreneurship, startups and social innovation. Uniquely, both programs are designed by the community we support. Our entrepreneurs drive our programming needs, working together to build a community that is adaptable, accountable and audacious.

Upcoming Events

Visit echo-nc.org to learn more about:

• Entrepreneurship training

• Summer entrepreneurship camps for teens

• Monthly workshops

Get in Touch!

112 Broadway St. Durham, NC 27701 919-230-1503

Echo-nc.org

Our Mission

To ensure every child in Durham enters school ready to succeed, we lead community strategies for children birth to five and their families that promote healthy development and learning and enhance access to highquality care.

Background

Since 1994, Durham’s Partnership for Children, a partner in the Smart Start network, has served our community by identifying needs and mobilizing partners to benefit the 23,000 young children in Durham. We invest more than $11 million annually through Smart Start, Durham PreK/NC Pre-K, Early Head Start, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and other collaboratives, including Campaign for GradeLevel Reading, Ending Family Homelessness, Transition to Kindergarten, and NCCARES360.

Brag Lines

High-quality early education experiences lay the foundation for school readiness by providing children with dependable, nurturing relationships and safe, stimulating environments that support healthy development. The Partnership engages families, expands access to early education in a culturally responsive manner, improves childcare, supports teacher compensation, and mobilizes community partners. As a result of our efforts DPfC’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading program received the 2019 Pacesetter award for strengthening support services and parent success. DPfC is the only Partnership in the state with an apostrophe in its name. We don’t just operate in Durham, we belong to Durham.

Upcoming Events

• Apply for Durham PreK programs for children who turn four by August 31. The 2023-2024 application window is now open

• Apply for Early Head Start programs for pregnant women and children birth to two years by August 31

Wish List

• Learn about the value of investing in young children – the return is incredible and lasts for generations (first2000days.org)

• Sponsor Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – $35/year provides 12 new books mailed directly to a young child

• Support Durham PrezK — distribute Pre-K registration materials

• Make your voice heard — get involved in our early education advocacy efforts

• Invest financial resources and intellectual capital through a board committee or work group

• Subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Get in Touch!

1201 S. Briggs Ave. Ste. 100 Durham, NC 27703 919-403-6960

Website: dpfc.net

Email: mail@dpfc.net

Mission Statement

Activate Good is a nonprofit with a mission of inspiring, mobilizing and equipping people to take part in service, civic action and changemaking in the Triangle region.

Background

Activate Good has been working to spread people-powered projects for good in the Triangle since 2005. We invite people of all ages in our community to join us on a journey of learning, action and community-building to become agents of positive change. Our projects and programs provide individuals and groups, youth and families, and companies meaningful opportunities to take action to meet important local needs identified by our more 600 community partners.

Brag Lines

Activate Good has:

• Facilitated more than 85,000 volunteer connections since 2013.

• Leveraged more than $74,000 in in-kind, volunteer and financial support for our five Title I eLOVEate Schools partners in 2022.

• Engaged with more than 200 families and youth during our annual Family Volunteer Day in 2022.

• Honored Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy during our annual Dignity Week of Service and remembered victims of 9/11 during the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance at multiple service sites.

Wish list

• Sign up for one of hundreds of available volunteer opportunities on our website volunteer.activategood.org

• Follow us on social media: @activategood

• Donate to our civic empowerment fund to help support our volunteer and education programs at activategood.org/donate

• Join our community of civically-minded local businesses, Triangle Businesses for Good at activategood.org/ trianglebusinessesforgood

• Volunteer at one of our new Learn and Serve projects during National Volunteer Week (April 16-22, 2023): https://activategood.org/daysofservice/ national-volunteer-week/

• Participate in one of our annual campaign events or fundraisers March 1 - May 31 at activategood.org/innerchangemaker

Upcoming Events

• Find Your Inner Changemaker with Activate Good on Sat., April 1 from 12-2 p.m. at the Loading Dock, Beryl location (3915 Beryl Road, #Suite 130, Raleigh, NC). Help us kick off our 2023 Annual Campaign! Attendees will walk through our new Learn and Serve model, connect with others who want to make an impact, and hear about ways to support our mission and sign up to volunteer.

Get in Touch!

1053 E. Whitaker Mill Rd., Ste. 115 Raleigh, NC 27604 919-535-6550 activategood.org

Sponsored By: agriculture.basf.com

Pedal Pusher: Why Your Next Car Should Be a Bike

BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW | PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Ibought my first and only vehicle, a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, in 2014. After a year of spending as much money trying to fix the car as I bought it for, my poor Jeep became a tax-deductible donation. Instead of searching for another vehicle, I decided to try a different approach. I traded in four wheels for two and became a full-time bike commuter.

Biking offers many benefits. Buying and maintaining a bike is much cheaper than a car, and you can kiss those parking tickets goodbye! You’re never worried about the price of gas – a hearty breakfast is all you need for fuel. My friends at Bullseye Bicycle helped me pick out a comfortable, sturdy commuter bike equipped with lights, saddlebags and all the (literal) bells and whistles. When it’s time to fix it up, the folks at Durham Bike Co-op have the tools and expertise to help you feel empowered about “getting under the hood” of your bike.

If you care about your carbon footprint, cycling can be a great way to protect the planet; it’s zero emissions, though you might have to use the restroom more frequently from all the extra hydrating. Folks who occasionally still need the power of a car can look to the e-bike market, which continues to innovate more options for people who need to carry heavier cargo or who don’t want to show up to work sweaty during those sizzling summer months in North Carolina.

Bike commuting is also a seamless way to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine. It builds muscle strength and

Every May, cyclists across the country rally to bring awareness of the numerous benefits of bicycling during National Bike Month. [It's] the perfect opportunity to learn more about how you can make the streets of Durham safe for everyone.

cardiovascular health, and it’s easy on the knees. There’s no better feeling than biking to the Durham Co-op Market for fresh fruits and vegetables knowing that you’re taking care of your body now and preserving it for the future.

Riders wanting to take their biking experience to the next level can explore any number of trails and pathways in Durham. Two of my favorites are the American Tobacco Trail and the Ellerbe Creek Trail. American Tobacco Trail is a 22.6-mile “rail trail” that starts near the Durham Bulls Athletic Park downtown. The ATT is perfect for leisurely

rides, commuting or workouts, whether you’re a cycling novice or a pro. At the 7-mile mark, you can pull off at The Streets at Southpoint for dinner, shopping or even a matinee at the AMC Southpoint 17 movie theater.

Ellerbe Creek Trail is a 4-mile series of trails that starts downtown at West Trinity Avenue and runs north toward Stadium Drive The ride immerses you within beautiful nature preserves, which are owned and maintained by the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association

Both the ATT and Ellerbe Creek Trail are a part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile trail network that connects 15 states, from Maine to Florida. (Fun fact, 2023 was named the Year of the Trail, the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history – a perfect opportunity to explore these trails on two wheels!)

These trails are great ways to access many different Durham neighborhoods, including downtown. Biking through

Bike Durham hosted a group ride around downtown and neighborhoods north prior to a community meeting to discuss the Durham County Transit Plan in late February.

neighborhoods like Tuscaloosa-Lakewood and Watts Hospital-Hillandale, where I grew up, helps me feel the energy of the city and strengthens my connection to the community. But my favorite place to ride is always through the streets of downtown. It’s easy to pull over to take a quick photo or say hi to a friend. Stroll down all five miles of Main Street – which highlights different types of bike infrastructure like protected bike lanes and bike boxes that are essential for building a safe, equitable city – to get a snapshot of what riding in Durham is like.

Biking is an adventure every time you saddle up. The sense of freedom when traveling by bike is one of the many reasons I enjoy it. Unfortunately, traffic violence is still a major concern for cyclists and pedestrians. People are killed each year during traffic crashes that could be prevented with more education and infrastructure.

Bike Durham is a nonprofit that “empowers all people to walk, bike and ride transit more often through events, advocacy

and education.” It champions stronger policies and more action toward improved safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in Durham and has done so for 10 years now. The organization works to support folks across the city with programs like Safe Routes to School, which provides bicycle safety training courses and support for schools, parents and students who want to make biking and walking a safer, more viable option in their school communities.

Every May, cyclists across the country rally to bring awareness of the numerous benefits of bicycling during National Bike Month, which was established by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956. Whether you bike, walk, ride the bus or even drive a car, Bike Month is the perfect opportunity to learn more about how you can make the streets of Durham safe for everyone. Pay a visit to any one of the local bike shops or organizations mentioned here to learn more, or simply start pedaling to see bikeable Durham for yourself.

Durham native Justin Laidlaw is the founder of Buddy Ruski, a multimedia storytelling company curious about how communities are built, and has served on the board of Bike Durham since 2021.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN LAIDLAW

alongside 18 other winners during a ceremony on Feb. 27 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel

Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park.

WalletHub ranked Durham the No. 1 Best City for College Basketball Fans in 2023. The rankings, which were released in March, examined more than 290 American cities home to at least one Division I basketball team across nine key metrics, including performance level of the team, number of championship wins and fan engagement on social media.

Dasan Ahanu, a resident artist at the Hayti Heritage Center who coaches the Bull City Slam Team and has competed in poetry slams nationally, was selected as the 2023 Piedmont Laureate. He also co-founded and works as the managing director of Black Poetry Theater, which creates and presents original stage productions; is the author of four

poetry collections; and is a visiting professor at UNC, where he teaches about hip-hop and Black culture. Dasan will support literary arts-based programming in the community; present readings at schools, libraries and other public places; and offer workshops for all ages, among other responsibilities, in this yearlong position.

Four North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics students –Kamisi Adetunji, Angela Chen, Linden James and Ozioma Obi – were named among the 40 high school senior finalists in Society for Science’s Regeneron Science Talent Search. The annual competition, which took place March 9-15, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition celebrating young scientists. Linden won fifth place and received a $90,000 scholarship prize for their presentation

of “Thyroid Hormone Treatment of Neurological Trauma

Using the Model Galleria Mellonella,” which researched a possible new way to treat brain trauma.

MAKING MOVES

Boxyard RTP added Honeypress, a Filipinoand woman-owned business, to its vendors on Feb. 25. The shop offers a selection of stationery and gifts from racially and culturally diverse artists, especially those in Asian American communities.

The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority approved 11 total capital improvement projects for state parks at its first quarterly meeting of 2023, including $1.5 million in funding to renovate and replace the shower houses at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area and $71,000 to add a new disc golf course at Falls Lake State Recreation Area.

NEWS BITES

• Flying Bull Beer Company announced it is opening a second location with craft beer, cocktails and a full dining menu in the Durham Innovation District near West Village in fall 2023.

• Oscar Diaz, (pictured below), the two-time James Beard Awardnominated chef behind Raleigh’s Cortez Seafood + Cocktail, is – as of press time – slated to open his first Durham restaurant, Little Bull, in the former Jetplane Coffee space at Old Five Points in March. Little Bull’s seasonal menu will feature Oscar’s take on comfort staples from his perspective as a first-generation Mexican American, including birria dumplings, confit papas and a “pinche ensaladota” made with local greens.

• Taylor Halley, who joined The Wine Feed in December 2022, released a new food menu that includes cheese and charcuterie boards, small plates like farro risotto, herb gnocchi and roasted pork belly, plus salads, flatbreads and snacks. The menu is available WednesdayFriday, 2 p.m. to close, and Saturday, noon to close. 

Durham’s Ashley Tankard earned her golden ticket to Hollywood with “American Idol” after auditioning for the show for a 15th time. The show’s 21st season airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

PHOTO BY CHRIS AYERS PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE

PHOTO BY SHANNON KELLY PHOTO

PHOTO BY LAUREN V. ALLEN

• Kingfisher was named a semifinalist in the outstanding bar category of the 2023 James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards. “We put our hearts, hands and minds into creating and integrating every aspect of Kingfisher into a holistic experience,” says Michelle Vanderwalker, who co-owns Kingfisher with Sean Umstead, “and it’s exciting and quite an honor to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation.” Winners will be announced at a ceremony on June 5.

• Fonda Lupita – a Sanford-based Mexican restaurant named one of 11 best new restaurants in the nation in 2021 by Eater magazine – is expected to open a 3,325-square-foot location in Brightleaf Square later this year that features gorditas, tacos, quesadillas, tortas and burritos as well as a bar.

• Szechuan Mansion

Hotpot is slated to open on Ninth Street this year. The restaurant’s menu at its current Cary location features a variety of meats, veggies, noodles and other ingredients, which can be dipped into various flavors of heated broth.

• Mathi Pothiyappan and Priya Pothiyappan, the husband-and-wife team behind Chapel Hill’s CholaNad, opened Mango Indian Grill in Durham Food Hall in January. Expect the same South Indian flavors that CholaNad serves, but in smaller portions and combo plates.

• Urban Noodle opened its doors at 4104 Surles Ct., Ste. 4, in Research Triangle Park on Feb. 18. Its menu features steamed buns, ramen and appetizers like kimchi salad and edamame. 

5.11 Tactical opened its doors at 6901 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 101, on Feb. 25. The retail store features a lineup of gear and apparel for tactical professionals, such as first responders and law enforcement, as well as outdoor enthusiasts, and hires local former service members and veterans whenever possible.

Former Minor League Field Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays Michael Johns became manager of the Durham Bulls in January. He succeeds Brady Williams, who accepted a position as the third base coach for the Rays.

North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Durham Sports Commission Deputy Director Kaila’Shea Menendez to a three-year term during its quarterly meeting on Feb. 6.

Durham Arts Council named Amanda Miller as its new school director in February.

Amanda most recently served as the director of programs and marketing at Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc. where she managed more than 450 free community programs and developed an artist-inresidence program.

The Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice named Angela Thorpe as its new executive director as the center works toward becoming a visitor-ready historic site. Angela most recently served as the director of North Carolina’s African American Heritage Commission. She succeeds Barbara Lau, who led the nonprofit since its launch in 2012.

IN OUR SCHOOLS

The U.S. Department of Education awarded North Carolina Central University’s School of Education a five-year, $1.1 million grant to train 32 teacher candidates to work with children with disabilities and receive a teaching license in a special education-adapted or general curriculum. This training also aims at improving the experience for students with highintensity needs in the classroom.

Durham Public Schools collaborated with nonprofit Don’t Waste Durham to launch pilot DPS Recycling Success Programs in March in four schools: Pearsontown Elementary School; Lyons Farm Elementary School; Neal Middle School; and the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. If successful, the waste management system, which aims at improving recycling rates in schools, will be deployed districtwide.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded North Carolina Central University professor Rachelle Gold the university’s first Mellon Foundation grant. Rachelle will use the $500,000 grant for her project, “Purpose, Persistence and Power: Pioneering African American Women and Their Fight for Racial Justice in North Carolina and Beyond,” which will enable the institution to recruit humanities majors, develop innovative curriculum, promote its new digital humanities minor and chronicle the stories of women who have positively impacted Durham, the state of North Carolina and the United States.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Dancing With the Carolina

Stars is back at the Carolina Theatre on May 24 at 7 p.m. The fundraising event –complete with live and silent auctions as well as a VIP after-hours event – pairs local celebrities with professional dancers to compete for the audience’s vote. 

PHOTO BY ERIC WATERS

PHOTO BY SAMANTHA EVERETTE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY HAPPY LABS PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY ALEC HIMWICH

The challenges facing today’s retirees are unique. Higher inflation, sky-rocketing healthcare costs, longer life expectancies, and complex Social Security rules all make much of the conventional retirement wisdom of the past obsolete. In this new era, it’s crucial that you take a fresh look at the challenges ahead and create a comprehensive plan to address them.

For 30 years, we’ve been working with people like you to address the challenges of the transition from accumulating their nest egg to using support their retirement lifestyle. Get in touch today to schedule a complimentary consultation.

• The owners of Weldon Mills Distillery opened a new location at 300 E. Main St. on March 7 that serves the same small-batch bourbon as the original distillery in Weldon, North Carolina, plus craft cocktails made with the distillery’s whiskey, vodka, gin and flavored liquors. Weldon Mills was also named the official spirit of the Durham Bulls, and the organizations are developing a new “Snorting Bull” bourbon that will be available later this summer.

• Max Jr.’s Links and Drinks, a restaurant and biergarten owned by Joe Schwartz and featuring a unique menu with Jewish and Southern influences, is set to open in Durham’s Brightleaf District this fall.

• New Jersey-founded acai shop Playa Bowls will open on Ninth Street and offer superfruit bowls, smoothies, coffee and more. As of press time, an opening date has not been announced.

• Cafe and outdoor gear retail shop Yonderlust opened in Brightleaf in February. The cafe sells coffee from Joe Van Gogh and bakery items from Oxford’s Strong Arm Baking. Owners Sonya Linton and Kit Linton also plan to introduce a food, smoothie and juice bar.

• Jack Tar and The Colonel’s Daughter closed its doors on March 12 after five years in business.

Housing for New Hope will host its spring Rent Party on April 20 at 8 p.m. at The Fruit with entertainment from DJ Pdogg. Proceeds from the event support the nonprofit’s programs to assist people experiencing homelessness.

GIVING BACK

The Durham Sunrise Rotary Club held a Taste of Valentine’s event on Feb. 5 at The Kitchen Specialist with food and refreshments provided by Wine Authorities, Couture Eats and Once Upon a Chocolate. Proceeds benefited the club’s Backpack Buddies program, which provides healthy foods and morning snacks to 24 Forest View Elementary families each week.

Together We Stand NC, which was founded in June 2020 following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020, hosted its annual Maud 2.23: Stand Up to Racism and Hate events in seven North Carolina cities, including Durham, from Feb. 18-23. Three Durham breweries, The Glass Jug Beer Lab, Ponysaurus Brewing Co. and Fullsteam Brewery, created a special beer, Stand Up, and 1,378 runners/walkers across the country participated in the events, which raised $17,600 for five nonprofits including PORCH-Durham.

Denise Pavona and the Spherion Raleigh team donated $2,000 to World Relief Durham and Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers along with A Place at the Table in Raleigh. 

Kidznotes held its ¡Somos Kidznotes! fundraiser concert, hosted by its Executive Director Shana Tucker and ABC11’s DeJuan Hoggard, at the Carolina Theatre in January. The signature performance was a celebration of the nonprofit music program’s youth orchestras comprised of pre-K through 12th graders. Special guests Larry & Joe, the Latingrass duo of Venezuelan multiinstrumentalist Larry Bellorín and Grammy-nominated performer Joe Troop, also performed. The event raised $43,994, with close to $9,000 raised on the day of the concert.

IN MEMORIAM

Former Duke University cross country and track and field coach and professor Albert George Buehler died on Jan. 5

at the age of 92. Al joined Duke in 1955 and remains the university’s longestserving professor, having retired in 2015. Al coached 10 All-Americans and six ACC Championship teams during his time with the Blue Devils. He was inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches

JUNE 24 - JULY 29, 2023

Association Hall of Fame. Al helped to host the Pan AfricaUSA International Track

Meet, Martin Luther King Jr. International Freedom Games and USA-USSR International Meet at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. He also invited LeRoy Walker, North Carolina Central University’s track coach at the time, to train with his team on Duke’s track as a gesture against segregation. Al is the subject of “Starting at the Finish Line,” a book and short film created by his former students Amy Unell and Grant Hill.

Kidznotes co-founder

Lucia Peel

Powe died on Jan. 10 at the age of 91. Lucia was a native of Smyrna, Georgia, won the Miss Georgia pageant in 1952 and competed for the Miss America crown in 1953. Among her many accomplishments, she sang with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and even starred on a children’s television program. After Lucia’s first husband died of cancer, she married attorney E.K. Powe She helped to launch Kidznotes in 2010. In 2019, she published a book of essays, “You Can Take It With You.” Lucia’s memorial and celebration of life was held on March 5 at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.

Gerard Schwarz, Music Director - Christopher L. Williams, Executive Director

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA EASTERNMUSICFESTIVAL.ORG

PHOTO BY SAMANTHA EVERETTE PHOTOGRAPHY

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, the practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates has been trusted to provide specialized care in the Chapel Hill, Durham, and Sanford communities. Our four board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons provide the highest quality of patient care with the latest diagnostic and treatment tools available to assure patient safety and comfort.

Drs. Sacco, Vandersea, Ruvo and Serlo practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery with expertise ranging from corrective jaw surgery to wisdom tooth removal.

CHAPEL HILL 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 110 Chapel Hill 27514 919.929.2196

DURHAM 2823 North Duke Street Durham 27704 919.479.0707

SANFORD 109 Dennis Drive Sanford 27330 919.775.1615

DEBRA M. SACCO DMD, MD

BRIAN VANDERSEA DDS

ANDREW T. RUVO DMD, MD

ADAM D. SERLO DMD, MD

Fight Brain Tumors with Duke

Silent Auction

KidZone

Food Trucks

Entertainment

5K & WALK OF HOPE Campus of Duke Medical Center

Supporting the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke

More than 700,000 people in the United States are living with the diagnosis of a primary brain tumor and 69,000 more will be diagnosed this year.

Join thousands of participants from across the country as they walk through the Duke Medical Campus and beautiful Sarah Duke Gardens to raise money for brain cancer research. Come enjoy a day to celebrate HOPE.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Ready to get moving for brain tumor research?

Better yet, come run and walk alongside some of our brain tumor survivors at the 30th annual Angels Among Us 5K and Walk of Hope on Saturday, April 22. The event is held on the Duke Campus at the corner of Erwin Road and Flowers Drive and supports the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke. It begins with a 5K run followed by a kids dash, our KidZone, food trucks, entertainment, local mascots, a silent auction and so much more.

our top dentists

For the 14th straight year, Durham Magazine commissioned a peer-to-peer survey of the local dental community – from endodontists to prosthodontists. The following listing is the result. Dentists and specialists were asked the telling question: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” and also asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and, of course, physical results.

The Durham area is well-served by the dental community. Hundreds of dentists, specialists and support professionals have made this city home, and the overall quality of dental care in our communities is second to none. What good dentist wouldn’t want to practice here?

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

The Top Dentists list for Durham is the result of a rigorous evaluation process consisting of peer-to-peer surveys of area dentists and professionals. This survey was conducted and managed by the nationally recognized thirdparty firm topDentists LLC of Augusta, Georgia. This list is excerpted from the 2023 topDentists™ list, a database that includes listings for more than 60 dentists and specialists in the Durham area. The list is based on detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at usatopdentists.com

topDentists management has more than 60 years combined experience compiling peer-review referral guides in the dental, medical and legal fields. Working from this experience, along with the input of several prominent dentists from throughout the United States, topDentists created a selection process that has earned the respect of the country’s leading dental professionals. For more information, call 706-364-0853; write P.O. Box 970, Augusta, Georgia, 30903; email help@usatopdentists.com; or visit usatopdentists.com

The purchase of advertising has no impact on who is included in the Top Dentists list.

Dental Anesthesiology

Rachael D’Souza

Triangle Implant Center

5318 N.C. Hwy. 55, Ste. 106 919-806-2912

triangleimplantcenter.com

Endodontics

Hong Chen

RTP Endodontics 5318 N.C. Hwy. 55, Ste. 201 919-237-2818

rtpendo.com

Deborah A. Conner

922 Broad St., Ste. B 919-416-4200

debconnerdds.com

Linda Levin

Levin Endodontics

3624 Shannon Rd., Ste. 106 919-401-4827

levinendodontics.com

A. K. Bobby Mallik 5324 McFarland Dr., Ste. 120 919-493-5332

durhamendo.com

Roger A. McDougal

McDougal Endodontics

245 E. N.C. Hwy. 54, Ste. 201 919-806-8667

mcdougalendo.org

General Dentistry

Brent L. Blaylock

3206 Old Chapel Hill Rd., Ste. 300 919-518-9963

generaldentistdurham.com

Debora A. Bolton

Bull City Smiles

2705 N. Duke St., Ste. 100 919-381-5900

bullcitysmiles.com

Jason W. Butler

Croasdaile Dental Arts

2900 Croasdaile Dr., Ste. 5 919-383-7402

croasdailedentalarts.com

James H. Eaker

Handcrafted Dentistry 4208 S. Alston Ave., Ste. 100 919-544-5620

handcrafteddentistry.com

Mary V. Gaddis Park Place Dental 245 E. N.C. Hwy. 54, Ste. 204 919-484-8088 dentistindurham.com

Elizabeth A. Grooms 1212 Broad St. 919-286-4439

Esther Vice Hanson Sunrise Dental 8128 Renaissance Pkwy., Ste. 203 919-493-3355

dinahvice-sunrisedental.com

Brittanie Harris 105 Newsom St., Ste. 204 919-471-9106

anewreasontosmile.com

Stephanie Q. Jenkins 5317 Highgate Dr., Ste. 118 919-361-0500

drjenkins-dds.com

James Jorge Bull City Smiles 2705 N. Duke St., Ste. 100 919-381-5900

bullcitysmiles.com

A. K. BOBBY MALLIK D.M.D.

Our team realizes the importance of your dental health and strives to provide all your endodontic needs in a clean, comfortable and stress-free environment. We utilize state-ofthe-art technology to ensure you are receiving the specialized care you deserve.

Using the most advanced knowledge and techniques available today, we can perform many different endodontic treatments with ultimate precision and comfort.

Shirin Mashhoon Ninth Street Dental 811 Ninth St., Ste. 280 919-286-9090 ninthstreetdental.com

Kevin P. Matthews 4210 N. Roxboro St., Ste. 130 919-479-1970 kevinpmatthewsdds.com

Lionel M. Nelson 3325 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Ste. 303 919-489-0497 nelsongentledental.com

Desiree T. Palmer Bull City Dental 106 W. Parrish St., Ste. 1 919-680-3531 bullcitydentaldowntown.com

Laura Parra 3400 Croasdaile Dr., Ste. 209 919-383-7020 lauraparradds.com

Alicia Ramos 1515 W. Hwy. 54, Ste. 260 919-493-5714 drramosdentistry.com

Catherine D. Ray 3310 University Dr. 919-489-5380 catherinedraydmd.com

Grant H. Service 2711 N. Duke St., Ste. B 919-220-6553 durhamdentistgrantservice.com

Harold S. Speight 2711 N. Duke St., Ste. C 919-220-4200 haroldspeightdds.com

Michael A. Tapper Croasdaile Smiles 2900 Croasdaile Dr., Ste. 2 919-383-8619 croasdailesmiles.com

Jerry ter Avest 2515 E. N.C. Hwy. 54, Bldg. 2000 919-544-6080 jteravestdds.com

Amy D. Turner Turning Point Dental and Aesthetics 811 Ninth St., Ste. 210 919-286-4481 turningpointda.com 

Dr. John R. Christensen Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Robert T. Christensen Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Jamie L. Molina Pediatric Dentistry

William W. Turner

Croasdaile Dental Arts

2900 Croasdaile Dr., Ste. 5 919-383-7402

croasdailedentalarts.com

C. Steadman Willis III

1212 Broad St. 919-286-2235

steadwillisdmd.com

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Huyen-Chau Dunn

Lane & Associates Family Dentistry

3020 S. Miami Blvd. 919-598-9900

lanedds.com

Jeffrey S. Jelic

Jelic Center

5501 Fortunes Ridge Dr., Ste. G 919-419-9222

drjelic.com

Aaron Park Triangle Implant Center

5318 N.C. Hwy. 55, Ste. 106 919-806-2912

triangleimplantcenter.com

David B. Powers

Division of Plastic, Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery 40 Duke Medical Center

dukemedicine.org/find-doctors-physicians/ david-b-powers-md-dmd

LIONEL M. NELSON, DMD PA

3325 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. Ste 303 919.489.0497 | nelsongentledental@mac.com

Dr. Nelson and his wife, Nicole, reside in Hillsborough, NC and are the proud parents of 3 sons and one daughter, Lionel II, Lorenz, Leland and London. He earned a B.A. in chemistry from Miami University (Ohio) in 1995 and received his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Temple University in 1999.

Dr. Nelson and his team of caring dental professionals keep the patient first by administering comprehensive treatment focusing on each patient’s overall health. They give the best of themselves and the best that dentistry has to

TOP DENTISTS

offer by continually furthering their personal and professional growth. And they make every effort to show patients they are honored and appreciated.

Dr. Nelson offers a full range of services including preventive care, root canals, cosmetic dentistry, single visit porcelain crowns, implant placement and restoration, professional teeth whitening, dentures and partials, tooth-colored fillings, and 3D imaging and digital dentistry.

Dr. Nelson and his team have been voted one of Durham’s TopDentists for the 14th consecutive year.

Uday N. Reebye

Triangle Implant Center

5318 N.C. Hwy. 55, Ste. 106 919-806-2912

triangleimplantcenter.com

Andrew T. Ruvo

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates

2823 N. Duke St. 919-479-0707

omsanc.com

Debra M. Sacco

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates 2823 N. Duke St. 919-479-0707

omsanc.com 

Adam D. Serlo

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates 2823 N. Duke St. 919-479-0707

omsanc.com

Brian Vandersea

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates 2823 N. Duke St. 919-479-0707

omsanc.com

Orthodontics

John R. Christensen

Durham Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics 121 W. Woodcroft Pkwy. 919-489-1543

durhampdo.com

Tyler Hart

North Carolina Oral Surgery + Orthodontics 3020 S. Miami Blvd. 919-246-3350 ncoso.com

Gavin C. Heymann Smith & Heymann Orthodontics 2919 Colony Rd. 919-493-4911 smithandheymann.com

J. Gina Ji-Young Lee North Durham Orthodontics 4301 Ben Franklin Blvd., Ste. 201 919-797-2300

durhambraces.com

Julie H. Mol Mol Orthodontics 5726 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 104 919-405-7111

molorthodontics.com

Pedro E. Santiago Duke Craniofacial Orthodontics Clinic 3475 Erwin Rd. 919-660-0320

surgery.duke.edu/faculty/pedro-e-santiago-dmd

Katya Skillestad Smith & Heymann Orthodontics 2919 Colony Rd. 919-493-4911

smithandheymann.com 

Your Smile, Our Passion

Cutting-edge Orthodontics:

Cutting-edge Orthodontics:

here has been a recent explosion of technology in the world of orthodontics. Technological advances in materials, along with state-of-the-art software that can predict tooth movement, now allow specially trained orthodontists to straighten teeth with or without traditional metal braces. Currently, Dr. Lee is the only certified orthodontist in the Triangle area, who offers Incognito braces, which allows the orthodontist to bond individually customized braces to the back of the teeth, making your braces completely unnoticeable to others.

TThere has been a recent explosion of technology in the world of orthodontics. Technological advances in materials, along with state-of-the-art software that can predict tooth movement, now allow specially trained orthodontists to straighten teeth with or without traditional metal braces. Currently, Dr. Lee is the only certified orthodontist in the Triangle area, who offers Incognito braces, which allows the orthodontist to bond individually customized braces to the back of the teeth, making your braces completely unnoticeable to others.

Dr. Lee also provides other forms of less noticeable braces, such as clear ceramic braces and clear removable aligners, “Invisalign”. Technologic advances in orthodontics are not only limited to the braces themselves.

Dr. Lee also provides other forms of less noticeable braces, such as clear ceramic braces and clear removable aligners, “Invisalign”. Technologic advances in orthodontics are not only limited to the braces themselves.

Dr. Lee utilizes the most up-to-date digital X-ray technology and 3D optical scanners, which allows for more precise and efficient treatment planning and clear aligner creation. Additionally, she has been trained in the use of advanced alternatives to surgery using lasers and tiny bone screws that allow tooth movement, which would otherwise require surgery.

Dr. Lee utilizes the most up-to-date digital X-ray technology and 3D optical scanners, which allows for more precise and efficient treatment planning and clear aligner creation. Additionally, she has been trained in the use of advanced alternatives to surgery using lasers and tiny bone screws that allow tooth movement, which would otherwise require surgery.

Dr. Lee specializes in orthodontic care for children and adults, with a specialty in cosmetic braces. She received her dental degree from Columbia University in New York City in 2000, where she also served on the faculty of orthodontics after completing her orthodontics specialty training before moving to North Carolina in 2005.

Dr. Lee specializes in orthodontic care for children and adults, with a specialty in cosmetic braces. She received her dental degree from Columbia University in New York City in 2000, where she also served on the faculty of orthodontics after completing her orthodontics specialty training before moving to North Carolina in 2005.

Dr. Lee emphasizes giving each patient plenty of personal attention, as each patient’s smile is a customized work of art that needs to match expectations.

Dr. Lee emphasizes giving each patient plenty of personal attention, as each patient’s smile is a customized work of art that needs to match expectations.

I am blessed to work with a team of exceptional people who pride themselves in quality treatment. I find joy in helping someone feel confident with their smile.

Thank you Durham for your continued support. It is a pleasure to serve such an amazing community of people.

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

-Mark Twain

For over 30 years, Dr. Brent L. Blaylock has been a trusted dentist in Durham. Continuing education is important to Dr. Blaylock, and he has completed many courses in the principles of complete dentistry. His focus has been identifying and treating problems with the TMJ and occlusion, and the impact of oral inflammation and disease on the heart and rest of the body.

Periodontics

Arnold T. McClain

5015 Southpark Dr., Ste. 130 919-484-8338 gumsandimplants.org

Samantha Robles

2900 Croasdaile Dr., Ste. 1 919-383-6611 drsamperio.com

Prosthodontics

Geoffrey R. Cunningham

Durham Prosthodontics

3709 University Dr., Ste. D 919-489-8661 mydurhamdentist.com

R. Kyle Gazdeck

Durham Prosthodontics

3709 University Dr., Ste. D 919-489-8661 mydurhamdentist.com

Rosanna V. Marquez

Triangle Restoration Dentistry

1920 E. N.C. Hwy. 54, Ste. 410 919-544-8106

trianglerestorationdentistry.com

Mark S. Scurria

Triangle Restoration Dentistry

1920 E. N.C. Hwy. 54, Ste. 410 919-544-8106

trianglerestorationdentistry.com

our 11th annual

of achievement issue

Meet 13 remarkable women pursuing careers ranging from dance to gallery curation, from athletics administration to landscape architecture, from child psychology to coding. Through their dedication and hard work, they have made significant contributions to their fields and are role models within our community. Explore their stories and celebrate their achievements with us.

Photography by John Michael Simpson

Schedule your annual 3D mammogram at Wake Radiology

Breast cancer impacts 1 out of every 8 women in the US. That number drops to 1 in 6 for women 40-49. Cancer diagnosis rates are similar for all women, but not mortality rates. African American women have a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer.

A screening 3D mammogram is the best tool for early breast cancer detection. Wake Radiology combines artificial intelligence with all 3D screening mammograms to obtain detailed information that helps determine a breast cancer diagnosis.

Wake Radiology has the most outpatient breast imaging offices in the Triangle and all have earned designation as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. Early morning & weekend appointments are available. Plus, you can request an appointment online.

ohn Gibala hunted and processed deer when his daughter, Anna Gibala, was a young girl, sparking her curiosity. “It was [also] very common for him to pick up roadkill in Durham, so long as the deer was freshly killed and struck in the right area,” Anna says. “I have a vivid memory of stopping on the side of Highway 751 near Duke Forest with my dad on the way back from a cotillion class to load a deer onto his trailer. I was probably 11 or 12 years old and had to remove my white gloves from class to help him load it.”

She’s had an interest in food – butchery, specifically – ever since.

The Durham native pursued the passion after graduating from Riverside High School, attending Johnson & Wales University to earn her associate degree in culinary arts before receiving her bachelor’s in food systems management and nutrition and foods from Appalachian State University in 2013. She returned to Durham briefly, working as a cook at Parizade and the Chirba Chirba Dumpling Truck before she moved to the Bay Area in 2015.

Anna took a job as a line cook at whole-animal butcher and sandwich shop Clove & Hoof, in Oakland, California. There, she learned the basics of butchery, like breaking animals down and making sausages.

“When I made that transition into trying to do more butcher stuff, I really had no idea what I was doing at first,” Anna says. “A lot of it was just getting out of my comfort zone; [it was] a huge learning experience.”

Anna volunteered on the butchery side of the business once or twice a week on her days off while continuing to work full time as a line cook – and did so for about 10 months before she was finally offered a full-time butcher position.

“Being offered [that] role was like, ‘Your hard work has paid off … all of the days off that you’ve come in and worked and tried to learn this new skill,’” Anna says. “That was definitely a really good feeling.”

Anna’s partner, Hart Phillips, got a job in Denver in 2017, and the pair moved east. She worked as a butcher at several shops to gain experience, like woman-owned Western Daughters Butcher Shop, Elevation Artisan Meats and Il Porcellino Salumi. She and Hart then moved to Portland in August 2018, where Anna worked at Tails & Trotters.

After cutting her teeth as a butcher out west, Anna wanted to start her own business to have more freedom to bring her creative ideas into reality and advocate for local sustainable farming. She knew she wanted that company to be in Durham.

“From a business standpoint, it [was] smart for me networking-wise, because I just knew the most people in Durham,” Anna says. “When I was living farther away, I always saw Durham pop up on lists of like, ‘the 10 best food towns that you didn’t know about,’ [and I knew] that there were a lot of thriving food businesses here and a lot of creativity.”

She moved back to the Bull City in 2021 and started Moonbelly Meat Co. in February 2022. She rents a commissary space at Redstart Foods on North Roxboro Street, where she has a pick-up window for online orders Monday and Tuesday from 2-6 p.m. You can also find her at the Eno River Farmers Market in Hillsborough and, starting in April, at the Durham Farmers Market downtown.

One of Anna’s main goals is to make the butcher shop experience more approachable and inclusive rather than intimidating. With her, “you don’t have to feel shy about asking ‘dumb questions.’” Even her logo is a part of that mission. “Oftentimes, [butcher logos contain] a big cleaver, and it’s black and white, and just seems really aggro,” she says. “I wanted to go in the opposite direction and use bright colors and a funky font. So if you saw it, you would say, ‘Oh, that’s something that looks fun – I’m curious to know more about what’s going on here.”

Of course, once you get folks interested, you need the product to back it up. Anna primarily works with Firsthand Foods to help her obtain local, pasture-raised meats. “I try my best to utilize whole animal butchery by using bones to make broth or soup and skin to make dog treats and pork rinds,” Anna says. “My main offering is uniquely flavored sausages, all stuffed and twisted by hand. Some of my most popular [sausage] flavors are Korean barbecue, cheesy pizza and pho soup.” She also produces bacon, smoked hams and marinated pork chops.

Anna knows she’s got the chops and the goods – now she’s focused on growing her customer base. “Since I am a new business, just trying to get the word out that I even exist … has been a big challenge,” she says. But if that little girl who dragged a deer into the back of a trailer has anything to say about it, we doubt Moonbelly will stay a secret for much longer. – by Rong

Huang 

owner and founder, Moonbelly Meat Co.

Daisy Magnus-Aryitey

aisy Magnus-Aryitey’s career is a testament to the power of Code the Dream. She was an early student of the Durham-based nonprofit – a pilot project of the nonprofit Uniting NC at the time – which offers free software development training to people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. The intensive ninemonth training led to her first tech job as a front-end engineer at Duke University’s Office of Information Technology in 2015. Daisy remained on CTD’s board and eventually returned as its director of partnerships.

“I really wanted to give back to the organization that had given so much to me,” she says. In 2020, she joined Dan Rearick as CTD’s co-founder and coexecutive director to transform the organization into the stand-alone nonprofit it is today.

“We were thrilled when she came back to lead Code the Dream because not only was she brilliant, but she also knew firsthand many of the challenges our students face,” Dan says.

Daisy’s journey into the tech world was not a linear one. Her family moved to the United States from Accra, Ghana, when she was 4 and, coming from an immigrant background, she says, “there’s very narrowly defined paths to success,” like through learning medicine or law. In her 20s, Daisy put her law degree on hold to help raise her young family. She sought to reenter the workforce in her 30s, but her resume gap proved a major barrier, and traditional continued education was not financially feasible.

Then, one line at the bottom of an email chain changed everything. It advertised CTD’s pilot coding classes for young people from immigrant backgrounds. At 32, Daisy wasn’t sure if she qualified, but she emailed anyway. Daisy recalls asking the organization to give her a chance and promising to give it her all. She was swiftly enrolled. She was surprised by how much she enjoyed coding. Learning occurred through hands-on experimentation and collaboration with classmates rather than through rote memorization.

“It felt welcoming and friendly, without the burden of having to be the best or having to get the top grade to succeed,” she says. “We all rise together.”

Daisy says CTD sets itself apart with its dedicated and diverse staff as well as its unique apprenticeship program, Code the Dream Labs, which offers graduates the opportunity to apply for a fulltime, paid job working on real-world web and mobile development projects that support nonprofit and small businesses that mirror CTD’s own mission to promote equity and digital access.

“The work that we do is important, and I think our apprentice developers feel the weight of that importance,” Daisy says. “When they’re building tools to connect migrant farmworkers to resources or tools to support children who are struggling to read, there’s a significance to that.”

Daisy’s commitment to equity in tech and education led her to earn her master’s in educational innovation, technology and entrepreneurship from UNC’s School of Education in 2020. She is also a volunteer on the technical education committee at the Emily K Center and serves on the board of Justice Matters

Despite her many commitments, Daisy still finds time for her family and for herself. She and her husband, Dan Howarth, love to attend their 11-yearold son Luke Howarth’s basketball games and 15-yearold daughter Lena Howarth’s high school band performances. If she gets a little bit of free time, Daisy likes to unwind in the aisles of Mode Consignment

Boutique or the Durham Rescue Mission Thrift Store

Although her 20-something self would be surprised by her life now, Daisy knows that she would also feel proud. She still remembers the joy of landing her first job after completing CTD.

“I could tell people, “I work at Duke, I’m a software developer,’” she says. “You just carry yourself differently. It impacted my life, it impacted my children’s lives. It was like suddenly a different path opened for me and my family.”

Daisy was named “Tech Difference Maker of the Year” at last year’s NC TECH Awards and continues to devote herself to ensuring others can find the same personal fulfillment and access to opportunities she gained through CTD.

“When a student tells me they got a job, I’m so happy for them because I know that this is just the start,” she says. “So many doors are going to open to them that were closed before. That is always my ‘worth it’ moment. That is what we’re always working toward.” – by Emily Davis 

When a student tells me they got a job, I’m so happy for them, because I know that this is just the start.

Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Code the Dream

Daisy walks past this mural by Sean Kernick every day she goes into work –it's just outside of her office at American Underground @Main.

Faculty, American Dance Festival Artistic Director, Big Red Dance Project

Gerri Houlihan

erri Houlihan “is a force in our educational programs,” says Jodee Nimerichter, executive director at American Dance Festival, where Gerri has shared the joy of movement with dancers and educators alike for the past 40 years. Jodee describes Gerri as a most esteemed teacher who has made a lasting impact on her students in the Durham community and beyond.

Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Gerri attended The Juilliard School and danced with The Metropolitan Opera, among other companies. “I have found that a career in dance has continued to provide new and surprising rewards,” Gerri says. “I believe the body has the ability to reveal things that often can’t be said in words.” She moved back to Florida from New York City to teach at the New World School of the Arts and run her own dance company for eight years. She also taught at Florida State University where she was named the Pearl S. Tyner Distinguished Professor in Teaching and is now professor emerita.

After traveling to and from Durham to teach at ADF since the early ’80s, Gerri made a permanent move in 2015 after witnessing the city’s growth over the past few decades. “When it was time to retire, I had made a number of really important friendships here and [had] the connection with ADF, so it seemed like the logical place to be,” she says. Today she is part of a book club and studies tai chi in her home in Colony Hill, and spends her free time attending screenings and shows at the Chelsea Theatre and Durham Performing Arts Center. The opportunities Durham provides “have made it a place where I feel like I can really stay connected,” she says.

Gerri – who was an instructor, co-dean and then dean at ADF’s school – found her happy place in teaching a modern dance class for beginners and an intermediate-to-advanced modern dance class to adults two days a week at Samuel H. Scripps Studios. These dance groups “evolved because I saw older dancers in the studio moving

so beautifully and with such grace and such elegance and such love for dancing,” Gerri says. “I thought, ‘Oh, somebody needs to do something with this.’” She is also the artistic director of the multi-generational company Big Red Dance Project, which recently shared excerpts from two pieces in progress at Scripps Studio and will lead a professional workshop for dance educators this summer from June 25 through July 1.

“Gerri is incredibly charismatic and ready to offer a palette of delicious movement and is encouraging beyond words,” Jodee says. “She goes beyond just the teaching of dance and learns everyone’s name in the studio.”

Gerri’s commitment to sharing her knowledge and fostering community extends far beyond Durham – she’s completed 17 international residencies as an ADF ambassador in countries including Mongolia, Paraguay and China, and is immediately loved wherever she dances. She relishes working with international choreographers, as many often come to study at ADF for a few weeks as well. “They take classes and are invited to share a piece of their own choreography,” she says. “It’s wonderful just to see all the different influences and to introduce them to what’s happening here,” she says.

The best piece of advice she ever received was to “be open to all opportunities that present themselves,” she says. “You never know when something will be available, even if it’s not on your radar.” She fondly reflects on that mantra paying off in 2005 when she received ADF’s Balasaraswati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching award. “The people who have received this teaching award are people who I studied in history books, you know?” Gerri says. “I was completely floored.”

American Dance Festival celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, with a presentation of 23 renowned local and international choreographers and companies such as Paul Taylor Dance Company and Pilobolus. The performances run from June to August and “will showcase the breadth and diversity of modern dance,” Jodee says.

In fact, this milestone season will be dedicated to Gerri for the extraordinary impact she’s had on the festival. “She has traveled the globe for ADF, and now we are so fortunate that Durham is her home and that she can provide dance opportunities for our community yearround,” Jodee says. ADF will establish the Gerri Houlihan Scholarship Fund in her honor, to carry on Gerri’s legacy of joyous devotion to dance for years to come. – by Ellison Beaver 

en. Natalie Murdock is, first and foremost, an advocate. “As a legislator, I think about the people who don’t have the time or ability to stand up for themselves,” she says. “I am representing and fighting for tens of thousands of people across the state.”

Natalie comes from a long lineage of equality fighters in North Carolina. Growing up in Greensboro, she had strong female role models in both her mother, Christine Murdock, and her grandmother, Dorothy

Sen. Natalie Murdock

Senator, north Carolina

District 20

Principal, Murdock Anderson Consulting

PHOTO BY ANNA CARSON DEWITT

Lee Murdock, who was a cafeteria worker in Guilford County. “In the 1960s, she participated in the march surrounding the Woolworth’s sit-in,” Natalie says. “She also led a strike for equal pay for workers of color in the cafeteria. I often wonder if she was scared – her bravery to stand up for what she believed in, all while going months without pay and knowing she could have been fired, continues to inspire me.”

Natalie’s mother is a nurse. “I am really passionate about health care and public health in large part because of my mom,” Natalie says. “I serve on the joint legislative oversight committee on health and human services and will be filing bills this session around health equity for our state.”

When she’s having an especially hard day, Natalie says she thinks of her ancestors, who were enslaved people in Orange County in the 1800s. “Just one county over, they lived and worked without the right to choose, or even think about, what they wanted to do with their day,” Natalie says. “Durham is where I really found and honed my voice as a politician, in finding a love for this city and its people. I am so grateful to be representing this community that has welcomed me, as one of 50 senators elected to do this job. It is an honor and a privilege.”

The initial vision for state legislative roles was for them to be part time (senators only make $13,900 per year). “Though it is technically a part-time role, there is seldom a day I don’t do something in the legislative space, whether it is responding to constituents or attending events on weekdays and weekends, it is a 24/7 job,” Natalie says. “My goal is to get up each morning around 5 or 6 a.m. to exercise, then I begin my consulting work.”

Depending on the time of year, Natalie spends the rest of her morning attending legislative or committee meetings. “The issues are so varied – we may be meeting with farmers, those in the energy sector, advocates for voting rights or seniors in need of funding for their programs,” Natalie explains. She also speaks to local students and educators, often with a focus on social work and mental health issues. “There is no topic we don’t touch.”

Her days are usually 12 to 14 hours long, especially during bill drafting season. “No one works in a vacuum,” Natalie explains. “We may be getting input from a local nonprofit or other constituents. Sometimes we don’t have time for lunch or we have a late dinner, but you get into a groove where you just say, ‘All right, what’s next?’”

Natalie hopes more women choose to enter into public service, like she did in 2020. “The first time I was asked to run, it was by thenBuncombe County Commissioner Holly Jones,” Natalie says. “She was really encouraging women to get out there and run,” Natalie says. She was sworn in on April 2, 2020, becoming the first Black woman under the age of 40 to serve as a North Carolina senator, and ran a successful reelection campaign in 2022.

“Women get things done,” Natalie says. “We are multitaskers and leaders by nature. In my caucus, there are many women with

school-aged children; who better to chime in on issues related to early childhood education than parents?”

Prior to her senate run, Natalie earned her undergraduate degree in political science and communication studies from UNC and went on to work in various public service roles focused on transportation, economic development and city planning in Asheville and Chapel Hill. Some of her early political work was for Terry Bellamy, who was elected Asheville’s first Black mayor in 2005.

“Communications roles for organizations like GoTriangle and the NC Department of Justice have really helped prepare me for serving in the General Assembly, particularly the ability to translate legal jargon and complex issues into language everyone can feel invited to engage with,” Natalie says.

Those not interested in running for office, Natalie adds, can join a board or committee. “It takes persistence and resilience, but there are so many opportunities to help build a better democracy for everyone in our communities,” she says.

When she isn’t busy supporting her constituents or consulting clients, Natalie considers herself a foodie and enjoys trying locally owned restaurants, both in Durham (Nosh, Sushi Love, Rue Cler and Toast are a handful of her favorites) and on her travels. Some memorable trips include visiting Scotland for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021 and, more recently, attending the 58th Anniversary Jubilee in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the events that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. “I never expected to get to do things like this and have these amazing, meaningful experiences,” she says. Once this legislative session wraps in August, Natalie plans to spend time in nature and try her hand at some art projects and new recipes.

“I’m honored to represent Durham and its uniqueness and be part of charting our path forward,” she says. “There’s a reason other cities are trying to replicate what we have. The future of Durham is bright, and I look forward to maintaining more of what we know and love.”

– by Morgan Cartier Weston 

PHOTO BY ANNA CARSON DEWITT

Brittni Winslow

n unexpected opportunity to shadow a pediatric occupational therapist in high school ignited a passion in Brittni Winslow. “Seeing the work she was doing opened my whole world up to this [career],” she says.

“It was exactly what I wanted to do.”

Brittni arrived at Emerge Pediatric Therapy in Durham (then Emerge – A Child’s Place) as a graduate intern from East Carolina University in 2011 and was hired as a full-time therapist in 2012. The clinic offers one-on-one occupational, physical and speech therapy to children whose support needs range from emotional regulation to motor skills. It was her dream job, but she soon found herself at odds with the work environment and culture. Rather than look for a position elsewhere, she decided to propose some changes to her boss.

“Being a new therapist, just six months in, it was a little bit daunting,” Brittni says. “Over time, I continued to be seen as someone who wasn’t scared to ask questions and advocate for change.”

Brittni’s eventual ascent up the company ladder, although not initially planned, was not wholly unexpected. Her father, an entrepreneur, instilled in her a desire to work for herself one day. Before she left for college, he advised her to select a date by which she’d have her own occupational therapy practice. She chose 2020.

“It wasn’t necessarily something that I was thinking about every day as I was coming to work, but I think it was running subconsciously for me,” Brittni says. “So when those opportunities did start to arise for leadership, they were things that I really wanted to go after.”

By 2015, Brittni was being mentored to take over the company. By 2018, Brittni assumed 20% ownership of Emerge, and in 2019 – pregnant with her third daughter and still a year shy of her 2020 goal – she bought the other 80%. Emerge has since opened second and third clinic locations in Cary and Carrboro and grown from around 15 to almost 70 employees.

Her work comes with great joys and challenges. Brittni gets to watch young patients gain confidence, but she also has to make difficult decisions for a growing company. She says her perspective as a former therapist at Emerge helps orient her decision-making as its owner. Her growth as a leader within the company motivates her to provide similar opportunities to her team.

“It’s been great to see therapists grow in their own leadership and being able to mentor them into being leaders within the company,” she says.

When she’s off the clock, Brittni is often occupied by the crowded schedules of her three daughters – Brooklyn Winslow, 9, Eleanor Winslow, 6, and Molly Winslow, 3. Her husband, Clint Winslow, is a franchise owner of several Jersey Mike’s Subs locations in the Durham and Chapel Hill area, but Brittni jokes that their daughters’ extracurriculars keep them busier than their actual businesses. Beyond regular soccer games and Bouncing Bulldogs practices, the family likes to spend quality time attending Durham Bulls games and enjoying outdoor dining spots, like Honeysuckle at Lakewood

Brittni continues to expand the reach of Emerge into her community, like through the center’s sponsorship of extra supportive, sensory-inclusive Sensory Suite nights at Bulls games and sensory-friendly haircut training with the team at Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids.

“We are really looking at ways for us to be able to get outside of the clinic walls,” Brittni says, “particularly [to reach] people who might not be able to access therapy services as a client. It’s a big, big passion of ours.” – by Emily Davis 

practice owner and executive director, Emerge Pediatric Therapy

co-founder, Center for Child & Family Health

co-director, UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine

As the daughter of a child psychiatrist and a nurse, Dr. Lisa Amaya-Jackson felt an ingrained need to help others. She graduated from Jordan High School and then William & Mary before pursuing both her medical degree and master of public health at UNC.

Lisa has spent the past 30 years at Duke University in the same field as her father –

Dr. Lisa

Amaya-Jackson

by Kai Hill

child psychiatry. The reach of her decades of research and clinical work has positively affected outcomes for thousands of children and their families in Durham and beyond.

As the co-founder of the Center for Child & Family Health and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine, she endeavors to build bridges between academia and the community.

“For so many people, the meaning of their life centers on their children and their families growing up healthy,” Lisa says. “We know what works; we know what makes a difference. And, we can change the trajectory of a child’s life for the better.”

She also co-directs the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, which secured more than $40 million in federal funding in 2022. The center is responsible for the leadership activities of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which has nearly 200 sites around the country. The organizations aim to increase access to and quality of care for traumatized youth and families. Their work ranges from policy briefs and research to sharing evidence-based treatments so systems including schools and juvenile justice institutions are more trauma-informed.

“It has allowed me to be part of something so much bigger than I ever envisioned,” she says. “There’s a lot of knowledge and science that has advanced in the field.”

She’s worked locally with the Lincoln Community Health Center and El Futuro and engaged in national conversations by testifying before Congress about children and trauma.

“The mental health system is very broken,” she explains, referencing exhausted and strained workers – a problem even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Lisa would like to see a dramatic shift to a healthy and strong mental health workforce.

“There are these evidence-based treatments, and there are good people who want to do good things,” she says. “But when the system is struggling like it is, they’re getting exhausted and burned out.”

Lisa also serves as a Eucharistic minister with Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and can often be found on the American Tobacco Trail or in a Zumba class at Millennium Sports Club. In 2020, she received a humanitarian award from the Duke Medical Alumni Association

“We’re answering the question: What does it mean to be trauma-informed or trauma-focused in the work that you do?” Lisa says. “I’m most proud of making a significant contribution to bringing a trauma lens for children to Duke and to our community.” – by Elizabeth Poindexter 

We nurture and empower women to MOVE WITH MEANING, igniting the desire to dig deeper and experience an awakening that leads to true transformation of body, mind and spirit. If you are tired of trying all the new health and wellness crazes, and ready to break down the barriers of fear and insecurity, then check out our programs that will help you become #ConsciousStrong.

We know what works; we know what makes a difference. we can change the trajectory of a child’s life for the better.

nina king

he deafening roar of the crowd is matched only by the wail of the buzzer. Game day at Cameron Indoor Stadium is electric. Nina King is often sitting courtside, immersed in the excitement. But she says her favorite part of the workweek is getting to meet face to face with the many student-athletes who wear a particular shade of dark blue.

More than a hundred Duke University firstyear student swimmers, golfers, rowers, divers, wrestlers, runners and, indeed, basketball players have sat across from Nina’s desk since the start of the 2022-23 school year. Sometimes more than a half-dozen per day claim time on her calendar.

Nina, who was announced as Duke’s vice president and director of athletics in May 2021, made it her goal to meet with as many of those first-year student-athletes from the 27 varsity sports as her schedule allows. She wants to learn about their families, academic aspirations, even their latest TV show obsessions – “The Bachelor” has come up, she says.

“It’s important to me to get to know [our first-year student-athletes] as people and not just players on the court or on the field,” Nina says. Cultivating similar relationships as a student manager for the University of Notre Dame’s women’s swimming and diving teams while she earned her bachelor’s degree in accountancy is what sparked her interest in working in college sports.

of Carla Williams (at the University of Virginia) and Heather Lyke (at the University of Pittsburgh), the two other women leading athletic departments in the ACC. She’s also close with Vanderbilt’s Candice Storey Lee; Candice, Carla and Nina are the only three women of color in the same role within the highest tier of collegiate athletics. “The three of us are really tight … and haven’t been athletic directors that long, so we’re going through this together,” she adds.

Nina was content operating outside of the spotlight for most of the past 15 years she’s spent with the Blue Devils. Before she took on this role, she put her Juris Doctor from Tulane University to use in overseeing legal matters, human resources, and the recreation and physical education program while also managing the primary administrative duties for Duke’s women’s basketball and football programs as a member of Duke Athletics’ executive leadership team.

I don’t necessarily want to pave the way for people to come after me because I’m early on in my career. I’m still young. I want women and people of color to come with me along this journey.

As these young adults find their footing at Duke, Nina’s similarly charging ahead into uncharted territory. This September, she’ll mark two years as the university’s first woman and person of color to be named athletic director – one of only six women in the role among the 69 Power Five schools. Duke’s already seen many milestone moments in that short timespan, like the retirement of men’s basketball head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the 50th anniversary of Title IX and the implementation of the NCAA’s new name, image and likeness policy, which reshapes the very foundation of college athletics.

Nina was quick to build a support system among the small number of her peers who are women. “We talk often,” Nina says

“I didn’t think that I wanted to be an athletic director,” Nina admits. The pressure of working in the public eye wasn’t appealing. But then she began to think about the impact she could make within the role. “There aren’t enough women who look like me [in these jobs]. Why not grab ahold of an opportunity to sit in this position of leadership where I [can] create change?”

Nina learned the ropes from, as she puts it, the “very best” – her predecessor, Kevin White. The pair worked together at Notre Dame from 2005-08 and for the entirety of Kevin’s 13 years at Duke. They still co-teach a sports business class, as they’ve done since joining the university.

“The public has an opinion on what you’re doing well and what you aren’t,” Nina says. “It can be challenging to keep the noise on the outside. I [watched] Kevin do that for 13 years, so when I stepped into this role, I knew what to expect.”

If stress or burnout creeps in, family time provides a salve. Nina often spends her weekends on another sideline – that of a children’s soccer tournament rather than a collegiate match, cheering on sons Connor, 12, and Austin, 10, with husband (and fellow Duke employee) Rick King.

It didn’t happen overnight, but Nina now possesses a steady selfassuredness that keeps the “chatter that doesn’t matter,” as she calls it, from getting under her skin. “There are still moments when [I] walk into a room and feel like I’m being treated differently because I’m a woman [and a] person of color. It still happens in 2023,” Nina says. “It takes time to build self-confidence, [and] I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t care – I’m walking in the room … and leading an incredible organization.” – by Renee Ambroso 

Vice President, Director of Athletics and Adjunct Professor of Business Administration, Duke University

Constanza Gómez-Joines

hen Constanza Gómez-Joines immigrated to America at 13 years old, she’d already lived in nine different countries, spoke several languages and had a strong sense of integrity.

“We moved to the United States because, in Argentina, it was the time of the military dictatorship,” she says. Fearful for her “opinionated” daughter in a time when young people opposing the regime “disappeared,” Costanza’s mother made the difficult decision to leave the country.

Arriving in Miami, Constanza says she was placed in English as a second language classes at her new junior high school. (Decades later, the ESL program at Durham Technical Community College is one of many that Constanza oversees as the school’s executive director at the Center for the Global Learner.)

Constanza graduated from Florida State University in 1991 and was then accepted to UNC, where she received her master’s and doctorate degrees in comparative literature. She began teaching undergraduate classes at the university with intentions to eventually become a fulltime professor at a four-year university. But she discovered a different calling in 1998 when she was hired to teach a summer Spanish course at Durham Tech. She “fell in love” with the school’s student population and classroom diversity “in terms of ethnicity, race, educational backgrounds and age,” she says. Constanza recalls feeling a sense of clarity after that first day: “I want to teach at the community college. That’s where I want to be.”

Twenty-five years later, she is still at Durham Tech – and still in love with the work. After a few years as a full-time instructor, she became the foreign language chair for the Arts and Science and the University Transfer departments. She then was asked to chair the

Global Connections Committee, where the idea for the Center for the Global Learner was born, and Constanza spearheaded its development. She also serves as special assistant to the president for Hispanic community engagement, working with Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton on matters related to the Hispanic community.

Constanza finds that her students, many of whom were born in other countries, too, are a constant inspiration in her work. “I particularly work with the Latinx, refugee and immigrant community members here in Durham and Orange counties,” she says. “It is my passion to help underserved and underrepresented community members with access to education and other supporting resources, so that they can achieve their personal, educational and career goals to better their lives and that of their families.”

Curriculum development, community engagement, leadership meetings and one-on-one student advising are just a few of her day-to-day tasks in her leadership roles. Constanza feels especially proud of her influence on several community initiatives, including her work with the nonprofit El Centro Hispano to help ensure fair compensation for local day laborers. Constanza led efforts in working with Durham Tech’s building, engineering and skilled trades program to develop new professional initiatives, identifying funding for tuition and creating a pool of certified Spanish-speaking instructors. “It wasn’t easy,” she says, but Durham

Tech began offering residential electrical writing and HVAC trade courses for day laborers associated with El Centro Hispano’s Casa for Employment and Leadership in spring 2022. “We started small because this was a first for Durham Tech,” Constanza says, “but I’m so incredibly proud of these programs.”

Constanza has clear advice for other women pursuing a similar career path in academia: “If you’re passionate about working with

people, follow your heart, follow your instinct and run with it.” Beyond her work in education, Constanza is passionate about the arts and serves as president of the Durham Arts Council’s board of trustees.

Never one to stop “running,” she’s already dreaming up a new project: a Durham Tech mural education course, culminating with a mural that represents the history of Durham and the stories of our diverse communities. – by Sinclair Holian 

Executive Director, Center for the Global Learner; and Special Assistant for Hispanic Community Engagement, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Durham Technical Community College

Constanza at the Durham Arts Council; she's president of its board of trustees.

mavis gragg

ative North Carolinians Laura Ritchie and Mavis Gragg find both pleasure and passion in art – a pairing that brought the two together as co-founders of pop-up exhibition project Pop Box Gallery. The concept won a local contest among Triangle entrepreneurs to fill a space at Boxyard RTP – a 15,000-square-foot, openair example of “cargotecture” that uses shipping containers to house primarily restaurants and retail shops. The gallery’s three-month residency opened in February 2022.

“We came up with this idea, in a lot of ways, in response to what we were missing in our own lives and in the community,” Laura says.

Laura and Mavis, who both attended UNC for undergrad, furthered their studies; Laura graduated from Duke University with a master’s in liberal studies, and Mavis received her law degree from Pepperdine University. They met in 2017 at an art show curated by Mavis. Both were members on the Duke Performances advisory board in 2020 when the upcoming opportunity at Boxyard was dropped into a board meeting’s Zoom chat, and the stars aligned.

During its tenure, Pop Box Gallery’s RTP iteration brought in more than 1,000 visitors and, as a zero-commission space, paid $20,000 to artists.

“What motivated me to become a part of the art administration world is that there’s a power art [holds] in transforming and mediating among different views,” Mavis says, noting the gaps she sees in traditional art institutions that could be filled by more diverse artists. Mavis’ experience as a collector and in arts administration pairs well with Laura’s background as the former director of The Carrack gallery, which closed in 2019.

In the time since their residency ended at Boxyard, Laura and Mavis have curated pop-up exhibitions including work from Durham-based artist Catherine Edgerton at perfect lovers and Zaire McPhearson at Bright Black. Pop Box Gallery and Gail Belvett with The Art Chose Me will collaborate on an upcoming curatorial residency housed in a property owned by Amos Cooper of Black Robin Ventures at 304 S. Driver St., Ste. 102 in Old East Durham from mid-April to June 2023.

Pop Box Gallery [creates] space, through art, for members of the Triangle community to engage in conversations, critical thinking and art making.

The RTP Foundation of North Carolina provided a shipping container – around 300 square feet of space – to develop their residency concept, which included group shows, an exhibit organized by guest curator Marcella Camara and a solo exhibition of new works by Eliza Redmann – her inaugural art show in the Triangle.

The pop-up at Boxyard wrapped up in May 2022, but its concept allowed artists more creative freedom and the ability to showcase their work in a busy, yet still slightly unconventional space compared to standalone galleries or on coffee shop or restaurant walls, where their work isn’t necessarily the focus. That’s particularly important, Laura explains, for artists who are emerging, locally based or mid-career, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

“Everybody wins when Black voices, voices of color, queer voices, women’s voices are centered,” Laura says. “The entire community benefits. Those are values that Mavis and I each hold dear … and we want to live that into our work.”

“We want to leverage both of our experiences but also our networks and the powerful Triangle community to do this high-impact work,” Mavis says. “[Laura and I have] been able to build a lot of partnerships and relationships with collaborations in a way that feels economically impactful while still being really experimental.”

Meanwhile, Laura and her wife, Shirlette Ammons, are also currently renovating a 100-year-old building on Trinity Avenue into a gallery, a film and music production space and a home to 10 artist studios.

“Pop Box has been an honor and is demonstrative of years of accumulating skills and experiences and connecting with people,” Mavis says. “Part of the reason we have stayed committed to this residency concept is that we want to bring art to the community.” – by Elizabeth Poindexter 

Ritchie

Co-founder, Pop Box Gallery independent curator and arts organizer

Co-founder, Pop Box Gallery

CEO, HeirShares

Mavis and Laura curated an exhibit at Bright Black this past fall.

kristine wylie

Linda died in 2021 after a battle with cancer, but she had appointed Kristine as Jewelsmith’s president the year prior. After Linda’s passing, Kristine found herself making big decisions for the business and overseeing all day-to-day operations at the Erwin Square showroom and workshop.

here was a classified ad in a newspaper, Kristine Wylie recalls, maybe in The Herald-Sun or The News & Observer, for a part-time receptionist position at a jewelry store. It was 2003, and Kristine had recently transferred to N.C. State University to study communications after earning her associate degree from Durham Technical Community College. “I had just gotten laid off from working as a receptionist at an IT recruiting firm [that closed],” Kristine remembers. “I made the most out of unplanned events that seemed devastating at the time.”

Kristine got the job at Jewelsmith and has worked at the custom fine jeweler ever since.

Having spent most of her life in the Bull City (she’s a Riverside High School grad who frequents nostalgic favorites like Hope Valley Diner), Kristine is proud to work at a homegrown business that, as she puts it, “is one of Durham’s original cool kids.”

“My biggest achievement is moving up the ranks, [having] started with hardly any responsibilities to now being one of the owners,” Kristine says. “[Linda left] the store to me and five other employees.

“Another huge achievement is getting through the pandemic unscathed.” The storefront was closed to the public, of course, during those early months of 2020, the same year of Linda’s diagnosis. They operated with a skeleton crew of just five employees allowed inside at any one time in order to keep production from stalling completely. Kristine was there daily, hoping to keep the ship afloat “so Linda had something to come back to,” she says.

Every Step forward working here has been a big achievement for me. ... I just never thought in a million years that I would be steering the ship.

She’s spent the past two decades receiving a handson education in jewelry manufacturing and gemology, photography, marketing, accounting and just about any other task that the business needed doing. “The best way to learn was to be immersed in it and learn from my colleagues, most of whom had been at Jewelsmith for 10 or 15 years already,” Kristine says.

Jewelsmith’s founder, Linda McGill, was often Kristine’s cheerleader as she took on roles of increasing authority. “[Linda] was like my second mom because I feel like I grew up [at Jewelsmith] … and I learned a lot from her,” Kristine says.

Despite the difficulties of those months, Kristine led Jewelsmith to record-breaking sales last year. “I’m really proud of that,” she says, “Especially because of us losing Linda and having to navigate such uncertainty.”

Kristine’s always relied on simple hard work to pull through the rocky moments. She points to a Michelle Obama quote that’s printed on her weekly planner – where she still pencils in meetings and tasks the old-fashioned way – that says, “The only limits for the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.”

It was Linda who convinced Kristine to hire an assistant to help with her workload when she noticed her staying late most evenings. “I did work very hard on my own,” Kristine says, “but the reason I’ve also achieved so much in my career here is because of the team that I work with.” – by Renee Ambroso 

President and Store Manager, Jewelsmith

here’s simply no time to hit snooze before Julie Homen’s morning routine begins in her family’s Hope Valley Farms home. First on the to-do list is whipping up breakfast for the kids – Jack, 5, and Annie, 2, pictured left – and caring for their goldendoodle, Salem. Then it’s a blur of grabbing lunch boxes, tying shoes and loading everyone into the back seat of her husband, Dean Homen’s, car for school drop-off – all by 7:25 a.m. There’s an hour and some change left before Julie logs on to work remotely as the content director for Austin, Texas-based startup StitchedIn. It’s in those early morning (or post-bedtime) “fringe hours” – a phrase Julie likes to borrow from blogger and author Jessica Turner – that she turns her attention to Persnickety, the e-commerce gifting business she co-founded with her former co-worker, Irene Hardy, in 2022.

Julie devotes these scraps of free time to sourcing highquality toys, art supplies, puzzles and presents from other small businesses to carefully curate “no junk” gift sets. These are grouped by occasion, interest and age range for newborns to 7-year-olds. Julie also oversees communications, partnerships and any other marketing needs for Persnickety.

“I’m pretty average in the talent arena,” Julie says humbly, but if there’s one stellar skill she possesses, it’s her knack for selecting the

perfect gift. It’s a strength that she’s honed with precision – going so far as to develop her own gifting Venn diagram that she uses to make selections for Persnickety’s baskets and bundles. (Unless those glittery pens you gifted your niece are useful, thoughtful and delightful, for instance, it’s probably not the Goldilocks-level match you think it is.)

Irene, who now lives in South Carolina, discovered Julie’s talent firsthand when the pair worked together at Cultivate What Matters, an e-commerce business based in Chapel Hill.

“I was working full time, in a stressful season and had two small kids,” Irene says. “I was just plain overwhelmed and asked Julie if she had any ideas for Easter baskets that I wouldn’t immediately throw away. I was expecting a couple of Amazon links, but instead, Julie jumped into action and prepared a complete spreadsheet for each kid. … It was such an act of generosity and friendship – and highlighted how passionate she was about great gifting.”

Irene and Julie agreed that they wanted to tap into their respective talents – Julie’s past work experience in communications and marketing for companies like Kimberly Clark, a master’s degree in business plus her passion for gifting, and Irene’s professional niche in website development and graphic design – to help others mitigate the pressure to plan flawless celebrations, a feeling that they’d both experienced as working mothers.

“Persnickety was born out of what I think all small businesses are born of, which is solving a problem,” Julie says. “There’s so much on your plate as moms, it’s easy to get distracted from what’s right in front of you, which, [for us,] is our kids [and] the activities we get to do with them.”

Julie’s managed to manifest a solution that’s fulfilling to her both personally and professionally and that many parents can benefit from, including products like “done-for-you” Easter baskets, birthday and teacher appreciation bundles or the upcoming build-your-own summer bundles.

Somewhere in between it all, Julie carves out time to offer marketing consulting at no cost to small businesses, volunteers (she’s currently helping a group of N.C. State University marketing students with a project) and helps coordinate celebrations for Jack’s class at St. Thomas More Catholic School.

With all this on her plate, Julie still describes devoting her free hours to Persnickety as a “joy” rather than, as one might think, a grind. “When I was in college, someone told me that I should go where my passions and talents intersect, and I would say Persnickety [is that place],” she says. “… I get to use the skills that I have, Irene gets to use the skills that she has, and we get to take one thing off of parents’ plates.” –

by Renee Ambroso

We get to elevate other businesses that are doing really cool things and solving problems of their own. we also we get to take something off parents’ plate, and everything comes shipped in one box straight to your door.

Come together as ONE.

home

Love It, Part Two

These homeowners turned to a familiar design team to complete their dream home in the woods

BY MORGAN CARTIER WESTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

“This is actually our second major renovation, but it was definitely an experience all its own,” Christina Del Gaizo says. She and husband Andrew Del Gaizo’s previous home in Garrett Farms was featured on HGTV’s “Love It or List It” in 2018, and the show’s crew handled the entire process from start to finish. Spoiler alert: They decided to “love it,” but realized a year later that their true dream home might still be out there. 

“We spent years looking and always felt like we would have to compromise on something,” Christina says. The couple originally considered building their own dream home, but “even if we were going to build from scratch, nothing quite worked for us,” she says. “While we were house hunting, we met with some builders about custom or semi-custom homes, and it was just a balance of finding the perfect property.”

Their search was rewarded in 2020 when they came across their current house off of Friends School Road. “When we found this house, it checked our major boxes and had a spiral staircase that we really loved and other features like that that we might not have thought of,” Christina says. “We had gotten to the point where we did not think that what we wanted existed in this area, but we feel so lucky to have found it.”

Built in 2002, the 6,500-squarefoot home had everything they were looking for: 17 acres of woods, a beautiful hillside view and plenty of

room for their family, which includes son Jackson, 12, daughter Olivia, 10, dog Luna and cats Earl and Pepper. “We wanted more land and space but to keep the kids at Durham Academy, so this was perfect,” Andrew says.

The only challenge? The home felt too dated and dark for their lifestyle. So, the Del Gaizos brought in their dream team – Behind the Scenes Design, helmed by designer Jenny Mahorney and contractor Jason Byrd, who worked on their last home, too. “We were lucky to renovate in phases and start before we even moved in,” Christina says. “We bought the house, and demolition began literally the day after our closing.” First, the floors were refinished, and the owner’s bathroom fully renovated. “We lived in the house for the rest of the renovations, so the whole thing from start to finish took about 16 months.” 

The Del Gaizos were able to re-use much of the furniture they purchased during their “Love It or List It” renovation in their new home.

Crisp white walls, large windows and refinished floors accentuate the breezy feel of the home’s open floor plan.

Office and Showroom: 230A Orange Grove St. Hillsborough, NC 27278

Housing Solutions, Inc. is your award-winning Durham, Orange, and Chatham County partner for quality design and craftsmanship. Recently awarded first place for best kitchen and first place for best bath renovations by Durham, Orange and Chatham County Home Builders Association, Housing Solutions specializes in custom whole-house and kitchen and bath renovations, as well as room additions, screened-in porch and deck additions or expansions.

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BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

The Del Gaizos were involved in every step of the process. “For us, it made all the difference to work with a builder with a designer on their team,” Christina says. “There are so many decisions to make where the aesthetics and functionality need to mesh, from lighting placement to the size of drawer handles, so I’d advise anyone working on a renovation to also work with a good designer.” She says it also helps to really get to know your project manager and general contractor. “It’s crucial to have a good relationship and ensure they understand your expectations,” Christina says.

MAKE A SPLASH

They then turned their attention to the outdoors, where they enlisted landscape designer Samantha Dawn to help them plan for a pool, basketball court and fire pit. “The backyard is on a slope, so to build the pool into the terrain, we had to consider the physical and aesthetic components carefully to ensure it came out just right,” Andrew says. “Samantha did a 3D rendering so we could see what everything would look like before the first tree was cut.” Youngsville-based Aquatic Artists Inc. then installed the pool. 

FIRED UP

The home didn’t require any major structural changes, but the Del Gaizos did decide to add more windows and a unique fireplace to maximize the views of their property near the western edge of Duke Forest. “We wanted to make sure we could see the pool from inside, so we opened up the family room and cut a masonry hole, so you can actually see from the family room right through the glass fireplace to the pool,” Andrew explains. The fireplace was installed by HomeFlame (formerly The Grilling Store). “We can’t think of anything else we would do differently,” Andrew says. “Everyone we worked with felt like part of a big team, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.” 

ADVENTURE TIME

The entire family adjusted quickly to life in the forest. “We never lived in an area where the kids could just go outside and explore, so when we moved in, they were hesitant to even go into the woods,” Christina says. “Now they run out there and build forts and play in the stream like they’ve been doing it their whole lives.”

STARRY-EYED SURPRISE

Jackson and Olivia also spend a lot of time in the pool and making s’mores by the fire pit in the summer, and the family walks to Frog Pond Farm and Duke Campus Farm for fresh produce. “We never saw stars at night anywhere else we lived, but here, you feel like you’re in a planetarium,” Andrew says. 

The family enjoys spending lots of time outdoors together. Here, Jackson swings on a zip line while pup Luna gives chase.

We specialize in remodeling customers current living spaces into their dream places of refuge. This includes signature kitchens, baths, whole home, and outdoor living. Whether your taste is classical or modern, our team has the experience to bring your visions to life.

Our team consists of highly skilled craftsmen in the woodworking, tile, electrical trades as well as innovative interior designers. We also have the benefit of having all projects led by licensed and insured contractor Ethan Randle. Ethan’s military service, attention to detail, and several years of experience within the field serve to provide knowledge, organization, and honesty for every job he produces and oversees.

IT’S ALL FUN AND GAMES

During the school year, Olivia plays field hockey with the TarDevils, and Jackson practices fencing at Forge Fencing. “Every Thursday when we drop the kids off for diving at Duke Diving Club, we have a date night,” Christina says. “We like happy hour at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club’s Bull Durham Bar, Guglhupf and Cucciolo Osteria. We also love the empanadas from Spanglish and Boricua Soul, and arepas from Guasaca

“The kids love [Guasaca], too, but their current favorite place is Rockin’ Rolls Sushi,” Andrew adds. Jackson and Olivia also often invite friends over to hang out in the spacious movie room above the garage, or to play Ping-Pong and arcade games. “This has been

Classic pastimes like table tennis and arcade machines indoors and out make the Del Gaizos’ home entertaining for kids and adults alike.

DESIGN

Whether you’re buying or selling, working with the right real estate professional is paramount. RED Collective is an inclusive real estate and design cooperative that brings creative, client-focused professionals together to help you achieve your real estate goals. We share a commitment to excellence and a truly collaborative approach to help you find, sell, or (re)design your space.

incredible for us, to be able to host big groups of friends and family,” Andrew says. “We had 40 or 50 people here for the Super Bowl, and it didn’t feel tight at all. We love how open it is and how much space we have.”

WILD AND WONDERFUL

The family has also gotten to know their new neighbors – among them, coyotes, bats and even a wild turkey. “We really never have issues with mosquitoes, which I think is a sign that nature is working the way it should,” Christina says. “We have a very mature ecosystem here.” And, even though they no longer live in a traditional neighborhood, the Del Gaizos have maintained strong friendships and feel just as connected as they did at their last home. “We’ve met some great people here, and with the friendships we’ve built, even living a little further out, we still have a close community within Durham.”

MEET THE DESIGNERS

Jason Byrd and Jenny Mahorney, Behind the Scenes Design

A graduate of UNC Greensboro’s interior architecture program, Jenny Mahorney is an expert when it comes to renovations. After years working on HGTV’s “Love it or List It,” she and partner Jason Byrd began Behind the Scenes Design to help more families in the Triangle fall back in love with their homes.

“It is fun to work in a home that allows you to be creative and plan big, like Christina and Andrew’s,” Jenny says. “Their large, 10-foot ceilings in the kitchen and vaulted living room created the perfect backdrop for the fireplace and cabinetry.”

Jenny and Jason got to know the Del Gaizos’ style through the family’s first remodel on HGTV. “[That] helped us understand what options to send along for design selections on their second project,” Jenny says. While the home in Garrett Farms was traditional, the Del Gaizos’ new home is more modern. “We did need to rethink it a little to make sure it worked well with the new house,” Jenny says.

Luckily, materials that work for both styles are plentiful in North Carolina. “We use local vendors for our remodels and recommend our clients do the same,” Jenny says. “For cabinetry, you can work with local dealers like us for [brands like] UltraCraft Cabinetry. We work with Absolute Stone in Cary for countertops, Kitchen & Bath Galleries in Chapel Hill for appliances and Mosaic in Raleigh for tile.”

flower power

Esteemed florists show off beautiful spring bouquets

BY RENEE AMBROSO PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIKKI WHITT BELCH

Bowerbird Flowers & Apothecary founder and CEO Diane Joyal revels in the emergence of color that spring brings, inspiring the vivid and happy bouquets that she creates at her University Hill gift, plant and tea shop and floral studio. Monochromatic arrangements like the one pictured are an opportunity to explore lines, shapes and texture, she says. Diane makes use of unique elements like garlic scapes – the curling green stems that emerge from garlic bulbs as they grow underground – to add dimension, pairing them with local spring blooms like tulips and hellebore. She often creates similar monotone arrangements for customers using just one color or type of flower. “It does cost a little more when you use a lot of one element,” Diane says, “but if you have a special occasion or are celebrating something, the impact is worth it.”

Color blocking is an impactful technique that Floral Dimensions design manager Stephanie Garrett likes to use to elevate seasonal florals. “When you group the flowers like this, they show up and speak louder,” Stephanie says, “their personality pops out a bit more.” Many of the flowers pictured here – including the tulips, eucalyptus and forsythia – are sourced from North Carolina growers like Daniel Vogel’s Flowers By the Bucket, Spring Forth Farm and Cultivate Flower Co., or even from the shop’s own backyard. Owner Jose Garcia says that exciting color options and flower species become more widely available locally as the season progresses, allowing for creative and harmonious bouquets.

PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

HOME, GROWN SPRUCE UP YOUR GARDEN BEDS AND HOUSEPLANTS THIS SEASON

West Main Street’s Blossom and Bone Florals creates flower arrangements with an emphasis on sustainability, sourcing locally (this bouquet features hellebore, anemone and daffodils from Clear Black Flowers) for arrangements that are free from the environmentally harmful foam many designers use.

“I want this bouquet to reflect something that you could go out in your garden and make for yourself easily,” says Blossom and Bone co-owner and lead designer Heather Sardela. She says this English garden-inspired creation offers a moody take on spring tones.

“Flowers don’t have to be bright and happy and cheerful,” Heather says. “They can have a bit of sass to them, too.” Regardless of the tone, fresh flowers bring life to a space – a cheerful treat for your

What plants should people look to fill their indoor spaces in the spring?

Prayer plants are a personal favorite with their beautiful leaf patterns, color and versatility. These indirect light lovers grow well in hanging baskets or planters, making them ideal plants to style a room with. Air plants (tillandsia) are strange, fascinating plants since they grow on top of surfaces rather than in the ground. One reason we love air plants so much is that they’re so easy to care for –even if you’ve branded yourself with a black thumb! Air plants thrive in humid environments with indirect light – perfect for a bathroom. The bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus) comes in a few stunning varieties. This tropical plant’s leaves range from extremely curly and lacelike to wavy or straight, and they typically grow up to 2 feet long. Jade succulent is unique because it grows like a tree, with a thick trunk and branches. This plant can thrive in a sunny location, but it can also do well in a low-light room. – Megan

Cain, The Zen Succulent

How can home gardeners prep their indoor plants for spring and/or summer?

It’s a good idea to repot your plants so that they have room to grow. Repotting can be daunting, but plants are

amazingly resilient. Here are a few tips we use in our storefront: Pick a larger container that has good drainage, about 2 inches thicker than its current pot; use fresh soil; use a clean pot; and water, water, water. Give your plant a good drink after repotting to make sure your roots don’t dry out.

DM What’s your best tip for keeping indoor plants happy during the spring months?

MC Routinely prune, deadhead and trim as needed, dust or wash large leaves, feed your plants with your favorite plant fertilizer and aerate the soil. A fun way to spruce up your plants for spring is to move them around your space. You can switch up their place on a shelf to a desk, or make different groupings based on leaf size, patterns or colors. You can also move some of your plants from indoors to outdoors, making sure they are in a nicely shaded spot and watered regularly to prevent leaf burn.

DM What plants should people look to fill their garden beds with in spring?

Native perennials are fantastic! Many people already know and love these, but may not know they’re a vital part of our evolutionary history within southeastern United States ecology. Plant red, tubular flowers for our ruby-throated hummingbirds. Lobelia cardinalis and Lonicera sempervirens signal to them as they fly northward toward the cold being pushed back by spring. Carpet phlox (P. subulata) is a must-have for a low, evergreen, spreading-butnot-invasive perennial. It covers itself in early spring flowers that colorfully call to overwintering adult moths and butterflies.

For our low, wet zones in full sun, consider planting a rain garden if your standing water clears in two days or less. We don’t want to help the mosquitos!

– Keith Lukowski, manager, Durham Garden Center



PHOTO BY ALLIE MULLIN PHOTOGRAPHY

I would encourage people to think about where they are growing their plants and then what their hopes are. It also adds value to think about your lifestyle. In my own garden, I know I need things that can survive neglect. I never water, and I live at work during the busy season. I focus on natives and hardy perennials in my beds. My pots have drought-tolerant yucca. – Kirsten Ingebretsen, nursery manager, Stone Bros. & Byrd

The variety is endless. Choose annuals for a pop of color – a few that do great here and show off are vinca, coleus and marigolds. Perennials come back every year, and some favorites this spring include phlox, catmint and creeping Jenny. If you have room, add some blueberry bushes as well. – Scott Pearce, president, For Garden’s Sake

DM How can home gardeners prep their garden beds for spring and/or summer?

SP Fertilize – especially flowering shrubs – so that they can produce beautiful blooms as they grow.

KI Mulch with compost, pine straw and hardwood mulch. This keeps weeds from finding a foothold. After the mild winter we just had, weeds are going to take off with the least amount of warmth. Getting on top of them early will help make the rest of the season more enjoyable.

KL We say the potting mix, garden mix and soil mix are like your house, and the fertilizer (nutrients) your plants need is like your groceries. Your foundation is your native soil, your effort into building the plant-rooting zone (through organic additions) is the house, and the nutrients are your groceries. You have to keep bringing those groceries to the house regularly.

DM What’s your best tip for refreshing garden beds after winter and getting ready for a new growing season?

KI If you’ve left your leaves and last year’s plant stems, it can be a quick and rewarding refresher in

spring. Out with the old growth and in with the new. Check what worked and what didn’t. Remove what failed or was disappointing. It’s going to sound like an old adage, but visit your nursery often (hopefully, Stone Bros. & Byrd). Inventory turns over fast this time of year. Amend your soil, and enjoy the new growth popping up everywhere.

KL We too soon forget the necessity of leaving seed heads from natives, not just for wildlife foraging, but also for the tented nesting sites they have become. Before your first trip around the yard and garden with the mower or trimmer this spring, please introduce yourself to any new residents of your territory and plan accordingly! These are not tenants who know your rules, but they could be state- or federally protected species depending on your particular local regulations, which are on the books for good reasons.

DM What are your top five spring gardening essentials?

KI I can’t live without my Dramm compact shears. They are in my back pocket every day. DEET is my summer perfume. Welcome to the South! My scuffle hoe walks the garden with me each day. I love my hori hori garden tool, which makes getting through our clay soil a breeze. And you can always find me with a 5-gallon bucket nearby. It’s my chair, weed bin and mulch mover.

DM Anything else you’d like to add?

MC Getting your plants ready for a new season usually creates waste, most of which is compostable. If you can, compost old soil and plant matter to make new soil for next year. Or consider a service like CompostNow. To learn more about plants and pick up a few, come visit us at 123 Market St., Ste. B!

KI If you’re new to gardening, whether it’s vegetables, perennials, annuals or shrubs, just know that you will very likely lose a lot at first. Be kind to yourself. Don’t hesitate to come to Stone Bros. and ask as many questions as you need. – as told to Katie MacKinnon

modern luxury

An exclusive look inside two Durham houses on the eight-home, sold-out NCModernist Modapalooza spring tour

BY MATTHEW LARDIE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

The Bull City has long been home to modernist gems, and this spring’s North Carolina modernist home tour, aka Modapalooza, showcases two impressive Durham examples of the cuttingedge modern architecture, design and construction that the Triangle has been known for since the 1940s.

“The Triangle is particularly important to modern design because of NC State,” explains George Smart, founder and CEO of USModernist and NCModernist, which hosts the home tour. In 1948, the university’s School of Architecture got new leadership in the form of Dean Henry Kamphoefner, who subsequently helped train a new generation of modernist architects. “We have hundreds, if not thousands, of modernist homes [in the Triangle] designed by their faculty and students,” George says.

Today, USModernist and NCModernist celebrate modern homes across the state and further afield – George estimates they’ve hosted more than 150 tours all over the world – in places like Los Angeles, Chicago, Amsterdam, Palm Springs, Zurich and Dubai – since 2008.

While the Triangle’s April 15 tour is sold out (there is a waitlist as well as another chance to see other modern designs later in the year – more on that in a bit), we wanted to share a peek inside the two Durham homes on the tour that were labors of love for all involved.

‘THE FOREVER HOME’

The homeowners of this Hope Valley abode, a retired couple from Michigan who are relocating to be closer to family, sat down with architect Bill Waddell of Distinctive Architecture to explain their vision for a house that would serve a multigenerational purpose.

The 3,854-squarefoot “Forever Home” additionally features two garages and a mechanical room totaling 1,323 square feet; 1,830 square feet of porches and patios; a 470-squarefoot screened-in porch; and a 16-by40-foot pool.

“I have a very specific method I use to make sure that I am designing for the client,” Bill explains. A big part of the footprint of The Forever Home came from a request to have a space to potentially house an older adult family member down the road. “They desired to have something akin to two primary bedroom suites in case a parent came to live with them,” Bill says. He designed a floor plan that put each suite on opposite sides of the house, with a living-dining-kitchen space in the center, all wrapped around a pool and patio. Large windows in all the rooms gaze out onto the open space, providing a great view.

Bill couldn’t be happier with how the house turned out. “I particularly enjoyed the

introduction of warm wood choices into the spare spaces that are often the hallmark of modernist design,” he says. The house is designed almost as a series of pavilions, with the center living space soaring to a ceiling lined with strips of oak beams that draw your eyes up to the south-facing windows and the sky beyond. In a play on the Southern tradition of front porches that provide living spaces to connect residents to their neighbors, large windows in the kitchen open the house to passersby.

“Even on kind of gray, hazy days, it’s still quite bright,” Bill says.

Builder Robert Hallyburton of Hallyburton Builders was tasked with bringing that vision to life. “It’s been very exciting to be involved in a modern house build,” Robert says. “Especially the way the pool interfaces into the foundation and really becomes part of the house.”

Robert notes that the framing of the house required a fairly large quantity of engineered wood products, which at the time of initial construction were severely rationed and set back the timeline a bit. Despite facing these pandemic-related supply chain issues, as of press time the house is only awaiting a final certificate of occupancy and its new owners.

WARD HOUSE

Ward Street connects the neighborhoods of Tuscaloosa-Lakewood and Forest Hills, and it’s here that property owners Ann Skye and Jami Norris built their dream home with the help of architect Ellen Cassilly and BuildSense’s Randall Lanou

“We searched for an existing house for a few years before we bought our lot and narrowed in on the set of features we liked,” Ann recalls. “Jami loved planning and architecture earlier on in life, and this was the natural culmination of that interest.”

The pair worked with Ellen to design a simple, modern space that coupled their family life and love of gardening with some basic realities, like Jami’s work-from-home needs for her job at an international company.

“Jami ends up having lots of Zoom calls to China,” Ellen says. “It was very important to have her office at the far end of the house.”

That was far from the only thoughtful and practical design choice the three made. Simple, sloping shed roofs led to a structurally lesscomplicated roof build. A tiered front porch helped bypass handrail requirements that would have

broken up the view of the front gardens while also remaining safe for daily use. And, perhaps most innovative of all (and one of Ellen’s favorite features in the home), a pass-through window from the kitchen to the screened-in porch allows for ease of entertaining. Designing modernist homes like the Ward House offers opportunities not available with

traditional home design, Ellen says. “Having wonderful diagonal views so that you really see a layer of spaces from one room to the next makes the space seem larger,” she explains. “So you can get away with designing a house that might technically be smaller but gives the impression of being a larger space.”

FALLING FOR MODERNISM

Although this spring’s Modapalooza is sold out, there is a September tour in the works. The lineup isn’t yet finalized, but George says that the homes on each tour “are all usually brand-new builds by some of the Triangle’s most notable architects and designers.”

It’s an incredible opportunity to see some of the Triangle’s visionary modernist home designs up close, perfect for both fans of the architectural style and those looking to gather ideas for their own home builds.

For Ann and Jami, that detail, coupled with the views from the windows, helps to bring the outside in. “Even when all doors and windows are closed, no matter where you are in the house, you can see the outdoors,” Ann says.

Randall was equally enthused with the design and the opportunity to build the family’s home. He and his team tackled some of the trickier aspects of the build with ease, like when the extra-large kitchen window that Ann and Jami had their hearts set on was in danger of falling afoul of regulations.

“At one point, it looked like the window could not be flush due to regulations, but BuildSense found a way to make it happen,” Ann says.

“The bones of a modern home are required to be executed to a higher standard to assure the finished product shines,” Randall says. “In essence, ‘simple and clean’ is generally more difficult and costly to execute.

“The highs are always the joy of seeing the home come together,” he adds.

PHOTO BY BRAD BUNYEA

The 1,930-square-foot Ward House features a unique pass-through window from the kitchen to the porch and plenty of windows to fill the space with light and views of the surrounding landscape.

PHOTO BY BRAD BUNYEA

Father-Daughter Team David & Elizabeth Lindquist

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Visit

BY MATTHEW LARDIE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Restaurants are generally meant to be destinations, a place to go, sit and stay awhile. The Waiting Room, a new cocktail lounge at American Tobacco Campus, flips that concept. Waiting rooms aren’t typically places that one lingers – they are stops in between, where you kill some time before your ultimate destination. The staff at The Waiting Room won’t be offended if you just pop in for a quick drink and then make your way to dinner – in fact, they’d encourage it.

The idea behind The Waiting Room was born out of its owners’ experiences with Durham’s fast-growing restaurant scene. 

ABOVE AND BELOW The cozy, intimate space will have you feeling right at home as soon as you sit down.

FAR LEFT The deviled eggs bring a flavorful heat to the table thanks to the addition of furikake, chili crisp and scallions.

Nick Singh, who also had a hand in opening Viceroy, was faced with customers who were wondering what to do as they waited for a table.

“I was trying to send customers to local bars hoping that they would come back and still do dinner with us,” Nick says. Sometimes they would, sometimes they wouldn’t. He and fellow Waiting Room co-owner Buddy Maynard realized there was space in Durham’s restaurant scene for a place folks could go while they waited on reservations or before a show at Durham Performing Arts Center or after getting out of a movie at the Carolina Theatre.

Thus, The Waiting Room was born. Plush couches and chairs surround low tables and window seats inside the narrow space. The bar takes up one side, and it’s here that Buddy and his team mix up cocktails like “Your Buddy,” their signature (and most popular) cocktail. A play on an old fashioned, this was one of the first cocktails Buddy created and served to Nick when the longtime friends started working together.

In keeping with the theme of being a stop along the way, The Waiting Room offers a menu of small bites designed to tide you over. The deviled eggs with chili crisp already have become something of a Bull City legend, and

ABOVE Desserts – like the dark chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, whipped cream and raspberry dark chocolate shavings; key lime pie bites; and macarons – are all crafted by Anu Patel of Raleigh Bakehouse.

BELOW The Your Buddy cocktail features George Dickel rye whiskey, Jolo Winery & Vineyards sweet vermouth, and black walnut and orange bitters.

SEEING DOUBLE

In a coincidence almost too good to be true, The Waiting Room happens to share a name with an English pub, also called The Waiting Room, in the Bull City’s official sister city of Durham, England. Located in the Durham Railway Station, this traditional English pub might differ in vibe and style from its American counterpart, but Nick, for one, plans to visit the next time he’s back in his home country. “I’m going to take a picture of myself standing outside of that place,” he laughs. We think other Durhamites should, too – at either location! Just make sure to tag The Waiting Room (Durham, NC) and Durham Magazine in your photos on social media!

Nick and Buddy enlisted the help of their good friend Anu Patel of Raleigh Bakehouse to create the dessert offerings, where her innovative macarons are the stars.

This theme of working with friends is an important part of the ethos of The Waiting Room. Both Nick and Buddy were adamant when conceptualizing the space that it should feel as though they were inviting customers into their own homes. To that end, they enlisted the help of residential interior designer (and Nick’s sister-in-law) Mosmi Naik-Patel to design the interior.

“Buddy and I feel like The Waiting Room is an extension of our living rooms,” Nick says. “The friends who would be at a house party at one of our houses are now our business partners,” Buddy adds.

Even residents of the Old Bull apartments above The Waiting Room have become contributors to the bar, with one resident furniture maker offering up cherry wood shavings from his projects that are then smoked as part of the Your Buddy cocktail.

The Waiting Room offers its patrons –whether they are there for a quick drink before dinner elsewhere or cozying up on a date – a chance to feel at home, no matter how long they choose to stay.

BIZ BRIEFS

ON THE MOVE

Pairwise, an agricultural company focused on using gene editing and leveraging natural diversity in agricultural crops to address global food challenges, added three new vice presidents to its leadership team earlier this year in advance of the launch of Conscious Greens, Pairwise’s first salad product. Megan Thomas transitioned from Pairwise’s head of marketing and communications to a newly created role as vice president for marketing and communications; Neil Merritt, former senior director of global sales for Bard Valley Natural Delights, assumed the role of vice president of sales; and John Schouten, who most recently served as general manager of the Andrew Smith Company, stepped in as vice president of supply chain.

Anna Gaddy was named CEO of Carolina House Eating Disorder Treatment Center in February. Gaddy brings more than 33 years of behavioral health experience and expertise in professional counseling and executive

positions to the role. She now oversees all facilities and works to further strategic goals of the genderinclusive treatment center, which offers inpatient and outpatient programs for people ages 17 and older.

NEED A LIFT?

GoTriangle, Research Triangle Park and Lyft partnered to create RTP Connect, a program that allows commuters traveling within specific service boundaries to receive up to $10 off each Lyft ride. This includes trips that begin or end at Boxyard RTP or GoTriangle’s Regional Transit Center. Simply download the Lyft app and use code RTPCONNECT for a ride within the service area.

Matt Gladdek joined the Durham Chamber of Commerce as its vice president of economic development on Feb. 27. Gladdek most recently was executive director of Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership and Downtown Durham Inc.’s director of policy and planning prior to his new role, which focuses on promoting economic growth through the expansion and retention of existing industry and attracting new industry to Durham County.

Gene therapy company

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc. welcomed new CEO Gustavo Pesquin, pictured below, on March 11 as co-founder Sheila Mikhail transitioned to an advisory role; she will remain a member of AskBio’s board. Pesquin joins AskBio

from Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he served as chief commercial officer. “I couldn’t be more excited to join a team that has been at the forefront of a scientific revolution,” Pesquin said.

MOVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta announced in February its plans to house 100

enterprise engineers in its new office space at the American Tobacco Campus. Listings for Durham openings on job boards like ZipRecruiter are for the company’s Reality Labs division, a business branch that produces augmented and virtual reality software.

Kempower, a Finland-based manufacturer of charging solutions for electric vehicles

Compiled by Lena Miano

from passenger cars to commercial fleets, will invest approximately $41.25 million to locate its first United States manufacturing and distribution facility in Durham County, with construction slated to begin by the end of 2023. The facility is projected to create 601 new jobs over the next five years and scale up direct supply of EV charging stations throughout the nation. Entry-level and advancement opportunities will be available for new employees as the company partners with Durham Technical Community College to expand hiring and training. The project will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee and is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $726.25 million over the course of the grant’s 12year term.

Foster Street Coffee, Dame’s Chicken and Waffles and the Durham Food Hall, will remain the same. There are planned improvements to the apartments’ common areas as well as the addition of amenities like an outdoor kitchen, more fitness equipment and club room furniture.

Fidelity Investments announced its plans to add 4,000 new positions across the company with 620 hires in North Carolina, a majority of which will fill roles at the company’s Research Triangle

Park location. Most of the new hires will be technologists as the company receives donations, increases retail investors and sees a growing need for tech products and services. 

An affiliate of Duck Pond Realty sold Liberty Warehouse, a repurposed mixeduse development with 247 apartments atop 20,700-squarefeet of retail space, for $89 million on Jan. 10 to MEAG, an asset management branch of Munich Re and ERGO Group AG, and CBRE Investment Management. Duck Pond Realty acquired the property in 2017 for $69.25 million. Retail tenants, including

Commercial General Contracting Services | Pre-Construction Planning | Construction Management

Donaldson Company Inc., a worldwide provider of innovative filtration products and solutions, announced its acquisition of Isolere Bio Inc., a developer of reagents to improve the bioprocessing industry and quality of therapeutics, in February. Isolere is known for its IsoTag technology, which uses phase separation through engineered reagents to bind with biological targets and enable purification. Donaldson hopes to advance the life sciences field and create filtration solutions for genetic-based pharmaceuticals with Isolere’s help.

Casa Bella Market, a womanowned home decor and gift shop, opened at Patterson Place on Feb. 11. The 1,700-square-foot store sells vintage items, custom artwork, pottery, aprons, Bull City-themed gifts and other items from more than 20 local vendors. A dedicated area hosts soy candle-making, cookie decorating, kids painting and paint-and-sip classes.

BY THE NUMBERS

AWARDS & HONORS

US News & World Report named Durham the No. 3 hottest overall housing market in the nation, tied with Austin, Texas. According to the study, which was released in February, Durham is among the markets that have retained popularity even as workers have returned to the office and lending rates have risen. Durham also ranked the No. 4 most resilient market and No. 2 in the nation for the highest housing demand.

The Durham-Chapel Hill area ranked the No. 3 most affordable metropolitan area for dedicated desk monthly subscriptions in CoworkingCafe’s latest report

on coworking prices. The region is similarly competitive for open workspace subscriptions with a monthly price of $100 per person, making it the most affordable metro in the state for this type of coworking space.

In-home senior care services provider Wisdom Senior Care CEO and founder Carolyn Thurston (pictured above left) and COO Charles Thurston (pictured below left) were recognized by the J3 Collaboration Project as Champions of Diversity for their efforts to support Black, Hispanic and women business owners through diversity, equity and inclusion principles and a commitment to business growth.

FUNDING

The Coalition to Back Black Businesses, an initiative founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that offers grants and mentorship to Black small business owners, awarded $5,000 grants to 324 business owners ($1.62 million total)

across 40 states in February. Lequiche Thomas, owner of Fierce Rebel Collections jewelry, waist bead and crochet shop, received one of the grants.

The CBBB is funded in part by American Express’ $10 million grant initiative to support small, minority-owned businesses through resources and training, and will open applications for the next round of grants this fall.

Mobile car care company Spiffy raised $30 million during its Series C financing round to drive growth and fuel its Digital Servicing solution for automotive dealers by scaling its investment in private label proprietary van upfit, dealer-branded app suites with iPhone and Android, technician apps and manager/ customer service dashboards, plus best practices training. The new funds will also help launch new franchise markets, roll out Spiffy Tires and Spiffy Brakes, and introduce medium- and heavy-duty fleet services across the country.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center, an economic development and transformative agency for life science businesses and professionals, awarded grants and loans totaling more than $2.4 million during the second quarter

of its fiscal year. Among the recipients are Lacuna Medical, which received a $200,000 Small Business Research Loan to help facilitate FDA clearance of its innovative catheter, while inSoma Bio was awarded a $500,000 Strategic Growth Loan to advance the manufacturing practices, data and trials of its reconstructive plastic surgery product. Duke University received a Translational Research Grant of $109,845 to support research in gene therapy treatment to mitigate childhood alternating hemiplegia, and the North Carolina Central University Foundation was awarded the $100,000 Presidential Initiative Award to address workforce equity in biomanufacturing.

The Center also announced that one of its previous grant recipients, Tellus Therapeutics, completed a Series A round of venture capital fundraising totaling $35 million to support its development of treatments for brain injuries in preterm infants and for newborns in neonatal intensive care units.

Elo Life Systems, a transformative ingredient company focused on sustainable food systems, announced a total of $24.5 million raised at the close of its Series A financing round on Feb. 15. The funds were funneled toward production of the company’s new monk fruit sweetener.

The company also announced a new team member, Joan Braca, who joined as Elo Life Systems’ first independent director.

IN OTHER NEWS

IQVIA, a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and clinical research services to the life sciences industry, reported its 2022 fullyear and fourth-quarter financial results with revenue of $3,739 million for the fourth quarter and $14,410 million for the year.

IQVIA also seeks to sublease its location at 4820 Emperor Blvd., which is visible from I-40.

say the city is an excellent or good place to live

say it is an excellent or good place to work

are satisfied with the overall quality of life in their neighborhood

2022 City of Durham Resident

Survey Results

Residents showed increased satisfaction with travel, yard waste collection services and public art, with the highest satisfaction rates for fire and safety programming and department response times; water and sewer utilities; and outdoor recreational programs. Citizens want to see an emphasis on police protection, public schools and street maintenance over the next two years.

RISING TIDES

WOMEN EMPOWERING WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE

BY SHANE SNIDER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

The women’s workplace equality movement is slowly chipping at the “glass ceiling” holding back so many from reaching like-forlike benefits and pay with men doing the same work. It’s unclear whether the pandemic helped or hindered women’s fight for equality in the workplace – remote work forced by COVID-19 lockdowns gave more flexibility but also blurred the lines between home and work.

But one thing is clear: More and more women are reaching out to their peers in the struggle as remote and hybrid work bring new opportunities and challenges. The effort to encourage women to empower one another in the workforce is a growing call to arms.

LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company’s 2022 study found women are still dramatically underrepresented in leadership roles – with one in four C-suite executives being a woman and only one in 20 being a woman of color. Women are 1.5 times as likely to switch leadership roles compared to male colleagues, according to the study.

A 2018 Institute for Women’s Policy Research study found working North Carolina women earned a median income of $36,400 per year – an average of $8,600 less

than male counterparts. The study said that, if that trend continues, women may not see equal pay until 2060 (those interviewed for this article think that’s a generous estimate). Local activists are fighting the ongoing disparities, and they say a key weapon in the equality war is cooperation among women.

“We’ve made some strides, but we still have a long, long way to go,” said Casey Steinbacher, executive director of nonprofit Made in Durham and former Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. “Now, we have a situation – postCOVID – where you have the wife and mother at home and doing it all – trying to juggle it all at once. At this point, it’s critically important for women to realize they have this role [to encourage other women].”

She added, “I think [corporations] can figure out how to better align their performance requirements in a post-COVID world that’s also going to be remote.”

COMMUNICATION AND REINVENTION

Tivi Jones, founder and CEO at marketing firm Hey Awesome Girl, said women can start empowering one another simply with words. “Words of affirmation are so powerful,” Jones said. “I think more of us need to feel seen and heard. And a lot of times we don’t want to open up, or we don’t want to compliment people because we’re worried about what others will think.” 

Hey Awesome Girl CEO Tivi Jones, Provident1898 Community Manager Tyra Wade, Hey Awesome Girl Creative Director Heather Dollar and Mailande Moran chat in the coworking spaces at Provident1898 inside the Tower at Mutual Plaza.

Hey Awesome Girl’s website features a regular series of interviews with successful women, which started as a concept to open dialogues among women. “It’s all part of the communication,” Jones said. “I felt like we can make great strides just by starting to talk to one another and relate to one another and to realize that it’s not a competition. We’re on the same team.”

Jes Averhart, founder of the Reinvention Road Trip podcast and empowerment program, harnesses the power of her own story along with stories from other women. “When I was in my 30s, I went through what many women go through – various types of transition,” she said. “I was a single mom and recently divorced and had just moved to town – I didn’t have a lot of friends locally and had to build a network from scratch. I had to go through this process of reinvention to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do.”

That reinvention led Averhart to start her own consultancy, Jes & Co., and to create the 28-Day Reinvention Road Trip program. “I went through my own personal crucible moments – and they added a lot of heat and pressure, and I came out different,” she said. “That was the process of reinvention for me. My thought with the Reinvention Road Trip was to help women get through that process faster.”

Seventy-seven women have participated since the program’s official inception in January 2022. Earlier beta tests of the Road Trip saw participation from more than 600 women.

ENCOURAGING DATA

Ursula Mead founded InHerSight in 2014 to address the business world’s growing need for data concerning women in the workforce. Her company encourages equality by providing data to companies, and women can get access to survey information about those

businesses – InHerSight holds proprietary data for 200,000 companies worldwide.

“The research shows we’re still decades away from gender equality,” Mead said. “But on the encouraging side, industries are starting to engage on this topic. Tech and finance were some of the early adopters, but now we’re seeing other industries that are traditionally male dominated that know they have work to do.”

A struggling national economy doesn’t have to mean a slowdown in efforts to make the workplace more equitable, she said. “I think it’s going to be really important for companies to do this work in a challenging macroeconomy,” Mead said. “It’s important not to just think about this during high-growth periods.”

PANDEMIC’S LASTING IMPACT

“The pandemic had huge implications for working women,” Mead said. “Leading up to COVID, it seemed like every year there was a new call to action for employers. Then the pandemic brought this whole new aspect when we were forced into hybrid and remote work. We saw women’s needs and wants start to change dramatically.”

Mead said traditional concerns for working women were focused more on paid time off and salary. The pandemic shifted priorities for many workers. “We started to see flexible work hours and location becoming a top priority.”

While the changes in office flexibility are a positive, the shift did not come without a price. “We’ve actually taken a few steps back as a result of COVID,” Made in Durham’s Steinbacher said. “For a lot of women, it’s made them juggle too many things at once. It’s going to be critically important post-COVID for women to really understand who they are and what their options are moving forward.”

She added, “We have to figure it out.”

ABOVE “If you have an opportunity to be a mentor for another woman or to be a coach or just a good friend – just do it,” says Jes Averhart. “And then share your story.”

BELOW Jones’ mission is to empower women, especially women of color, in digital entrepreneurship and increase their confidence.

PHOTO BY ROTCELIS ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

engagement

Sean Palmer & Jackelyn Rockwood

BY EMILY DAVIS | PHOTO BY FERVENT IN SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Wedding Date June 3, 2023

Occupations Jackelyn got her master’s in occupational therapy from UNC and now works at health technology company

Unite Us. Sean earned his bachelor’s degrees in business management and marketing from Appalachian State University and is a software engineer and a drummer in a local band. Crossed Paths Sean, who grew up in Durham, matched with Jackelyn on the dating app Bumble while she was a student at UNC. After they sat down for their first date, Sean told Jackelyn that he would be leaving for Europe in a month on a one-way ticket to travel for an unknown period of time. But the pair hit it off and kept in touch throughout the trip, with Sean sending Jackelyn a postcard from each of the 31 countries he visited. On Aug. 20, 2016, Jackelyn told Sean that

she was not interested in seeing other people while he was away. That same day, Sean had mailed her a postcard from Norway asking her to be his girlfriend. Seven years later, the couple has visited five continents together and are going to their sixth in January 2024. The Proposal Sean sent Jackelyn a postcard from Greece on that first Europe trip, telling her he was excited to bring her back to such a beautiful place one day. He did just that in October 2021. Jackelyn’s dad passed away unexpectedly six months before the trip, which happened to be booked over Jackelyn’s parents’ wedding anniversary. The couple thought it would be fitting for Jackelyn’s mom, Connie Rockwood, to join them in Greece. Little did Jackelyn know, Connie was now helping Sean pull off his proposal. On their last stop in Santorini, Sean asked Jackelyn to marry him, referencing his postcard from years before. Connie got to witness the special moment and capture plenty of pictures of Jackelyn’s surprise. Now, “I Do” Jackelyn and Sean’s June wedding will take place at Southern Grace Farms in Angier, North Carolina. The pair live in the Brightleaf at the Park neighborhood with their Weimaraner, Dante.

THE SEATS IN THE HOUSE

wedding

Jordan Davis & Meeghan Ford

BY HALEY PINELES PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAMMY JEAN LAMOUREUX, LAMOURFOTO.COM

Wedding Date April 16, 2022

Occupations Meeghan is the assistant director of athletics for compliance at her alma mater, Duke University. Jordan works in human resources as the director of program management for UnitedHealth Group.

Crossed Paths The two were briefly introduced by mutual friends at Ponysaurus Brewing Co. and later bumped into each other in line for a Dolly Parton-themed show at The Pinhook. “We had a very Durham ‘meet cute’ and are incredibly lucky that two of our friends were brave enough to set us up!” Meeghan says. Their 5-hour-long first date included stops at Juju and Local 22 Kitchen & Bar

The Proposal The pair discussed marriage and chose rings together at Hamilton Hill, which were to arrive in September. Jordan had an engagement plan in the works, but Meeghan asked the jeweler for a secret heads up when the rings arrived and surprised Jordan with a proposal in their backyard on Aug. 24, 2021. “[My] family already planned to visit that weekend, so Meeghan seized the perfect opportunity so that we could all celebrate together in Durham,” Jordan says. A few weeks later, Jordan popped the same question in the Ford family’s garden in Meeghan’s native New Hampshire.

The Big Day After welcome drinks at Bull McCabe’s and a family dinner at Mateo Bar de Tapas, Jordan and Meeghan tied the knot at The Rickhouse. The couple decorated the warehouse space with help from Get Lit Event Lighting along with signage by Kaitlyn Purdy and floral arrangements from Blossom and Bone Florals. Posh the Salon styled both brides’ hair and makeup. The couple incorporated their shared love of food and wine with table assignments inspired by grape varietals and signature cocktails – a “Bull Old Fashioned” and an “Ellarita,” named after their dog, Ella. Guests stayed a few blocks away at The Durham Hotel.

Favorite Moments “[A] close friend … officiated our ceremony [and] encouraged us to write our own vows,” Jordan says. “I will always cherish our ceremony [and the act of] openly sharing our love for each other through the laughs and tears of joy.” Meeghan recalls the private moment and Champagne toast the pair shared immediately following the ceremony, which is also a standout memory for her.

“Reading aloud our vows to each other in front of all of our loved ones is something I’ll remember forever,” Meeghan says.

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