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Leaders receive praise for promoting thinking and action

Leadership Triangle is proud to announce the fifth annual Goodmon Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations that exhibit outstanding regional leadership. The awards were presented on December 11, 2006, at an awards dinner presented by Leadership Triangle at American Tobacco Campus, Bay 7, Durham, N.C.

As communities across the Triangle come to understand the importance of working together, regional thinking and regional cooperation become more essential to our individual and collective well being. Yet, we have few mechanisms in place for rewarding such regional foresight and action. As a result, Leadership Triangle has established these annual awards in honor of James F. Goodmon to recognize leaders in our community who are regionally minded - and who exhibit that frame of mind in their personal and professional lives.

The 2006 Goodmon Award Winners are:

Individual

Bruce Lightner, CEO of the Lightner Funeral Home
Bruce Lightner attributes his energy and commitment to community from the tenacity and example set by his late father, Clarence, the only African-American mayor Raleigh has ever known. Bruce's leadership has fostered regional awareness and cooperation across the Triangle in areas of racial, ethnic and religious understanding for more than 20 years. In addition to being the CEO of the Lightner Funeral Home, Bruce has led the Raleigh Martin Luther King Celebration Committee for 26 years and is responsible for MLK Holiday presentation of wholesome, family-oriented, multi-racial events, bringing the Triangle community together to pray, march, break bread and share in ecumenical services. Bruce also brings Dr. King's teachings into the daily lives of Triangle residents though the MLK Resource Center. Created in 2001, the Center engages in community-based, people- driven dialogue and helps establish and foster "best practices" in improving race and ethnic relations. The Center collaborates with institutions of higher learning to develop new strategies in reducing economic, educational and technological disparities in society. Most recently, Bruce drove the creation of the Lost Generations Triangle Task Force, a joint effort between the MLK Resource Center, leaders within the faith community and concerned citizens of the Triangle. The task force engages the community in identifying strategies to reduce the number of African American and Hispanic youth in the criminal justice system. Bruce's exemplary work makes him truly deserving of this award for outstanding regional leadership.

Elected Official

Alice Gordon, Orange County Commissioner
Alice Gordon has been an Orange County Commissioner for 16 years. During that time, she has proactively addressed regional growth while enhancing the quality of life that defines the Triangle. An unsung champion and distinguished leader, Alice's work focuses on two areas: environmental protection and regional transportation. In her quiet, methodical manner she displayed passion, vision, and leadership in promoting and helping to implement the first comprehensive county land acquisition program in North Carolina: The Lands Legacy Program and the new environmental department essential to its operation. In six years the award-winning initiative has protected more than 1,700 acres of the county's most important natural and cultural resources, including farmland, parkland and critical natural areas. Among the notable acquisitions are the New Hope Preserve on the Durham - Orange County boundary and the Little River Regional Park and Natural Area which spans the two counties. Alice has been at the forefront of regional transportation leadership for a decade, and has served as an officer or executive committee member on several regional boards including a multi-jurisdictional policy board of elected officials directing urban transportation planning for Durham, Orange, and northern Chatham counties. More recently, she spearheaded the creation of the new TTA Hillsborough - Chapel Hill bus route, a huge step toward inter-city connectivity. Alice currently chairs of the Triangle Transit Authority. Alice's accomplishments in the areas of environmental protection and regional transportation have made significant contributions in addressing the rapid growth dilemma that challenges our Triangle home, and make her truly worthy of receiving this award.

Organization

The Triangle United Way
In 2006, Triangle United Way celebrated a decade of caring as a regional charitable organization working to improve lives across Durham, Orange and Wake counties. Since it began, caring volunteers have generated $50 million for human service programs through the Community Campaign. Triangle United Way is committed to working with certified member agencies to support programs that create lasting change for children, families, seniors and those seeking access to health and basic services. More than 3 million Triangle lives have been touched by these United Way agencies. Though its reach is wide, Triangle United Way is very actively involved in coordinating regional efforts to end homelessness over the next 10 years. In 2006, 1,720 people in the region including many women and children do not have a place to call home, and 22 percent of homeless people in the region are chronically homeless. The organization received the Community Impact Award from the NC Interagency Council for its efforts to coordinate homeless programs. Triangle United way also works to connect volunteers to meaningful service. This year, Triangle United Way was instrumental in organizing more than 1,700 volunteers across Durham, Orange and Wake counties in a nationwide movement to make the Martin Luther King Holiday "A Day On, Not a Day Off." For its vision of a better future for all Triangle residents, and its ability to act on that vision, the Triangle United Way is truly a regional leader.

Exemplary Regional Partnership

The High Five Regional Partnership for High School Excellence
The High Five Regional Partnership for High School Excellence, a collaboration between regional businesses, charitable foundations and the five Triangle school districts, believes that the Triangle's continued economic growth and excellent quality of life depend on vastly improved outcomes from our K-12 educational systems. Its goal is to graduate 100 percent of our high school students by 2013. The partnership also plans to see 90 percent of all students complete college tech prep or university prep courses, and 80 percent meeting minimum admission requirements to the UNC system by 2009. The Partnership has developed a metric plan to report progress towards these goals and is creating regional collaboratives to achieve the mission. High Five has made significant contributions to the Triangle region including, improved instructional and administrative training and development, providing tools for increasing student achievement to the faith community, creating a drop-out prevention program, and creating an ad campaign encouraging students to stay in school. By bringing together the Triangle's business, faith and educational leaders, High Five provides a model for the kind of true regional partnership required to solve the most pressing problems facing the area. For its dedication to promoting high school graduation and student achievement, The High Five Regional Partnership for High School Excellence is an exemplar of true partnership.