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Participants Complete CEP Session

Thirteen participants of the second annual session of United Way's Community Engagement Program completed the activities ranging from a discussion on Race, Ethnicity and Leadership to group projects around education, quality of life and economic development.

This year's participants were sponsored by their employers, representing seven different Roanoke Valley organizations:

Advance Auto Parts: Tiffany Jordan

Allstate Insurance Company: Patricia Rucker, Sherry Shepherd, Shataqua Taylor
Boys and Girls Club: Tiffany Allen
City of Roanoke: Paulette Jayabalan, Samantha Shepherd, Shelby Stewart
Cox Communications: Alisha Starkey
Regional Office - Department of Veterans Affairs: Edward Heath
Wachovia: Nicole Baker, Emmanuel Doss, Christie Jackson

Leadership support is provided by the following volunteers who comprise the 2007 Community Engagement Program Planning Committee:

Courtney Penn                            Susan Lawyer Willis
Roanoke College                         William Fleming High School

Marion Vaughn-Howard                 Faye Gilchrist
City of Roanoke Office on Youth    City of Roanoke

Our many thanks to the many community and business leaders who offered their time, insights and support to the class this year: Kathy Baske Young, Executive Coach, Blue Ridge Resources, LLC; Rev. William Lee, Pastor, Loudon Avenue Christian Church; Burr Datz, Director of Leadership Programs, Washington and Lee University; Sherman Stovall, City of Roanoke; Rita Bishop, Roanoke City Public Schools; Tiffany Woods, Roanoke City Public Schools; David Brown, Art Museum of Western Virginia; and Valley Forward who organized, the Forum for the Future.

CEP evolved from the Minority Leadership Enhancement Program that started in 1992 and has produced more than 300 local graduates. The program goal is to promote civic engagement among people of color.