On Monday, December 10, 2007, Leadership Triangle turned its annual awards presentation into a family reunion of sorts. The Goodmon Awards Gala celebrated Triangle family values and recognized the connection between the citizens of the many cities, towns and counties in the central North Carolina area. The event also celebrated the accomplishments of several Triangle individuals and organizations.
CBC President & CEO Jim Goodmon, also Board Chair of Leadership Triangle, welcomes the gala guests. |
Guests arrive outside American Tobacco’s Bay 7, hearing Christmas carols. |
The Goodmon Awards were established in honor of CBC President & CEO Jim Goodmon to recognize outstanding, regionally minded Triangle leaders. The 6th annual presentation honored a wide variety of winners.
“How wonderful to have so many communities in which to CHOOSE to live, yet have the full benefits of living, working and playing in the great Triangle region.”
– Winkie La Force, Leadership Triangle Executive Director
The evening began with a cocktail hour at 5:30pm and then proceeded with a family-style dinner prepared by Durham’s Café Parizade. Everything from the chocolates to the wine came from local sources. The sold-out event took place in American Tobacco’s Bay 7.
‘It’s a Southern habit when you see someone to say, ‘how are you doing?’” said Goodmon when he took the podium for the awards ceremony. “Have you noticed no one stops to listen? I’m afraid we spend too much time on the phrase ‘How am I doing?’ [There’s a philosophy that] if everybody takes care of themselves then everybody will be fine, but what’s missing is ‘How are we doing?’”
He applauded the award winners for thinking of others rather than only themselves.
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“The common denominator with these winners is they spend more time asking, ‘How are WE doing?’ than ‘How am I doing?’”
– Jim Goodmon, CBC President & CEO
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Goodmon also introduced the keynote speaker for the evening, Dick Gordon from WUNC-FM’s “The Story.” Gordon spoke of how he and his team work to “make sure all different communities’ voices are heard.” And he commented on how he many times uses stories of families in his programs.
“Without exploiting the emotion you can relate the emotion, the way we relate to each other” said Gordon.
He used the example of the downfall of the former Soviet Union when pointing out the importance of connection. “The Soviet Union didn’t get take apart by tanks and political intrigue,” he said, “but by taking away the dignity of the people. They broke the spirit of the people by taking away the family for the state.”
ATC’s Valerie Ward, a LT alumnus, (r to l) chats with MCC’s Joe Amor and his wife, Debbie. |
“I love my job because I learn something new every day. Leadership Triangle is a great opportunity for that.” says WRAL-TV Anchor Debra Morgan, a LT alumnus. |
“If you create a place for people to tell their stories to one another, you’ve created community. People who don’t tell their stories to one another will never understand one another.”
– Dick Gordon, WUNC-FM’s “The Story”
WUNC-FM’s Dick Gordon shares his experience as a journalist during his keynote speech. |
The Will McFarlane Band entertains the crowd during the event. |
And the Goodmon Award Winners Are:
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Exemplary Regional Leadership by an Individual
2007 Recipients: Dani Martinez-Moore, Network of Immigrant Advocates Coordinator, N.C. Justice Center & Tim Tyson, Author and Educator
Debra Tyler Horton (left, accepting for Dani Martinez-Moore) & Jim Goodmon |
Dani Martinez-Moore runs a statewide network of advocates for immigrants housed at the North Carolina Justice Center. A proud and effective proponent of social justice and immigrants’ rights, Martinez-Moore works diligently to build the capacity of immigrant advocates by bringing Triangle leaders and community members together for effective collaboration.
For instance, with her help, Durham leaders passed an ordinance allowing immigrants to contact city officials about crime and other problems without fear of deportation.
Tim Tyson (left) & Jim Goodmon |
Tim Tyson is the author of the acclaimed book Blood Done Sign My Name, which sparked a renewed interest in exploring our region’s past, understanding its present and working toward a stronger and more unified future. A frequent speaker at church, school and community events and a professor at Duke University, he is a voice of reason and tolerance.
In the wake of the Duke lacrosse controversy, Tyson organized “The South in Black and White,” a course that brings students from Duke, NC Central, and UNC together with 150 local citizens to create an interracial community committed to open and honest dialogue.
Tyson’s easy style and thoughtful approach enable him to lead us all toward understanding and acceptance.
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Exemplary Regional Leadership by an Organization
Action for Children Board Chair Bill Jamieson (left) & Jim Goodmon |
2007 Recipient: Action for Children North Carolina
Action for Children North Carolina has taken a leadership role in advocating for Tar Heel children. Its most recent accomplishment and most significant achievement for our Triangle region: convening a group to draft a plan providing health insurance to thousands of children and youth in the Triangle and throughout the state.
As a result, on July 1, 2008, N.C. Kids’ Care will make available affordable health insurance coverage to nearly 40,000 currently uninsured children, regardless of income level or eligibility requirements.
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Exemplary Regional Partnership
Winkie La Force (l to r), Carolyn Kreuger, Jim Goodmon & Lynn Pearce |
2007 Recipient: Kids Voting NC/Wake County & Kids Voting Durham/Durham Cooperative Extension
Kids Voting NC/Wake County and Kids Voting Durham/Durham Cooperative Extension engage youth across all ethnic, cultural, and demographic boundaries and offer an engaging educational experience to all public, charter, private, and home-schooled students. This partnership gets kids involved and ready to be educated and effective participants in democracy.
Executive directors Lynne Pearce and Carolyn Kreuger collaborate on ideas and resources to create a strong partnership that benefits the entire Triangle family of communities.
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Exemplary Regional Leadership by an Elected Official
Mike Nelson (left, former Carrboro Mayor & current Orange County commissioner accepts the award in memory of Herzenberg) & Jim Goodmon |
2007 Recipient: Joe Herzenberg
Joe Herzenberg was a true leader. He worked tirelessly to promote and protect civil rights and liberties for all people. As our state’s first openly gay elected official, he broke down barriers for future generations of legislators and created a more diverse body of elected officials in Orange County and across the state.
That election began a slow march, a journey, that led to Carrboro becoming the first municipality in the South to adopt domestic partnership benefits, and to Jim Neal becoming the first openly gay man to run for US Senate in North Carolina.
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People’s Choice Award
NC Prevention Partners Executive Director Meg Molloy (left) & Jim Goodmon |
2007 Recipient: North Carolina Prevention Partners
North Carolina Prevention Partners is dedicated to preventing the ill-effects of tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor nutrition. To that end, it recently worked with the Triangle’s major hospital systems to help them become 100-percent tobacco-free. As a result, more than 30,000 employees and volunteers are protected from harmful secondhand smoke each year.
And thanks to NCPP, North Carolina is the only state in the nation that posts preventive benefits for all health insurers online.
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| Photo Gallery |
FOX 50’s Chris Downey, an LT Board member, chats during cocktail hour. |
Tim Tyson takes the stage as he is honored. |
Jim Goodmon (right) congratulates NC Prevention Partners’ Meg Molloy on her organization’s win of the first-ever People’s Choice Award. |
Pastor Will McFarlane (right) & his wife, Janet, sing the invocation. |
99.9 The Fan’s Dave Shore (right) & his wife, Reenie, attend their first Leadership Triangle event. |
Mike Nelson accepts the Elected Official Award in memory of his good friend Joe Herzenberg. |
Cindy Sink has fun trading her t-shirt, an exercise at the opening of the event. |
“The problem in the U.S. is we do not have equal opportunity. This is no longer the land of equal opportunity.” says Jim Goodmon. |
Jim Goodmon (right) congrats Mike Nelson in memory of award winner Joe Herzenberg. |
ATC’s Michael Goodmon catches up with folks during the cocktail hour. |
LT Executive Director Winkie La Force instructs the audience on a trading exercise. |
Carolyn Kreuger (left) & Lynn Pearce are honored for their dedication to preserving democracy and energizing the future electorate. |
