Name: Jason Herring
Leadership Charlotte (LC) Class: 35
Hometown: Beaufort, SC
If you could describe your Leadership Charlotte experience in three words or phrases what would they be?
I would describe my leadership Charlotte experience as thought-provoking. The program days are carefully put together so the class learns from amazing panelists and presenters, and the experiences throughout the program day provokes engaging conversation with your fellow classmates. The panelists, presenters, experiences and conversations can challenge many of your thoughts and convictions where you begin to understand, and even appreciate, the other side of the argument.
What advice that you would you give to current Leadership Charlotte participants?
Make time. Make time for your program days. Make time for your fellow classmates. Make time for all of the experiences that come along with the Leadership Charlotte program. The time will go by incredibly fast.
What do you remember most vividly from your Leadership Charlotte experience and why?
Prior to starting with Leadership Charlotte, I was working on my PhD. I had some difficulty identifying the specific study of my dissertation. I had a general idea, but the idea needed to be more explicit so I began to read other dissertations that were in the general subject matter that I was considering. I came across a dissertation written by Dr. James Taylor. As I read his dissertation, it helped me to find clarity on the topic of my dissertation.
During the opening weekend of Leadership Charlotte, I decided to carpool with two gentlemen that I had never met. The first guy was Ibrahim Nasmyth. He’s an overall great guy with an amazing gift of intellectual curiosity. If you don’t know him, I would encourage you to invite him for a cup of coffee and some good conversation (you can thank me later). The second gentleman was James Taylor. Yes, the same Dr. James Taylor whose dissertation inspired me to write my dissertation. What’s even more interesting is Dr. Taylor had just moved from California to Charlotte a few months prior and was selected for Leadership Charlotte. The odds of him and I being in the same city and engaging in the same program are extremely slim. That’s the magic and mystique of Leadership Charlotte.
What’re you doing in the community these days?
Recently, I’ve been working with the International House helping foreign-born residents integrate into the Charlotte community by tutoring them on the English language. It’s been an awesome experience as I’ve had the opportunity to work with students from France, El Salvador, Japan and other countries. Helping them get acclimated to the United States, our holidays, and other norms has been an amazing experience. Additionally, it provided me with the opportunity to learn about the norms in their country. It’s a very rewarding experience.