Name: Debra Turner Bailey
Leadership Charlotte (LC) Class: 44
Title/Company: Chief People Officer, WFAE
Hometown: Harmony NC (Iredell County)
Education: BA in Psychology from UNC-Greensboro, MPA in Public Affairs from UNCG and Master’s in industrial relations from Cornell University
Current personal or leadership goals:
- To be a coach or mentor to others
- To keep my technical and managerial skills current and relevant
- To stay open to technical innovations which make me a more effective leader (i.e., the use of AI in HR)
What advice would you give to current Leadership Charlotte participants?
- Be Intentional in your networking; everyone in your class has an experience or perspective which is different from yours … take the time to find out what that is.
What’s a lesson that you learned through LC that has stuck with you and why?
- OMG the Poverty Simulation was sooo powerful; it really brought home to me the “systemic” nature of bias and exclusion. I’ve done a lot of work on the individual level, and this made me want to re-focus on the systemic
What would you like to see Leadership Charlotte alumni get involved in and why?
- Doing cross generational mentoring because I believe that we are going to lose a lot of institutional knowledge and wisdom as the baby boomers retire and we’re missing a lot of coaching/mentoring opportunities with our younger colleagues especially in a post-pandemic world where many people are still remote or hybrid.
Favorite way to spend a weekend in Charlotte:
- I love live music and ethnic foods so a great weekend would be a great meal in the plaza Midwood area, a concert at Middle C Jazz and then checking out an exhibit at Harvey Gantt. Brunch is my favorite meal and Charlotte has so many great options.
Favorite nonprofit or community organization in Charlotte and why:
- Traditionally, Dress for Success that helps women re-imagine who they are and what they can do
- More Recently; VAPA – the new Center for Performing Arts because culture and art are so important to our view of who we are and where we come from.