Alumni Spotlight: Shannon McAllister (Homegrown Leaders - East 2020)
Job: Executive Director, John 3:16 Center
Currently Lives: Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County
Hometown: Born in Harris County in Texas; raised in Roanoke Rapids and Seaboard
Q: What are the greatest assets of rural N.C.?
A: People who care and have deep connections to their communities. Also, the green space, trails, waterways with quiet ways to engage with nature.
Q: What are the biggest community economic development challenges facing your town/county?
A: Broadband and other forms of technology to the last mile and transportation.
Q: What is the best hidden gem in your region?
A: There really is such a rich history in our area, and I think many hidden gems are connected to that history. We have great places like Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Lakeland Cultural Arts Center, and others, but I think the best gem in our region is the people who work and volunteer to enhance our communities.
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Q: Describe the impact that Homegrown Leaders has had on you both personally and professionally.
A: The Homegrown Leaders program helped me feel more connected to other leaders in my community and beyond, to catch a glimpse of other perspectives on the issues affecting our communities, and have a greater understanding of resources available.
Q: What’s the best advice about leadership that you were ever given?
A: The best advice about leadership I have ever been given is to see and develop the talent in others. When we make sure others have room and opportunity to grow, we all benefit.
Q: What gives you the greatest pride in your work?
A: Over 18 years in, it’s seeing the children who started in our programs that have now grown up, earned degrees, gotten married, had children of their own, and/or accomplished other great things. I love it when some come back to work or volunteer with us or enroll their own children in our programs because they have good memories.
?The NC Rural Center has worked since 1987 to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. The Rural Center serves the state’s 78 rural counties, with a special focus on people with low-to-moderate incomes and communities with limited resources. To learn more about how the NC Rural Center is developing and supporting rural leaders across the state, visit?www.ncruralcenter.org.?