Betsy Kinsley, CCF’s Vice President of Development & Stewardship
Selected for The Riley Institute at Furman’s 12th Class of
Lowcountry Diversity Leaders
CCF board member Bill Stanfield (Metanoia) also selected
CHARLESTON, S.C. – August 31, 2017 – Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) is pleased to announce our Vice President of Development & Stewardship, Betsy Kinsley, is one of 42 leaders from across the Lowcountry and surrounding areas selected to participate in the Riley Institute at Furman’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) this fall. CCF board member Bill Stanfield, CEO of Metanoia Community Development Corporation, has also been selected to the Lowcountry DLI fall 2017 class.
“We are exceptionally proud of Betsy and Bill. This experience will build upon their roles as thought leaders at the Foundation and in our community,” said Darrin Goss, Sr., CCF’s President and CEO and a Riley Fellow.
“In a time of considerable division both nationally and locally, it is increasingly important to work together to find ways to foster a thriving economy and break down barriers that hinder progress,” said Dr. Donald Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute.
DLI class members are identified through a rigorous process including a nomination, application and interview. Individuals are selected to join the class based on their capacity to impact their organizations and communities.
Over the course of five months, Mrs. Kinsley and Mr. Stanfield will learn about diversity and inclusion “blind spots” and how to suspend assumptions. They will also work in small, cross-sector groups to respond to real issues and opportunities in the community through a service project. The DLI classes are expertly facilitated by Juan Johnson, an independent consultant and former Coca-Cola vice president.
DLI graduates become Riley Fellows, members of a powerful, cross-sector, statewide leadership network that includes CEOs of corporations, mayors, city and county council members, legislators, school superintendents, pastors and rabbis, non-profit heads, chamber of commerce directors, and community leaders. In addition to the Lowcountry, DLI classes are selected annually in the Upstate and Midlands.
“We now have [1,824] Riley Fellows statewide. Each new class further extends the reach and impact of leaders willing to work together to make South Carolina a better place to live and work for all its residents,” said Gordon.
The Coastal Community Foundation is proud to have several Riley Fellows within our leadership including board members Shawan Gillians, Rachel Hutchisson, Paul Kohlheim and Anita Zucker; CEO Darrin Goss, Sr.; Vice President of Grantmaking & Community Leadership Edie Blakeslee; Frances B. Bunnelle Foundation (affiliate organization) Executive Director Geales Sands; committee member G.P. Diminich; and committee member and former board member Rita Scott.
About The Riley Institute at Furman’s Diversity Leaders Initiative
Launched in 2003 in South Carolina’s upstate, DLI now operates statewide, with classes in the South Carolina Lowcountry and Midland. Classes, limited to around 40 participants, are shaped to reflect the diverse demographic characteristics of South Carolina. Far from a traditional “diversity training class,” DLI brings everyone into the definition of diversity to consider how differences in race, gender, generation, sexual orientation, geographic orientation, culture, knowledge, experience, perception, etc., impact the lives of individuals and enterprises and how prepared leaders can leverage those differences in support of their missions. To learn more, visit: riley.furman.edu/diversity/initiatives/diversity-leaders-initiative-dli
About Coastal Community Foundation
Coastal Community Foundation works with people and organizations who want to make a lasting difference through philanthropy. The Foundation serves Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry and Jasper Counties, manages more than $250 million in total assets, and awarded more than $17 million in grants in 2016. Learn more! Visit coastalcommunityfoundation.org or call (843) 723-3635.