Small Business Center Director Graduates from Leadership Program

Jan. 2, 2025 - Director of Richmond Community College’s Small Business Center, Flynne Meares, recently graduated from the Rural Economic Development Institute (REDI), the NC Rural Center’s flagship leadership development program.

The three-month intensive training program equips existing and emerging leaders with the tools they need to tackle economic and community development issues facing rural North Carolina.

Now in its 35th year, REDI has trained more than 1,200 leaders across the state. As a graduate of REDI, Meares joins an extensive alumni network that spans all of North Carolina’s 100 counties and includes graduates from the Rural Center’s other leadership training program, Homegrown Leaders. Many of the Center’s leadership alumni are active in state and local government and philanthropic, nonprofit, and small-business sectors, as well as in faith and community-based organizations.

“This year’s REDI class of rural leaders embodies the heart and soul of our rural communities- resilient, resourceful, and deeply committed to making a difference,” said Olaunda Green, director of leadership training for the NC Rural Center. “We are incredibly proud to support their journey and witness their impact as they lead their communities into a thriving future.”     

“Congratulations to this year’s class of REDI graduates for investing in yourselves and your communities through this valuable training,” said Patrick Woodie, president and CEO of the NC Rural Center. “Rural North Carolina needs leaders like you willing to look at challenges in a new way, and we know you have many successes ahead of you.”

To learn more about how the NC Rural Center is developing and supporting rural leaders across the state, visit ncruralcenter.org.