As the class valedictorian walked to the podium, a nervous smile spread across her face.
“We were challenged over the past six months to go outside of our comfort zones,” Toya Bailey laughed.
Bailey, the community engagement lead at Truliant Federal Credit Union, is one of 35 professionals who were selected to participate in the tenth class of the Emerging Business Leaders, one of the signature programs at the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance®.
EBL facilitates relationship building across companies and industries, and provides opportunities for participants to increase their engagement with the CLT Alliance. This year’s class of EBL participants receive valuable professional development and leadership training through programming, panels, and networking opportunities.
Last week, EBL Class 10 officially graduated.
“I learned a bit about myself,” Bailey said. “And I gained 40 new friends.”
Bailey, who was selected by her classmates to be this year’s valedictorian, spoke at length about the lessons she learned about leadership.
“Make sure the people you lead feel important in every stage of your lives,” she said. “You don’t get anywhere by yourself.”
Keynote speaker Andrea Smith, former chief administrative officer at Bank of America, jokingly offered Bailey a job on the spot.
“Look around,” Smith challenged the group. “These are the high-potential leaders in Charlotte representing over 25 companies…. This is a group that you should all stay connected with.”
Smith also challenged the EBL graduates to remember to use their voices and express their points of view as they grow in their roles.
“Have courage,” she said. “Say it. That’s why you’re in the meeting. The point of using your voice is getting the team to a better decision.”
That same philosophy applies to careers as well, Smith said.
“Have courage to say yes or no to opportunities that come your way,” she said.
Smith told the class about her own career path, which she described as a “jungle gym.”
“I climbed all around– sideways, up, down,” she said.
Looking back over her 34-year career, Smith said her goal was always the same: “I wanted to change people’s lives.”
“I’m proud to say I did that: I changed lives,” Smith said. “All of you have the opportunity to do that. You can do it from any position, if that’s important to you. You do it by having authentic relationships. It’s about being real every single day.”
The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance is proud to celebrate the 35 members of this year’s graduating class. For more information about the EBL program, click here.
