Event Sponsors
Meeting with a Meaning
Super Women
Working Together Toward Tomorrow
Super Women
Working Together Toward Tomorrow
Our Smithfield-Selma Chamber Women's Business Network is looking forward to our next Meeting with a Meaning, and invites you to attend on November 9! Join us for inspiration, food, and fellowship! I hope you'll come. Please feel free to invite other women who inspire you and who need inspiration.
Featured Speakers
Cindy Waite, President
Accentuate Staffing
Accentuate Staffing is a local recruiting firm focused on Office Professional, Accounting, and Skilled Labor, IT, Scientific and Engineering recruiting services. Accentuate Staffing has been recognized as the 3rd largest woman-owned employer by the Triangle Business Journal and has been awarded nine Triangle Fast 50 Awards and community involvement recognitions. Cindy has over 23 years’ experience in both staffing agency and corporate recruitment experience. A Garner native, Cindy earned her Master’s in Accounting and Bachelors in Business from UNC-Chapel Hill. She began her career in public accounting and stumbled into recruiting. Cindy has been recognized with a 40 under 40 Award and Business Impact recognition. She enjoys corny jokes and puns and has never met a chocolate chip cookie she didn’t love!
Gracie Johnson-Lopez, President
Diversity & HR Solutions
A native of North Carolina, Gracie Johnson-Lopez brings almost 30 years of a diverse business background to include human resources, operations and diversity. Currently, Gracie serves as President and senior consultant with her company Diversity & HR Solutions. Most recently, she served for thirteen years as the Senior Vice President of HR and Administration at N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company. Prior to joining NCM, Gracie was a professional diversity consultant. She also served as the Human Resources Director for the School of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention. Gracie’s professional career also includes serving as Career Center Director and Senior Employment Recruiter with the Duke University Employment Office. Gracie holds a Bachelor of Art Degree in Public Administration from NCCU and a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Duke University. In addition, she holds three professional certificates: Building a High Performing Business from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Diversity & Inclusion from Pope & Associates and the SPHR from the Society of Human Resource Management. She is active in her community serving on various boards as well as her church’s trustee board to include: Diversity Chair, TSHRM, Board President, Durham Technical Community College Foundation Governance Chair, Dress for Success of the Triangle Board Advisor, Black Women in Business-NC.
Michelle C. Ball, Clerk of Superior Court
North Carolina Judicial Branch - Johnston County
Michelle Ball, a Johnston County native and NC State Bar Certified Paralegal, was elected as the Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court in 2014. Prior to serving as the clerk, she worked at the law firm of Spence & Spence, P.A., for 22 years. Her duties included searching titles and closing real estate transactions, preparing and handling Guardianships and Estates, and appearing with attorneys in Civil Court for insurance defense cases, real property disputes, municipal condemnations, and estate litigation.
Michelle was an Undergraduate Fellow and earned her B.A., in English from Barton College (formerly Atlantic Christian College), with a track in Business and Commercial Art. She is an alumni of the Theta Omega chapter of Delta Zeta sorority. The mother of four, she is married to local land surveyor, Jerry Ball, and they are active members at First Baptist Church, Smithfield. Along with the youth of her church, she has participated in Mission Trips to Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Ecuador, and Belize, and teaches the 5th and 6th grade Sunday School class. Presently, she is a member of the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, the National College of Probate Judges, and the North Carolina Guardianship Association. As a member of the Conference of Clerks, Michelle is presently serving on the Legislative and Technology Committees, and as a Co-Chairman of the Resource Committee.
Moderated by
Crystal Kimpson Roberts, Chief of Communication and Engagement
Johnston County Public Schools
Crystal began her duties on May 1 as an expansion of her previous role as the district's first full-time Public Information Officer from 2000-2008. She is currently responsible for leading and developing the district's internal and external communications practices, and building relationships with the communities it serves.
A South Carolina native, Crystal holds a BA in Mass Media from Hampton (VA) University. She also holds a Certificate in Communications from Duke University’s Continuing Education division.
Crystal’s career in communications spans 30 years, starting as a daily newspaper reporter with the Virginia-based Daily Press, Inc. She then transitioned to public relations and has served four school districts in Virginia and North Carolina in communications management roles. She has also served as a Public Relations Coordinator for the Durham Police Department; a communications consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications at St. Augustine’s College; and, a Communications Specialist for Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action.
Crystal presents workshops on corporate communications, writes as a freelancer for various publications, and serves as a part-time instructor for Johnston Community College. She has served her community as the 2015 Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce and the Smithfield-Selma Senior High School Public Relations committee. She currently serves on the Smithfield-Selma Senior High School Parent Advisory Council and her church’s non-profit Community Empowerment Center at First Missionary Baptist Church. She holds industry memberships in the Raleigh Public Relations Society (for which she served two terms as secretary), the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Public Relations Society of America. She is also a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church, Smithfield; the Johnston County chapter of the NAACP; and, the 2017-2018 Board of Directors of the Greater Area Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce.
She is the blessed and doting mother of three sons, Matthew, Adam, and Malachi.
Proceeds from this and all CWBN events support the scholarships for professional women and their efforts to continue their professional development.
Featured Speakers
Cindy Waite, President
Accentuate Staffing
Accentuate Staffing is a local recruiting firm focused on Office Professional, Accounting, and Skilled Labor, IT, Scientific and Engineering recruiting services. Accentuate Staffing has been recognized as the 3rd largest woman-owned employer by the Triangle Business Journal and has been awarded nine Triangle Fast 50 Awards and community involvement recognitions. Cindy has over 23 years’ experience in both staffing agency and corporate recruitment experience. A Garner native, Cindy earned her Master’s in Accounting and Bachelors in Business from UNC-Chapel Hill. She began her career in public accounting and stumbled into recruiting. Cindy has been recognized with a 40 under 40 Award and Business Impact recognition. She enjoys corny jokes and puns and has never met a chocolate chip cookie she didn’t love!
Gracie Johnson-Lopez, President
Diversity & HR Solutions
A native of North Carolina, Gracie Johnson-Lopez brings almost 30 years of a diverse business background to include human resources, operations and diversity. Currently, Gracie serves as President and senior consultant with her company Diversity & HR Solutions. Most recently, she served for thirteen years as the Senior Vice President of HR and Administration at N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company. Prior to joining NCM, Gracie was a professional diversity consultant. She also served as the Human Resources Director for the School of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention. Gracie’s professional career also includes serving as Career Center Director and Senior Employment Recruiter with the Duke University Employment Office. Gracie holds a Bachelor of Art Degree in Public Administration from NCCU and a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Duke University. In addition, she holds three professional certificates: Building a High Performing Business from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Diversity & Inclusion from Pope & Associates and the SPHR from the Society of Human Resource Management. She is active in her community serving on various boards as well as her church’s trustee board to include: Diversity Chair, TSHRM, Board President, Durham Technical Community College Foundation Governance Chair, Dress for Success of the Triangle Board Advisor, Black Women in Business-NC.
Michelle C. Ball, Clerk of Superior Court
North Carolina Judicial Branch - Johnston County
Michelle Ball, a Johnston County native and NC State Bar Certified Paralegal, was elected as the Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court in 2014. Prior to serving as the clerk, she worked at the law firm of Spence & Spence, P.A., for 22 years. Her duties included searching titles and closing real estate transactions, preparing and handling Guardianships and Estates, and appearing with attorneys in Civil Court for insurance defense cases, real property disputes, municipal condemnations, and estate litigation.
Michelle was an Undergraduate Fellow and earned her B.A., in English from Barton College (formerly Atlantic Christian College), with a track in Business and Commercial Art. She is an alumni of the Theta Omega chapter of Delta Zeta sorority. The mother of four, she is married to local land surveyor, Jerry Ball, and they are active members at First Baptist Church, Smithfield. Along with the youth of her church, she has participated in Mission Trips to Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Ecuador, and Belize, and teaches the 5th and 6th grade Sunday School class. Presently, she is a member of the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, the National College of Probate Judges, and the North Carolina Guardianship Association. As a member of the Conference of Clerks, Michelle is presently serving on the Legislative and Technology Committees, and as a Co-Chairman of the Resource Committee.
Moderated by
Crystal Kimpson Roberts, Chief of Communication and Engagement
Johnston County Public Schools
Crystal began her duties on May 1 as an expansion of her previous role as the district's first full-time Public Information Officer from 2000-2008. She is currently responsible for leading and developing the district's internal and external communications practices, and building relationships with the communities it serves.
A South Carolina native, Crystal holds a BA in Mass Media from Hampton (VA) University. She also holds a Certificate in Communications from Duke University’s Continuing Education division.
Crystal’s career in communications spans 30 years, starting as a daily newspaper reporter with the Virginia-based Daily Press, Inc. She then transitioned to public relations and has served four school districts in Virginia and North Carolina in communications management roles. She has also served as a Public Relations Coordinator for the Durham Police Department; a communications consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications at St. Augustine’s College; and, a Communications Specialist for Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action.
Crystal presents workshops on corporate communications, writes as a freelancer for various publications, and serves as a part-time instructor for Johnston Community College. She has served her community as the 2015 Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce and the Smithfield-Selma Senior High School Public Relations committee. She currently serves on the Smithfield-Selma Senior High School Parent Advisory Council and her church’s non-profit Community Empowerment Center at First Missionary Baptist Church. She holds industry memberships in the Raleigh Public Relations Society (for which she served two terms as secretary), the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Public Relations Society of America. She is also a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church, Smithfield; the Johnston County chapter of the NAACP; and, the 2017-2018 Board of Directors of the Greater Area Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce.
She is the blessed and doting mother of three sons, Matthew, Adam, and Malachi.
Proceeds from this and all CWBN events support the scholarships for professional women and their efforts to continue their professional development.
Event Sponsors
CWBN 2017 Meeting with a Meaning: Sup...
Date and Time
Thursday Nov 9, 2017
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EST
Thursday, November 9, 2017
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Location
Hinnant Family Vineyards
826 Pine Level Micro Road
Pine Level, NC 27568
Fees/Admission
SPONSORSHIPS:
INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION (Early Bird Registration ends October 31)
Contact Information
Kelly Wallace 919.934.9166
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