RALEIGH – Terry Hairston, Environmental Manager at Nucor Steel, Winton, recently graduated from the Leadership North Carolina (LNC) program during a ceremony held in the North Carolina Capitol.

Hairston was among the 55 civic and community leaders from across the state that completed the program.

Each year, through a rigorous selection process, LNC chooses a class of established and emerging leaders from across the state to participate in its acclaimed program. LNC’s mission is to inform, develop, and engage committed leaders by broadening their understanding of and involvement in issues and opportunities facing North Carolina. The program cultivates a network of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share a deep commitment to their state.

There are more than 1,000 graduates of the program whose continued ties to LNC and to one another provide them with rich opportunities for serving North Carolina.

Over the course of six, two-and-a-half day sessions, class members learned about issues critical to the state through discussions with top officials and professionals, field trips, and experiential learning activities.

LNC’s sessions focused on five key areas: economic development, education, environment, government, and health and human services.

LNC sessions are held around the state, highlighting the social, geographic, and economic diversity of North Carolina. The members of Hairston’s class visited Boone, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, New Bern, and Asheville. Through LNC’s program, participants gained new insight into North Carolina’s strengths and challenges and developed their own priorities for ways they can improve and empower their communities and the state as a whole.

The application process for LNC Class XXV (2017-2018) opens May 17 and will remain open through June 30. To find out more about Leadership North Carolina, visit www.leadershipnc.org.