Leadership Avery

2026 Leadership Avery Class

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Linda Westerberg, The UPS Store; Seth Yarber, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.

Second Row: Heather Bender, Wheels Contracting, Inc; Allison Morton, Avery County Chamber of Commerce; Gracie Baker, Elk Pointe Capital; Whitney Styles, High Country Charitable Foundation; Jennifer Faulkner, Avery County Habitat for Humanity; John Barrier, Signature Wealth Strategies.

Third Row: Nicole Hehn, Mountain Community Bank; Victoria Kelly, The Courtyard by Marriott; Caleb Hogan, Avery County Government; Lindsey Royle, VPC Builders; Sara Jacumin, OASIS Inc; Jessie Hurlbert, The YMCA of the High Country; Benjamin Nichols, Linville Golf Club

About the curriculum:

Program Overview

Leadership Avery is a milestone program celebrating a decade of cultivating strong local leaders while boldly evolving to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Rooted in the principles of Dare to Lead by Dr. Brené Brown, the program emphasizes courage, connection, and values-driven leadership.

Through intentional learning experiences, Leadership Avery bridges personal growth and community progress, equipping participants to lead with empathy, resilience, and accountability. Participants are challenged to show up authentically, engage in meaningful dialogue, and develop the skills necessary to navigate change and complexity within Avery County.

By fostering trust-based relationships and encouraging courageous leadership, Leadership Avery inspires a new generation of leaders who are prepared—and empowered—to shape Avery County’s future with purpose and impact.

Program Objectives

Develop courageous, informed leaders who lead with integrity, clarity of values, and a deep understanding of Avery County’s assets, challenges, and opportunities—equipping them to support the community with confidence and purpose.

Build leadership capacity through courage, empathy, and accountability, strengthening participants’ ability to engage, serve, and advocate for Avery County while navigating change, difficult conversations, and complex community issues.

Cultivate meaningful, trust-based relationships that encourage collaboration, connection, and collective problem-solving—laying the foundation for a resilient and forward-thinking future for Avery County.

Program Sessions

The eight-month Leadership Avery program consists of eight full-day sessions that combine immersive community experiences with facilitated classroom learning rooted in Dare to Lead by Dr. Brené Brown.

Each session introduces participants to Avery County’s key businesses, industries, and organizations while exploring essential leadership competencies such as courage, trust, values-based decision-making, and effective communication. Through guided discussions, reflective exercises, and practical leadership tools, participants strengthen their ability to lead with clarity and confidence.

Participants gain firsthand insight into the heartbeat of Avery County through hands-on experiences, team-building activities, and immersive site visits with the innovators, employers, and community leaders who keep the county thriving. These real-world experiences are intentionally paired with Dare to Lead principles, allowing participants to immediately apply classroom learning to community-focused leadership challenges.

By blending personal leadership development with meaningful community engagement, each session equips participants with both the mindset and the skills needed to lead boldly and collaboratively in service of Avery County’s future.

“Dare to Lead remains a relevant and essential professional development curriculum because it targets the human side of leadership that drives performance and culture. It gives leaders specific language, tools, and habits they can start using right away—making it ideal for our structured leadership program focused on behavior change, not just theory.”

Victoria Bowman, Avery Chamber Executive Director