FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 18, 2026 

Twenty-one participants are beginning a shared journey as Leadership Chatham launches its 21st year. The 2026–2027 class carries forward more than two decades of bringing people together to better understand Chatham County and discover how they can contribute to its future.

A signature program of The Chatham Chamber, Leadership Chatham helps participants build the knowledge, relationships, and confidence to become more engaged community leaders. Through hands-on experiences and conversations with local experts, participants explore the people, organizations, and systems that shape daily life across the county. This year’s sessions cover agriculture, tourism, local government, public safety, history, health, education, and economic development.

The new program year began with a September 10 kickoff at Starrlight Mead, welcoming the incoming class alongside Leadership Chatham alumni. Participants then gathered September 17 at the Chatham Park YMCA for their first session, focused on team building, leadership foundations, and setting intentions for the year ahead. Special guest Kristine Sloan of Leadership Triangle helped launch the experience as a keynote speaker and facilitator, alongside the Chatham YMCA team. Together, they helped participants begin building connections and explore how they want to grow as leaders.

Understanding a community takes time, curiosity, and a willingness to see beyond our own daily experiences. Leadership Chatham creates space for that work. Whether someone has lived here for decades or recently arrived, the program offers an opportunity to ask questions, hear different perspectives, and discover connections between issues that might otherwise seem separate.

That understanding matters. Decisions about education, business growth, public services, and community resources affect one another. Leaders who understand those relationships are better prepared to collaborate, identify opportunities, and serve their organizations and neighbors.

The relationships formed along the way are just as valuable as the lessons.

“Year after year, what strikes me most is how much passion people bring to their work here in Chatham,” said Cheryl Littleton, Vice President of The Chatham Chamber. “At every place we visit, we meet people who care deeply about what they do and the people they serve. Our participants bring that same enthusiasm and sense of purpose. Watching them learn from one another, discover shared passions, and build relationships is one of the most rewarding parts of Leadership Chatham.”

With each graduating class, Leadership Chatham’s alumni network grows in both reach and possibility. Each new graduate brings additional experience, perspective, and connections to a community of people who share an investment in Chatham’s future. A relationship that begins during a session can become a trusted resource, an introduction to a community partner, or the starting point for a new collaboration.

Keeping that network connected is an ongoing part of the Chamber’s work. Bringing alumni together with one another and with incoming participants helps carry the value of Leadership Chatham beyond any single program year. It creates opportunities to reconnect, exchange ideas, and welcome the next class into a broader community of leaders.

As these 21 participants begin their experience, they are adding a new chapter to a story more than two decades in the making.

The Chatham Chamber thanks the participants, employers, alumni, hosts, and community experts who make this work possible, with special appreciation to Kristine Sloan, Executive Director of Leadership Triangle, and the Chatham YMCA team for helping this year’s class get off to a meaningful start. Their investment of time and knowledge helps build a more informed, connected, and engaged Chatham County, one class and one relationship at a time.

Learn more about Leadership Chatham here. 

The 2026-2027 Class Cohort Includes:

• Baxter Walker, Avison Young
• Jessica Couture, Central Carolina Community College
• Josh Fasnacht, Chatham EDC
• Cate House, Chatham Education Foundation
• Tiffany Stuflick, Chatham Habitat for Humanity
• Jazmin Mendoza Sosa, Chatham Literacy
• Majely De Paz Rodriguez, Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA Food Pantry)
• Daisey Samayoa, Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA Food Pantry)
• Annalee Workman, Chatham YMCA
• Ian Black, Fidelity Bank 
• Ginny Barbour, FirstHealth of the Carolinas
• Evan Canfield, FirstHealth of the Carolinas
• Meagan Frank, Frank Land Design, PC
• Regina Mason, Medley at Northwood Landing
• Bobbie Wicker, Piedmont Health SeniorCare
• Jody Aguilar, Piedmont Health Services
• Kristen Gilliland, Pinnacle Financial Partners 
• Catherine Stilo, The Quiltmaker Café
• Erica Belch, Skyline Exterior Group
• Paula Crain, Twin Rivers Senior Independent Living
• Cori Johnson, UNC Health - Chatham Hospital