Letter From The President

During the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc., (JLC) Board Retreat in Spring 2019, a group of passionate JLC leaders gathered to reflect, strategize, prioritize, and plan for the work to be achieved in the coming year. As I looked around the room, I noticed we had women of color; women who were differently abled; women in full time professional careers and second careers; working moms, remarried moms, stay at home moms, and moms of fur-babies; empty-nesters; newlyweds; single ladies; as well as women with college degrees, graduate degrees, or continuing to pursue higher education. Every person in the room brought unique talents, experiences, and perspective.

As the weekend continued and various thoughts were shared, I was confident that our diversity would be our strength as TOGETHER we united in leading the League. We now look back on a year of mission-driven work by the more than 1,600 women who have linked arms as #TEAM2020 members and the challenges brought forward by a pandemic, tragic events around the country, and uncertainty. We served children and families through our year-long partnerships, as well as in our quick impact Service Saturday projects. We served our members through our unique training and education offerings, as well as through our creation of a Membership Matters Fund to provide dues assistance to those impacted by COVID-19. We engaged by the hundreds at General Membership Meetings at the JLC Building, Sustainers’ homes, a high school auditorium, and on Zoom. We have created a pipeline of leaders for our own organization as well as for the community. From committee meetings to Board meetings, we listened, we learned, and we took action together. Our ability to navigate the hard work and tough conversations this year affirms what I already knew: our diversity is our strength.

This edition of The CRIER is but a glimpse into the many ways our diversity is our strength. This edition highlights the lifelong community service of Sustainers, our newest members who are utilizing their entrepreneurial talents to launch their own businesses, and the women who have transferred to Charlotte from cities large and small bringing their experience with them. There is information championing our partners who are eager to multiply their impact through work with our trained volunteers, and information for women considering whether the JLC is the place for them. As I hope you can tell from these stories, we welcome every woman who is committed to our mission.

Since 1926, there are tens of thousands of women who have impacted Charlotte through their Junior League service. While the JLC has looked differently throughout the years, our shared bond of membership and our passion to empower women and improve communities continue to make us relevant and remarkable. I invite you to learn about our membership – who we are and what we do – throughout the pages of this magazine, and I challenge you to engage in conversations with members to understand the value of our membership and the value of our diversity.

#TEAM2020 relies on the fact that TOGETHER Everyone Achieves More. As we welcome new leadership and look ahead to celebrating our 95th anniversary, we remain united around supporting each other and our mission. And I am so proud of who “Together” includes when talking about the women of the JLC.

With Gratitude, Tricia Magee President 2019-2020