United Way of Forsyth County announces new board members

Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 31, 2025

The United Way of Forsyth County has announced that 11 new board members have recently joined its board. Owen Bussey and Vicki Lents will serve one-year terms. The remaining new board members have been elected to serve three-year terms and include Kitrinka Hairston, Jill Hall-Freeman, Courtney James, Emily Neese, Reid Palmer, Ben Shoesmith, Keith Vaughan, David Wharton and Angel Wright-Lanier.

Hall-Freeman has served more than 30 years in education in North Carolina, serving as a teacher, principal and district leader. She holds a bachelor of science in mathematics education from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Currently the west area superintendent for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, she leads 20 schools serving more than 18,500 students, with a focus on fostering equity, innovation and student success.

Bussey is a master scientist at Reynolds American, where he serves in the research and development division as a leading analytical chemist. He currently serves as chair of Emerging Leaders United at the United Way of Forsyth County, where he champions civic engagement, volunteerism and leadership development among young professionals.

Hairston is a lifelong resident of Winston-Salem with a passion for community engagement and lifelong learning. A mother of three and grandmother of six, Hairston retired from Forsyth County Government after 22 years of dedicated service. She is known for her commitment to keeping the community informed about local events and opportunities.

James is the part owner and president of Support Systems of Forsyth County Transportation, a locally-owned company committed to expanding access to transportation outside of traditional transit hours. Operating seven days a week, including late-night hours, Support Systems fills gaps in mobility by serving individuals when and where local transit services are unavailable. James partners with community organizations and agencies to offer subsidized micro-transit solutions that promote access to opportunity, economic mobility and self-sufficiency. Through her leadership, she is helping to redefine equitable transportation in Forsyth County and beyond.

Lents is a results-oriented marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience in building products and business to business markets. She is currently vice-president of marketing and innovation at Amarr. A Winston-Salem resident since 1993, Lents is engaged in her community and currently serves as chair of United Way’s Women United affinity group, where she helps empower women to create lasting change through philanthropy and service.

After graduating from Wake Forest University with an accounting degree, Neese has had a career spanning 12 years in public accounting with KPMG and EY; more than 10 years as CFO, COO and ultimately president and CAO of a privately held corporation directing all corporate operations for 1,600 employees and more than 1 million square feet of managed space operating in 40+ states; independent consulting and teaching at WFU; and 18 years in various finance and administration leadership positions at WFU including most recently as vice president of finance, strategy and planning.

Palmer holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has called Winston-Salem home for the past eight years. He currently works at Alex. Brown, where he brings a foundation in financial services and client-focused strategy.

Shoesmith has over 30 years of global IT experience, leading teams, managing projects and implementing systems across multiple countries. He is currently the manager of information technology at John Deere Kernersville.

Vaughan is the former chair and managing partner of Womble Bond Dickinson, where he led the firm through a period of growth and strategic development. He will continue his legacy of service as the new chair of the United Way Foundation Board of Directors, bringing his leadership experience and commitment to community impact to advance the foundation’s mission.

Wharton is an executive at Bank of America with a track record of leading multiple business units and geographies within the financial services sector.

Wright-Lanier has more than 20 years of local government experience in North Carolina, including most recently in Cumberland County, where she oversaw the departments of community development, human resources, I.S. technology, solid waste, Crown Coliseum Complex, tax administration and finance. In total, she has been responsible for more than 25 departments throughout her local government career. Wright-Lanier has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in history, a master’s in public administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a master’s in information systems from Strayer University and a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University.