The City of Concord honored 59 residents for their successful completion of the Concord 101 program. During the annual graduation ceremony, Mayor Bill Dusch and members of City Council recognized the 2023 graduates for their dedication to learning about the city and becoming leaders within their community.
Now in its 22nd year, Concord 101 is a 14-week program that offers participants an opportunity to directly engage with city leaders and get a firsthand look at what it takes to provide services to North Carolina’s 10th largest city. Each week, participants visit a different city facility and by the end of the course they have met with every city department, as well as community partners focused on affordable housing, economic development, history, and tourism.
At the graduation ceremony, Mayor Dusch and members of City Council encouraged the Class of 2023 graduates to become ambassadors for the city and share the knowledge they gained during the program. Concord 101 alumni are a diverse representation of the community, with many now serving in leadership roles in their neighborhoods or on city boards and commissions. Council Members Andy Langford, Betty Stocks, Jennifer P. Hubbard, and John Sweat, Jr. are graduates of the program.
To be eligible for graduation, participants must attend at least one City Council meeting and miss no more than two sessions. This year’s graduating class is one of the largest in the program’s history and 16 participants graduated with perfect attendance.
The Concord 101, Class of 2023 graduates are: Kristen Adamczuk, Diana Almeida, Drew Arrowood, Denise Badgett, Leyla Bahmanyar, Steven Bryant, Jaymond Bryant-Herron, Micki Castle, Safiya Cherry, Patricia Cramer, Leslie Crincoli, Deborah Cudney, Angela Davis-Steffens, Kimberly DeLaney, Ashlyn Dempsey, Allen DiRusso, Mike Doggette, Monica Drake, Tammy Drake, Kerri Foret, Kenneth Foret, Cary J. Gluf, Leslie LaFoy Griffin, Marie Grochoske, Jessica Henderson, Michael Hooten, Doreen House Hunter, Joanna Hutula, Scott Hutula, Linda Jackson, Macy Jordan, Robert Kirk, Elizabeth Kirk, Boz Levesque, Susan Levesque, Linda Lewis-Chininga, Regan McLean, Corey Meyer, Janae Moore, Anthony K. Moragne, DeAnna Morris, Denise Morris, Stephanie Morris, Debbie Moss, Clay Moye, Sheila Moye, Rebecca Hannah Patten, William B. Patten, Jr., Stockton Perry, Kishor Phadnis, Sampada Phadnis, Nicole Ransley, Jody Rich, Darius Robinson, Tammy Robinson, Lamont Savage, Troy Taylor, Lakshmi Deepak Thalanki, and Steve Wainstead.
The Concord 101 program is offered annually in the fall, from August through November. The course is free, and classes are held on Tuesday afternoons and evenings. More information about the program is available at concordnc.gov/Concord101.