After 28 years heading up Project Inclusion, J.R. Locke has stepped down as its director.
Under his guidance, the United Way leadership and development program has graduated more than 1,000 participants armed with the skills to be effective, energetic and knowledgeable leaders and community advocates in Hampton Roads.
“It was time to bring in new leadership and turn over the reins,” Locke said.
The program dates back to the late 1980s when a survey of more than 1,400 United Way organizations throughout the U.S. assessed the board diversity of their nonprofit agency partners.
“They found that many of those boards had mostly white men, very few women and even fewer minorities,” Locke said.
In an ever-changing world, United Way wanted to have the nonprofit organizations’ boards mirror the communities they were serving.
“Many of those beneficiaries and those agencies were serving clientele that, in many cases, were over 50% minority,” he said.
That’s when Project Inclusion — originally dubbed Project Blueprint by United Way nationally — emerged. In 1997, United Way of South Hampton Roads launched its local program, and Locke, who was also chair of the nonprofit’s Minority Advisory Council for six years, stepped up as its leader. The council was a strong proponent of community empowerment and was instrumental in bringing Project Inclusion to the forefront.
“I felt like it was just such a powerful program for us to have in our community,” Locke said.
Project Inclusion has grown from a six-week program to a 14-week program and averages 35 participants. Participants learn how to serve on a board and about fundraising, cultural sensitivity, effective communication, community mapping, conflict resolution, image building and ethical, legal and fiscal responsibilities from volunteer facilitators.
Locke proudly shared that many participants credit Project Inclusion with benefitting their professional lives while local nonprofits continue to look to the program for board candidates.
As a 2024 graduate of Project Inclusion, Dianne Creekmore said the program helped her gain a solid foundation of invaluable professional development skills and made a lasting impact on her life. She said she feels prepared to be a successful and qualified board member and now sits on the community advisory board for the Sentara-Eastern Virginia Medical School adult sickle cell program.
“I highly recommend Project Inclusion to anyone looking to have a seat at the table and be a voice for helping others in the community,” she said.
Project Inclusion helped Edmarc recognize gaps on its board, Executive Director Debbie Stitzer-Brame said, and the organization brought on a number of individuals from the program through the years.
YMCA of South Hampton Roads President and CEO Anthony Walters said their participants gained invaluable insights into community connection, empowerment and inspiration.
“These skills are essential for engaging volunteers, managing governance, and fostering successful collaborations, ultimately enabling our YMCA to better serve our communities,” Walters said.
Mark Uren, president and CEO of United Way of South Hampton Roads, said Locke built the program from the ground up and its original vision and purpose remain the same. Uren said a staff member who has learned under Locke’s tutelage will continue the program.
“We see a lot of value in this, and we see a lot of value in creating opportunities,” he said.
As for Locke, he said he plans to focus his consulting work and passion on improving nonprofit boards while working on Healthier 757. The digital gamification learning platform aims to improve health literacy to help users manage their health care with the goal of improving overall community health.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com
