Wildacres Leadership Initiative Board of Advisors
The WLI Board of Advisors comprises leaders from across the state who are invested in instilling the WLI model of leadership with integrity, intention and inclusion into all contexts across the state. The make-up of the Board is intended to be representative of the diversity of the Fellows Action Network and leadership across our state. Friday Fellows who have completed the program serve alongside friends of the program in positions of influence in governance, business, human services and more.
For information on the members of our Board of Advisors, Click here
Sterling Freeman is the Executive Director of Wildacres Leadership Initiative, joining the team in July 2003. As well as serving as Executive Director, Sterling is a member of the 2001-2003 William C. Friday Fellows group and a proud member of the Fellows Action Network. Prior to coming to Wildacres, Sterling served as a Commercial Insurance Agent at BB&T Insurance Services in Durham. Prior to BB&T, Sterling was a commercial loan officer at Nationsbank for four years. Outside of the banking arena, Sterling has demonstrated his strong commitment to peer mentoring through his work with the Durham Scholars Program, a mentorship program with Durham inner-city youth, and one-on-one mentoring and life skills training with African-American male prisoners. Sterling holds a Master of Divinity from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, a BA in Economics from Davidson College and certificates in business strategy and economics from the London School of Economics. Sterling serves as Associate Minister at Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, and as a charter member of the Durham Roundtable. Sterling is a member of the Durham Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. where he chairs several committees.
Kathleen is the Program Director of Wildacres Leadership Initiative. Prior to coming to Wildacres, Kathleen worked with NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science in Alexandria, Virginia for eight years. While there she managed and developed experiential education programs that explored various aspects of human interaction, including multiculturalism, conflict resolution, organization development, leadership development and more. In addition to her work with adult learners in this capacity, Kathleen taught writing at Randolph-Macon College and George Mason University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA and a Master of Arts in English, with a concentration in teaching writing and literature, from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Her work outside of Wildacres complements her professional interests in human relations. She serves as a mediator for the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center, mediating divorce, partnership and custody cases, and served on the Board of the Women’s Center in Chapel Hill for four years, where she was a member of the Executive Committee for three years. She remains active with the Women's Center. She has enjoyed the privilege of being a part of the Initiative and working with the Fellows of the William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations since June 1999.
Deborah Eakins, Office Manager and Event Planner
Deborah Eakins is the Office Manager/Events Planner of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative. Prior to coming to Wildacres, Deborah held positions with the Community Health Coalition Project of the Durham Hospital Corporation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health Center, Shyllon, Shyllon and Ratliff, Attorneys at Law and the Law Offices of pioneering civil rights attorney, Clarence C. Malone. Deborah earned an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Sampson Community College and attended Fayetteville State University, UNC-Chapel Hill and NC Central University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts in the same and Political Science. Deborah is active in her church, Markham Chapel Missionary Baptist, where she holds various leadership positions and is an active member of the Mass Choir. She received the Governor's Leadership for Women Award in 1985. She volunteers with the Community Health Coalition Project-Healthy People 2010. Deborah has enjoyed working with the Initiative since August 1998.
