2026 Watauga Leadership Institute Week 5: Strategic Planning and Conflict Resolution
The Watauga Leadership Institute continued its 2026 Spring Cohort with Week 5 programming on Thursday, March 19, building on the momentum from the Week 4, focusing on winning teams..
The Challenge cohort began with the session, “Do leaders think or act? Or both?” led by Dr. Jim Street. The cohort level set the day’s topic through guidance getting their minds ready to think, act, think some more, and reflect.
STOP 1 - STITCH DESIGN SHOP: A HIVE OF CREATIVITY
Chelsea Helms, Project Manager & Commercial Architect
Chelsea has navigated several career transitions from academia to the private sector. She now co-leads the Stitch office in Boone, and tackles a wide array of projects around our community. The cohort learned about STITCH's workflow, organizing and planning across three offices while managing multiple priorities.
STOP 2 - OWNING + MANAGING = LEADING
Danielle Neibaur, Owner of The Inn at Crestwood, GM for the Horton Hotel
Danielle navigated becoming a general manager of a hotel right before the pandemic and then purchased a historic inn and venue weeks before Hurricane Helene. In addition to a strong team and tissues to wipe away tears, Danielle talked with the group about organization and moving into an evolving role.
STOP 3 - THIS IS DR. ALEXANDER WITH WATAUGA COUNTY SCHOOLS
Dr. Leslie Alexander, Superintendent Watauga County Schools
Let’s forget about the weather for a moment and take into account that Dr. Leslie Alexander faces massive budget constraints, personnel challenges, and transition plans all while keeping student achievement as the number one priority on a daily basis.
Back at the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce office, the Development cohort gathered for a full day centered on one of the most inevitable realities in any leadership role: conflict. The day opened with the group's signature "What's Different" reflection before recapping key lessons from the previous session on coaching, setting the stage for a deeper dive into what it truly means to lead through friction.
The morning brought a compelling guest perspective from Scott Elliott, Deputy Director of Engagement with GROW NC. With a career spanning the classroom, the superintendent's office at Watauga County Schools, fundraising, and now the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, Scott has spent years learning to use conflict as a catalyst rather than a roadblock. His session challenged the cohort to reframe the way they think about difficult dynamics and offered a model for what it looks like to move toward tension rather than away from it.
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After lunch provided by The Beacon, the afternoon shifted into the practical work of conflict navigation exploring tools and how friction, when handled well, can generate traction rather than stagnation. The day closed with a forward-looking discussion on resolving ongoing tensions and what it looks like to lead a team through the messy, nonlinear process of working things out. Facilitated once again in the spirit of the program's core belief that strong leaders do not avoid hard conversations, it was a session that sent the cohort home with both a sharper perspective and a few more tools for the road ahead.
Thank you to The Beacon and Booneshine for providing lunches.
The Watauga Leadership Institute is a program of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, reinforcing a commitment to workforce developme and long-term community impact. The Institute is made possible through its sponsors: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, SkyLine/SkyBest, LifeStore Bank and Insurance, and Carolina West Wireless.