Speakers

Sommer Wisher is a proud Tarheel, graduating with her BS in Dental Hygiene from UNC School of Dentistry. Prior to being in the dental profession, Sommer worked for 12 years in the nonprofit sector both locally and globally. Her career in private practice and volunteer work with Wake Smiles is a perfect combination to keep her passion for dentistry and access to care alive and she gets to put this into play in her new role as Executive Director of Wake Smiles, a free non-profit dental clinic in Wake County. Sommer is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at UNC School of Dentistry in the Dental Hygiene Department, a member of the UNC Dental Hygiene Community Advisory Committee and UNC Dental Hygiene Strategic Planning Advisory Board. Outside of her career, she enjoys her family and seeing her sweet children grow!

Thomas Gorry earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, where he was a collegiate wrestler. He went on to receive multiple advanced degrees, including a PhD from Walden University.

In May 2013, Gorry was inducted into the NCAA National Wrestling Hall of Fame. A 32-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Gorry served as a strategic planner and logistician. During Operation Enduring Freedom, he deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and served as the Joint Operations Officer for U.S. Forces Afghanistan. Subsequently, Gorry was selected as a Brigadier General. Brigadier General Gorry was named Commanding General of the Marine Corps Installations on the East Coast. Based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Gorry served as the Base Commander of Camp Lejeune and as the Chairman of the North Carolina Commanders Council, engaging with the North Carolina Military Affairs Committee on military family and readiness issues. In July 2013, Gorry was admitted by the Governor of North Carolina into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his extraordinary service to the state.

His next assignment was as the Commandant of the Dwight D. Eisenhower School, a college of the National Defense University in Washington, DC. His final assignment in the Marine Corps was as the President of the Marine Corps University. He was recently selected as the Executive Director of the Veterans Life Center of North Carolina.

www.vlcnc.org

www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-gorry-79106387

Melinda took a giant leap of faith and jumped ship from her success in corporate America to follow a dream. Recognizing the gifts she was given and skills she developed over the years in a successful career had a higher purpose, Melinda surrendered to the unfolding of a bigger life vision: to lift women who were less fortunate. In the open space created by that brave jump into the unknown, she began the process of bringing BLOOMHERE – a space and place of empowerment for women survivors— to life. In summer 2019, BLOOMHERE opened the first brick and mortar home where women who’ve been released from prison, are leaving halfway houses, shelters or domestic violence safe houses can come to heal, to learn, to grow their own vision and path to a fresh start and a new life. Under this roof, BLOOMHERE will provide services, classes and training: from resume writing and interview skills to nutrition counseling; yoga and meditation to personal hygiene and beauty guidance. BLOOMHERE seeks to empower women who’ve been challenged by difficult paths, events or life choices to recognize there is always a chance to bloom again, and with the right support, take their own leaps to a better life. Melinda’s long-term vision for BLOOMHERE is to have multiple BLOOMHERE centers in cities across the country to serve women in need. We look to not only provide necessary life skills and self-care tools to those who’ve not been offered them before, but to encourage successful, gifted women to share their knowledge, wisdom and experience to lift and empower others. We only rise when we rise together. Melinda is known for her sense of humor, her passion for life, her ability to talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything and make those who are lucky enough to share space with her to feel loved and at home. She is thrilled to bring this vision to life.

Facebook: bloomhere
Twitter: @Bloomhereorg
Instagram: @bloomhereorg
LinkedIn: bloomhere
 

Robert J. Higdon, Jr. was nominated to be the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina by President Donald Trump on August 2, 2017. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 28, 2017. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Higdon is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of North Carolina, which includes the 44 eastern most counties of North Carolina. He oversees a staff of 108 employees, including 51 attorneys and 57 non-attorney support personnel. The office also partners with some 20 Special Assistant United States Attorneys from branches of the United States military, local District Attorneys offices and federal and state regulatory agencies. Each of these Special Assistants also works in federal court under the United States Attorney’s supervision.

The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes affecting the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

Mr. Higdon, a Greensboro native, spent nearly 24 years as a federal prosecutor, including serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Western and Eastern Districts of North Carolina. From 2002 until 2013, he served the Eastern District as Chief of the Criminal Division. And, from 2013 until 2015 he served as Senior Trial Counsel for the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. He has supervised and prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases, including drug trafficking cases, white-collar and public corruption matters, mail and wire fraud, bribery, false statements, Foreign Corrupt Practices, violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, violations of import/export regulations, money laundering, theft of government property and violations involving government contracting and programs. Mr. Higdon received his J.D. in 1989 from the Wake Forest University School of Law and his B.A. in 1985 from Wake Forest University. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the State Bar of Georgia. Prior to assuming his role as United States Attorney, Mr. Higdon was a partner with Williams, Mullen, Clark and Dobbins.

Twitter: @USAO_EDNC

CEO and Co-Founder of Aware Senior Care Managing and leading the business aspects of Aware Senior Care, Tim is an alumnus of the Villanova University School of Engineering. He served our country as a U.S. Navy Submarine Officer, and spent much of his career as an executive in the technology industry.

His vision for an in-home care organization stems from the struggles following his own father’s stroke and time in a nursing facility. That experience led Tim to ensure his mother could stay in her home, despite difficulties with memory loss and household maintenance. Tim’s intimate understanding of the stresses of a loved one’s need for independence makes him uniquely qualified to recruit only the best caregivers and manage the day-to-day operations at Aware Senior Care.

Since starting Aware with his wife and RN Director Gina Murray in October of 2014, the company is currently the most awarded and reviewed home care agency in the Triangle achieving Home Care Pulse’s highest award as a 2019 Leadership recipient along with best home care from Senioradvisor.com as well as earning a caring star as best home care from caring.com. Tim is currently a board member of the Dementia Alliance of North Carolina and a member of the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club.

Links to other speaker-related info: https://awareseniorcare.com/aware-senior-care-blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awareseniorcare/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murraytim/