Brenda Harris
FTCC’s Brenda Harris, Director of Operations for the Student Learning Center, and Cynthia Massie, Director of IT Service Management, have been selected for the 2025-27 William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations Class.
The Friday Fellowship, named for longtime UNC System President Bill Friday, is a program for the Wildacres Leadership Initiative. President Friday charged the first class of fellows in 1995 with embracing personal growth and learning in the service of all North Carolinians.
Responding to Bill Friday’s call for leadership marked by both courage and grace, the fellowship has equipped over 250 individuals with opportunities for deep engagement with their own — and others’ — leadership practices.
Friday Fellows demonstrate commitment to leadership in North Carolina, model curiosity and continuous learning, and are courageous risk-takers seeking to create innovation through their work in the world.
Harris and Massie are part of an 18-member class, which includes members representing 12 North Carolina counties.
Cynthia Massie
The selection for this prestigious honor involves a months-long process including a formal application, written application, virtual-based conversation, and in-person regional interview.
The 18 incoming class members will engage in professional and leadership development both individually and collectively throughout the duration of the two-year fellowship cycle. The program is structured over six 4-day seminars and allows for shared experiences across the state. Before and after each seminar weekend, class members are invited to embrace new and different pathways toward building and sustaining relationships across lines of difference.
With human relations at the core of the fellowship’s mission and design, fellows step into relationships with one another while evaluating their power, place, and purpose in a changing world.
