Allegacy Financial Center for Leadership & Character Article Archives

Allegacy Financial Center for Leadership and Character Scholars Reflect on a Semester of Leadership Development The six graduate students who are a part of the Allegacy Financial Center of Leadership and Character’s Scholars program took the time just before break to reflect on their experiences. Since September, the cohort has engaged in a team-building kickoff…

The fall has been a time of service for the ACLC, faculty staff and students in the business school.  Service began with the assembly of bed kits on the terrace, in partnership with A Bed and A Book—a local Winston-Salem organization that aims to provide all children with a soft place to dream. Undergrad students…

John Sumanth, ACLC Research Associate, James Farr Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Management, and his co-author David Hofmann, of UNC-Chapel Hill, have recently learned that the Harvard Business Review will include their article “A Growth Strategy that Creates and Protects Value” in an upcoming special issue of the Harvard Business Review.  The article, which…

Stephen Smulowitz, ACLC Research Associate, was recently quoted in a Bloomberg article on how the elimination of quarterly earnings reports would change how CEOs lead their teams. Smulowitz explained that shifting away from quarterly reporting could alter managerial behavior in meaningful ways. “If we are moving from quarterly to biannual reporting, which would make it…

Since 2013 the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC) has been proud to sponsor five undergraduate business school students each year to attend leadership conferences at our country’s service academies. The conferences—which will take place early next year at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and the…

The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC) in conjunction with A Bed and A Book hosted students, faculty and staff on the terrace Wednesday for the annual bed build. The ACLC was thrilled to have Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines on hand to take part in the event. With the spirit of Prohumanitate in mind,…

Last week, Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC) scholars met for their first enrichment session of the year, “Leading the Self and Political Leadership,” with special guest Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. ACLC Executive Director Pat Sweeney and Executive Affiliate Pete Watson were also in attendance. As the students work to develop themselves as leaders…

The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character is excited to announce that Ann Johnston will join the team as an Executive Affiliate. In this capacity, Ms. Johnston will deepen her engagement with business school students. Her role will include a variety of activities including serving as a guest speaker across academic programs, leading student coaching…

The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC), alongside the Program for Leadership Character, recently hosted entrepreneur and whistleblower Tyler Shultz for a two-day visit, September 22-23. At the age of 22, Shultz uncovered and exposed significant fraud at the Silicon Valley biotech company, Theranos. Today, Shultz speaks on the vital importance of integrating ethics…

The ACLC Scholar program for the 2025-2026 school year officially kicked off Friday, September 12th with lunch and team building activities at the Graylyn Estate. This year’s scholars—Callie Dammeyer, Huda Saeed, Chris Douglas, Lucas Guerra, Matthew Littrell, and Sailor Troutman—gathered with Executive Director Pat Sweeney and ACLC affiliates Cathy Pace, Pete Watson, and Adam Holtzschue…

After an enriching and rewarding inaugural program, the ACLC is proud to announce the new class of ACLC Scholars: Callie Dammeyer – MSBA Callie graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Business and a minor in Economics. Earning Dean’s List honors from 2021 – 2024, her leadership experience includes serving…

It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Dave Clawson as an Executive Affiliate with the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character at the Wake Forest School of Business. A legend in Wake Forest Athletics, Dave served as Head Coach of WFU Football for 11 transformative years. He oversaw the most successful…

Patrick Sweeney, Executive Director of the ACLC, and Dana Hutchens, Director of the Office of Personal and Career Development, were recently featured in prominent national publications, offering valuable insights on current workforce trends. In pieces for The Washington Post and The Hechinger Report, Sweeney discussed characteristics of Gen Z in the workplace and highlighted strategies…

Kelly Smith retired in March, 2025 from his role as Sr. VP/CFO of Replacements, Ltd. after a 39-year career in accounting and finance. Long known as a “fixer” or troubleshooter, Kelly helped adjust the Replacements Ltd. business model which dynamically changed the business cash-flow, ushering in an era of prosperity for the business. Kelly was…

The inaugural class of ACLC Scholars presented their group project to program donors, faculty and guests on Friday, April 11. When selecting an organization to support with their project, the scholars chose A Bed and A Book, a non-profit that enriches the lives of children in our community, after hearing Mayor Allen Joines discuss his…

Themes of support, outstanding mentorship, inspiration and a greater understanding of the self as an individual and as a leader of character emerge as our ACLC Scholars reflect on the impact of the program. Isra Al Hashimi – MSBA “Being mentored by such incredible leaders has truly been a transformative experience. Their wisdom and unwavering…

ACLC Scholars served two families in need by delivering beds and books with the non-profit organization A Bed and A Book. “After doing multiple bed builds, it was great to see the other side of the process and get the opportunity to see the excitement on the child’s face when we delivered the bed,” said…

A luncheon was held to recognize and celebrate the young leaders who attended the 2025 Service Academies Leadership Conferences. Lessons on leadership, networking opportunities, impactful speakers and engaging discussions with cadets and peers are among the key takeaways shared by our 2025 attendees. Each year, the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character sponsors WFU School…

The ACLC and BEM 318 hosted the first ever Community Bed Race: AWAKEN GREATNESS on April 1, 2025 to raise awareness and financial support for A Bed and A Book. As part of the Leadership Experience Action Project, Dr. Douglas Johnson’s Calloway Leadership Experience students partnered with Engineering students to design and build beds for…

Junior BEM major, Ariana Adams, attended the US Military Academy at West Point McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character. The theme of the conference, Leading Organizations Through Change, made a personal impact on Ariana as she was able to “foster individual leadership skills as well as understand how to work with teams and communities to…