9 Leaders to Know in Raleigh's Women and Gender-Focused Organisations

Raleigh is home to a set of nonprofit and civic organisations built specifically around women and gender. Some respond to crisis. Some build girls' confidence over years. Some help women re-enter the workforce with dignity and support.

This article introduces some of the current leaders steering that work in Raleigh and Wake County today. Each one leads an organisation whose mission is specifically about women, girls or gender equity, not a general community group that happens to serve women among many other groups.

The list below is simply a compiled set of current leaders. Every entry reflects a real, currently held role confirmed on the organisation's own page.

Rhonda Raney, InterAct of Wake County

Rhonda Raney is the Executive Director of InterAct of Wake County. InterAct has been Wake County's only comprehensive provider of domestic violence and sexual assault victim services since 1978.

Under her leadership, InterAct continues to run crisis intervention, emergency shelter, housing and advocacy programs for survivors across Wake County. The organisation's Family Safety and Empowerment Center on Oberlin Road remains the hub for that work.

Rebekah Paredes, SAFEchild

Rebekah Paredes leads SAFEchild, Wake County's accredited Children's Advocacy Center focused on protecting children and strengthening families. She brings more than 26 years of nonprofit and community-services experience to the role.

Before relocating to North Carolina, Paredes served as Executive Director of New Hope Midcoast, a regional domestic violence resource centre serving four counties in Maine. Her focus at SAFEchild is on building strong community partnerships that support children and families.

Muffy Grant, Dress for Success Triangle NC

Muffy Grant is the Executive Director of Dress for Success Triangle NC, based in Raleigh. The organisation supports women's economic independence across the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina through career coaching, professional attire and development programs.

Since its founding in 2008, Dress for Success Triangle NC has supported thousands of women moving toward employment and financial stability. Grant leads a small staff team alongside a large volunteer base to keep that work running free of charge for the women it serves.

Crystal Gwendo, Passage Home

Crystal Gwendo is the Chief Executive Officer of Passage Home, a Raleigh-based Community Action Agency working to break the cycle of poverty for Wake County families. She brings more than 18 years of leadership experience across the nonprofit and public service sectors.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Gwendo held senior leadership roles at installations around the world before moving into nonprofit leadership. She now leads Passage Home's housing stability, workforce development and economic mobility programs.

Lisa Jones, Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines

Lisa Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines, headquartered in Raleigh. The council serves Girl Scouts across a wide swathe of central and eastern North Carolina.

Jones leads the council's efforts to give girls access to leadership, outdoor and STEM programming through a large network of troops and volunteers based out of Raleigh.

Danielle Watson-Goetz, WomenNC

Danielle Watson-Goetz is the Executive Director of WomenNC, a Raleigh-based nonprofit advancing gender equity through research, advocacy and civic engagement. She holds graduate degrees in creative writing along with an MBA and a nonprofit management certificate from Duke University.

Watson-Goetz leads WomenNC's Scholars Program, which supports young people researching and advocating on gender-equity issues across North Carolina.

Bernette Stivers, Junior League of Raleigh

Bernette Stivers is the President of the Junior League of Raleigh for the 2026-2027 term. The Junior League of Raleigh is a long-standing civic organisation open to women committed to volunteerism and advancing women's leadership in the community.

Stivers leads the League's board through a year of community-impact programs, including work supporting local families, schools and family-safety partners across Raleigh.

Treka Spraggins, AAUW Raleigh-Wake County (NC) Branch

Treka Spraggins is the President of the AAUW Raleigh-Wake County Branch, North Carolina's oldest branch of the American Association of University Women. The branch was organised in Raleigh in 1909.

Under Spraggins, the branch continues AAUW's national mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and philanthropy at the local level.

Aiesha Edwards, Girls on the Run of the Triangle

Aiesha Edwards is the Executive Director of Girls on the Run of the Triangle, a council serving Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston counties. The program uses a running-based curriculum to build girls' social, emotional and physical confidence.

Edwards leads the council's staff and volunteer coach network delivering that program to schools and community sites across the Triangle, including Wake County and Raleigh.

Working with leaders like these

Jonno White works with leadership teams and boards, including at mission-driven and nonprofit organisations, to help them build stronger strategy and culture around the world. If your organisation is navigating a leadership transition, a strategic planning process or a culture challenge, Jonno may be able to help.

Get in touch at jonno@consultclarity.org to start a conversation about your organisation's next chapter.

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About the Author

Jonno White is the author of Step Up or Step Out and a Certified Working Genius Facilitator. He works with leadership teams and boards around the world to help them build clarity, alignment and momentum. Working Genius is a framework created by Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group; Jonno is a certified practitioner and facilitator of that model, not its creator.