Wake County AdvaNCe Team

>>Jen Ferrell attended Elon University and graduated in 2001 with a concentration in Political Science & Public Administration. Jen and her husband, Chris, have lived in Apex for eight years and enjoy raising their five-year-old twins. She ran for a non-partisan seat on the Apex Town Council in 2013 to serve all families. Even though she did not win that first race, she is proud and supportive of the two women that did. Jen currently works part-time as Development & Community Outreach Manager with the statewide non-profit Public Schools First NC. She volunteers with a variety of civic and non- profit organizations in her area and around the state. Moving women and families forward in health, safety, wellness & awareness, while bridging the gap on issues important to all, is a high priority focus for Jen. She feels that Women AdvaNCe’s mission to “Connect, Inform, and Engage” women of all backgrounds fits a need in Wake County to do exactly that right now.

>>Candace Laughinghouse has lived in Raleigh for the past 10 years. She received her Bachelors in Poli-Sci from UC Berkeley, a M.D. from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, a Th.M. from Duke Divinity School, graduate course credit from Harvard Divinity and Princeton Theological Seminary. Candace is currently working on her dissertation at Regent University to construct a pneumatology of animals within a womanist framework. Candace and her husband, Jekelvin, have been married 9 years and have two beautiful daughters, Arianna and Christianna. Candace is committed to academic groups and excited about learning more from Women AdvaNCe Wake County women. We are a powerful body of women more than able to change the world.

>>Molly Shannon has lived in 3 countries, 5 states, and 22 different houses. After spending 11 years working in the hospitality industry, Molly stopped working outside the home to care for her daughter. Once her daughter entered kindergarten, Molly tried to re-enter the work force. She found that she was being turned down for travel agent jobs for which she was well qualified, simply because she had left the workforce to care for her daughter.  No woman should be penalized for putting her family first! Molly currently works part-time and remotely as a hotel site selection specialist, helping clients find the ideal venue for conferences and special events. Molly is a proud volunteer for the NC chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and an associate member of Organize 2020, the social justice caucus of the North Carolina Association of Educators. Molly hopes that by working with Women AdvaNCe, she can bring more women’s voices into the political and social justice arena. She lives in Raleigh with her spouse, Ian. Their daughter, Vivian, is a first grade student at Powell GT Magnet Elementary.

>>Lindy Brown, former Wake County Commissioner, is a native resident who graduated from Wake County Public Schools, North Carolina Central University, and the UNC- Chapel Hill School of Social Work. She retired as a Clinical Social Worker after 28 years of service. Currently, Ms. Brown is a community advocate and public servant of Wake County.

Join this Team! Email >>team@womenadvancenc.org.