We recently connected with Regina H. Moore and have shared our conversation below.

Regina H., appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned in school and why that lesson is important to you?

Helen M. Pierce was my Kindergarten/1st Grade teacher at Ferguson Elementary School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Mrs. Pierce lived in a neighboring community and between our neighborhoods was the school in walking distance for both of us.

I am twin. My sister, Renata, and I are fraternal twins, although many people cannot tell us apart. Growing us, our mother insisted that we dressed alike, wore our hair alike, and got involved in the same childhood activities (e.g., children’s church choir, Girls Scouts, baton school, etc.). Most of this was guided out of a mother’s convenience in the 1970s who had primary responsibility for thinking about shopping for clothes on a budget, caring for laundry, carpooling schedules, and streamlining daily chores. Most importantly, Mom stressed that dressing alike would make us stand out in a crowd if we got lost or were in physical trouble. Our father, on the other hand, seemed indifferent about it all yet was just as concerned about the welfare and well-being of his daughters (and his son–our older brother–Randolph).

Because we were synced as inseparable twins, Renata and I grew up with a strong identify as a twin. Many of our childhood friends could not tell us apart, so they simply called us, “Twin”. Our family called us, “The Girls” or “Girls”. We were rarely called by our given names inside or outside of the home because we were always together on the same mission in the same uniform.

When I started public school, Mrs. Helen M. Pierce was my first public teacher. Reluctantly, my mother–a public educator herself–was strongly encouraged to request that her twin daughters be assigned to separate classrooms. Mrs. Pierce taught me to claim my own identity as a human being. She never mistakenly called me Renata. She only knew me as Regina. She taught me how to answer to my name, how to announce my presence with my name, and how to discover my own strengths, personality, and goals. For this reason, Mrs. Pierce is noted in my acknowledgment page in my doctoral thesis at Duke University because of her leadership that shaped my identity beyond twinship.

Mrs. Pierce taught me to joy of knowing who I am as a person. When I think about my leadership success and am asked who has influenced my leadership 47 years later, Mrs. Pierce continues to come to mind.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As a leader, I have had to learn to lean into my strengths. I am introverted, and two of my greatest strengths are LEARNER and RELATOR. I love learning new things just as much as I love connecting people with shared visions and mutual work ethics. In this, I have had to learn that I do not always have to make my presence known at a microphone at a major conference event or with the most profound question in the chat box. I have learned that I bring my best skillsets and leadership strategies when I take the lead and am well prepared for the board meeting or community event. When I concentrate on the heavy lifting of preparing and planning for an effective meeting or event and then consistently follow-up one-on-one after the meeting, then I can contribute with success and the meeting can run itself.

I find great joy in connection people with their passion and purpose. I once had an intern who had an interest in children’s advocacy. I asked him where his dream job would be beyond graduation. Without hesitation, he told me the name of the organization and the area of interest. I had a loose connection to the organization, so I reached out to the organization as his summer supervisor and requested a 30-minute meeting. They granted us an introductory meeting. A couple years later, the intern applied for a position at his desired organization, and he was able to make the connection from his 30-minute conversation two years prior.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I enjoy serving my community. I volunteer regularly with my local Chamber of Commerce and my local Rotary Club. This opens opportunities for shared partnerships and collaborative work in ministry and advocacy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.scchristianactioncouncil.org/ www.reverendregina.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCChristianActionCouncil.org
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-h-moore-517759118/