Meet Ms. Cheavonne Willis, a Provisional member of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC). Cheavonne started her career at BB&T Leadership Development Program (LDP) in Winston Salem before moving into the Strategic Sourcing/Procurement, Supplier Diversity, and Vendor Management space. The desire for the adventures of a larger city and a challenge outside of the financial services industry led her to JetBlue in New York where she continued her work in Strategic Sourcing as a part of the team that made purchasing decisions for products and services such as loyalty program partners, snacks, carts/trolleys, beverages, seats, carpet and a host of other cool things. Working at an airline has provided her the opportunity to visit over 22 countries.
In addition to her day job, she has held various leadership positions as a member of the Winston Salem Urban League Young Professionals, with the last being President. She transitioned into being a member of the New York Urban League Young Professionals upon relocating, and now is the current Recording Secretary of the Urban League of Central Carolinas Young Professionals. Her passion for gender and racial equality guided her to an organization called Step-up Women’s Network in New York where she was a member for four years. She is also actively involved with corporate Diversity & Inclusion initiatives as the leader of JetBlue’s Women in Flight affinity group and is the founding member of the JetBlue African Diaspora Experience affinity group. Learn more about Cheavonne below.
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: I grew up in a really small town about two hours east of Charlotte called Laurinburg.
Most people recognize it as the stopping point for food, gas, and restrooms on the way to the beach. My parents still live in the house where I spent my childhood and my only sibling, a sister, along with my niece live directly across the street. As a child, I always witnessed my parents and grandmother giving back in various ways, whether through church, local politics, or volunteerism. Those memories have always stuck with me and are a part of the reason why I am a community servant at heart.
After high school, I moved to Atlanta to attend Spelman College where I majored in Mathematics, then continued to New Orleans to study at Tulane University where I received my MBA. Prior to relocating to Charlotte about nine months ago, I lived in Winston Salem and New York where I was able to get a lot of traveling under my belt while working for an airline.
Q: What made you want to join the Junior League?
A: I became aware of the Junior League while living in Winston Salem, which is where I started my League career. I also have a few good friends from my time in New York who are members. Through the years, I’ve always admired the work of the Junior League; however, when I looked around at the members, I didn’t notice much diversity. Being new to Charlotte and trying to identify ways to not only get involved in the community but also meet new people, I naturally explored the Junior League again and found that the membership seemed to be more diverse than what I had encountered in the past.
Q: What do you plan to give to the Junior League?
A: I enjoy event planning, strategy creation, and volunteering; however, my support is not limited to these areas as I am committed to serving the Junior League in any capacity in which I can add value.
Q: How do you think the Junior League will help to develop your potential?
A: Through the Junior League, I hope to continue building my public speaking and leadership skills. In addition, the expansion of my network will ideally lead to increased exposure to new ideas, activities, and cultures thus making me an even more well-rounded individual.
Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
A: One of my favorite childhood memories was baking with my grandmother. She would always give me a small batch of dough to roll out into biscuits and place in my own personal baking pan. I was also the only one that she would let assist with mixing cakes because we were both left-handed & thus mixed in the same direction.
Q: What motivates you to work hard?
A: My motivation to work hard comes from knowing that there were a lot of sacrifices made by many for me to even have the opportunity to be where I am today.
Q: If you could choose anything to do for a day, what would it be and why?
A: If I had a day to do anything, I would spend it on a Caribbean island, kicking off the morning with yoga, then completing a service project and spending the rest of the day relaxing on the beach because I could really use some R&R and its extremely important to give back/pay it forward abroad.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your career?
A: The people! Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate enough to have great managers, direct reports and extended team members and my current one is no different as they are all smart, supportive, hardworking and lots of fun.
Q: One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I’m extremely sensitive.
Q: What is one thing you will never do again and why?
A: Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It was a very nice experience but absolutely one of the most physically challenging things I’ve ever done.
Written by: Jaykia Lowe
