Business Leaders Hall of Fame | JA of the Triad
Presented By The DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation
The Business Leaders Hall of Fame is more than a dinner — it’s an opportunity to honor leadership, strengthen community, and invest in the future workforce.
About the Event
Join 400 of the Triad’s most dynamic business and civic leaders for this premier gala, where we celebrate our Laureates whose vision inspires us all and advance Junior Achievement’s mission to prepare young people for success.
Cocktails | Live Jazz | Dining | Silent Auction
- Thursday | March 19th, 2026
- 5:30PM - 8:00PM
-
The Terrace at First Horizon Coliseum - Greensboro Complex
1921 West Gate City Boulevard
Greensboro, North Carolina, 27403
For more information contact Brian Weer at [email protected]
Why Support
Junior Achievement?
Since 1965, JA has prepared students for a lifetime of success by equipping them with essential skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.
As a locally funded nonprofit within the global JA network, we partner with community investors to bring volunteers into K–12 classrooms. Through financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship, students experience career-connected learning that expands access, strengthens talent, and drives economic mobility across the Triad.
18,490
student experiences
52,394
instructional hours
395
classrooms served
Sponsorship Opportunities
By participating in our Business Leaders’ Hall of Fame event, you directly contribute to shaping the destinies of thousands of young people.
Across our five-county footprint, 80% of students we serve are economically disadvantaged. Your support ensures our proven programs remain cost-free, empowering them to achieve economic mobility and build a brighter future for us all.
Individual Ticket - $125
- You'll fund JA Programming for 2 students
Diamond Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silent Auction
Band Sponsorship
Bar Sponsorship
Additional Sponsorship
Benefits
By participating in our Business Leaders’ Hall of Fame event, you don’t only positively impact thousands of local students’ futures. Your business also benefits.
Your organization gains visibility in front of a distinguished audience of over
400
industry and community leaders.
Your brand will be featured in promotional materials, reaching a broad audience associated with one of NC’s largest business events.
2026 Hall of fame Laureate
Connie Ledoux Book, Ph.D.
President at Elon University
Dr. Connie Ledoux Book is a passionate advocate for higher education and its power to transform students’ lives. She spent 16 years as an Elon University faculty member and administrative leader, helping to build the university’s reputation for excellence in engaged teaching and learning. In 2015 she accepted a groundbreaking role as the first female provost and chief academic officer at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. Following her impressive accomplishments there, she returned to Elon as president in 2018, bringing a deep appreciation for the university’s unique history and its rapid rise to national prominence.
Under President Book’s leadership, Elon has been annually ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 national university for excellence in undergraduate teaching and the nation’s leader in eight “programs that enhance student experience.”
In 2020, President Book led creation of the 10-year Boldly Elon strategic plan to advance the university’s national leadership in experiential education, mentoring and student success. The university has established innovative new academic programs in engineering, nursing, science and technology, expanded programs to promote health and wellness and invested in new programs to support inclusive excellence, faculty and staff, and alumni engagement. New facilities include the Innovation Quad for engineering and sciences, Schar Center (a 5,000-seat convocation center and sports arena), Sankey Hall, Koenigsberger Learning Center, East Residential Neighborhood, LaRose Student Commons, and The Inn at Elon, an on-campus hotel.
In 2024 Book led the historic establishment of an Elon campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, the state’s largest metropolitan area. The facilities house the new part-time Flex Law program of Elon University School of Law, along with undergraduate programs in sport management and summer study programs that are part of Elon’s Study USA opportunities. A second Physicians Assistant program, complementing the thriving program on the main campus in Elon, will open in Charlotte in January 2027. The Charlotte campus also serves active Elon alumni programs in the city and engages the university with the business and civic community in the region.
Book spearheaded the successful Elon LEADS comprehensive campaign, raising $260 million for endowed scholarships and engaged learning scholarship funds, eight new facilities, three new professorships, and an endowment for the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education with support of the largest single gift in Elon history.
As an advocate for access to education at all levels, Book is past chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and a board member for the North Carolina Independent College and Universities, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the American Council on Education (ACE) and many others.
Book was named to the inaugural list of top North Carolina leaders in Business North Carolina’s “Power List 2021.” She is a board member for the Piedmont Triad Partnership and has been honored as one of 40 “Outstanding Women in Business” and one of the North Carolina Triad region’s “Power 50” leaders by the Triad Business Journal.
Book has a doctorate from the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia, a master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Northwestern State University (Louisiana) and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana State University.
2026 Hall of fame Laureate
Mae Douglas
Community Philanthropist
2026 Hall of fame Laureate
Todd Hall
President & CEO at Truliant Federal Credit Union
Todd Hall serves as the President and CEO of Truliant Federal Credit Union, where he has dedicated his career to improving the financial well-being of its members. His commitment to straightforward financial solutions and promoting financial wellness has been instrumental in empowering members to make informed decisions with confidence.
With senior and executive roles at several prominent financial institutions across the southeastern United States, Hall joined Truliant in 2012 as Chief Operating Officer before being appointed President in January 2108 and CEO in January 2020.
His strategic leadership has been instrumental in transforming the credit union, with a focus on improving the financial well-being of its members and the communities they serve.
Since Hall took the helm, Truliant has witnessed remarkable growth, becoming one of the largest credit unions in the U.S. The credit union has surpassed 334,000 members, has more than $5.2 billion in assets, and operates 38 branches throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, complemented by two regional lending offices. Hall’s emphasis on innovation has led to enhanced digital experiences and a broader array of services, including commercial and small business (SBA) lending, as well as insurance offerings. In 2024, under Hall’s leadership, Truliant became one of the nation’s top U.S. Small Business Administration lenders.
He has strengthened Truliant’s commitment to community engagement by establishing a dedicated department and spearheading the creation of the Truliant Foundation. His initiatives have improved employee benefits and fostered greater engagement across the organization. Multiple times during his tenure, Truliant has been named a Best Places to Work award winner by Triad Business Journal. In 2025, Truliant was named one of America’s Best-In-State Credit Unions by Forbes magazine and is a past honoree of Forbes Best Employers in North Carolina.
Hall was instrumental in transforming the former Hanes Mall Macy’s retail space into a 110,000-square-foot operations hub, transforming it into a modern workspace complete with solar installation and honey bee hives on the roof. The project was awarded the Triad Business Journal’s Triad Commercial Real Estate Awards for Best Project, Renovation/Rehab/Remodel, and an AIA Charlotte Design Award for Adaptive Reuse/Preservation in 2024.
Hall has earned accolades for his leadership, including a spot on Business North Carolina’s inaugural “Power List” of top leaders in 2021, where he remains a prominent figure. In 2020, he was honored as a Most Admired CEO by the Triad Business Journal and is frequently featured among the Triad Business Journal’s “Power 50” leaders.
A passionate advocate for credit unions, Hall regularly travels to Washington, D.C., where he champions the interests of members by influencing legislation and policy at both state and federal levels to protect the benefits of credit union membership.
In addition to his responsibilities at Truliant, Hall actively participates in community service and sits on the boards of directors for the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Greater Winston-Salem Inc., and Novant Health Triad Region Board of Trustees. His previous board service includes the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation and the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter Advisory Board, as well as past membership on the National Association of Federal Credit Unions’ Legislative Committee, the Credit Union National Association’s Consumer Protection Subcommittee, and the Carolinas Credit Union League’s Government Affairs Committee.
Hall earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of South Carolina and holds an MBA from Wake Forest University’s executive program.
Thank you to our 2026 Event Sponsors!
Presented By
Diamond Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Wiseman Family Foundation
Silent Auction Sponsor
Band & Stage Sponsor
Bar Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Jim Morgan
