Laura Sheppard
Laura Sheppard of Raleigh has joined the Morehead-Cain Foundation this August as its director of community impact and engagement.
Sheppard brings more than fifteen years of experience in nonprofit consulting, event planning, and marketing. She joins Morehead-Cain after serving as a senior director of Corporate Educations Resources in Southlake, Texas, where she managed large-scale conferences and special events for HOSA–Future Health Professionals and Jobs for America’s Graduates.
The UNC–Chapel Hill alumna also worked for seven years as coordinator of alumni engagement and reunions at the UNC General Alumni Association, where she oversaw the expansion of University homecoming activities, among other responsibilities.
Sheppard will be tasked with planning and executing the Foundation’s major events and driving alumni-focused initiatives and programs, according to Jesse Soloff, Morehead-Cain’s vice president of community.
“Laura’s background in delivering exceptional events and initiatives, as well as her deep-rooted connection to Carolina, make her the perfect fit for a role charged with fostering connections and impact at Morehead-Cain,” Soloff said.
Sheppard said cultivating meaningful relationships at her alma mater feels like a “homecoming.”
“My career path in event planning has often intersected with youth leadership development and higher education, so the opportunity to combine these passions at Carolina immediately piqued my curiosity,” she said. “I look forward to leveraging my expertise to create memorable experiences for Morehead-Cain’s alumni community.”
Sheppard holds a bachelor’s in management and society from Carolina and a master’s in integrated marketing communications from the University of West Virginia.
