Participating in the NC Rural Center’s Rural Economic Development Institute had been on Tracie Metz’s to-do list for four years — a goal she accomplished earlier this year when she completed the Center’s flagship leadership development program.
Designed to support local leaders and business owners across North Carolina, REDI builds collaborative leadership skills and rural development strategies to help participants create meaningful change in their communities. The Rural Center’s core values — especially its focus on equity, leadership and economic development — resonate with Metz, who calls them essential to advancing North Carolina in meaningful ways.
For Metz, the mission is personal. She has spent more than 30 years living in rural parts of central and western North Carolina, and is the founder of The Bayberry Group, a small business based in Jackson County that helps clients grow through strategic planning, leadership development and organizational improvement.
“I understand firsthand how vital it is to truly grasp the complexity of rural communities,” she said. “I wanted to be part of something that not only honors that complexity but also equips leaders to better serve and advocate for these communities.”
Her REDI experience was “powerful, grounding, and deeply affirming of what I’ve encountered in both my personal and professional life,” Metz said. “It created a thoughtful space for reflection, dialogue, and connection with others committed to similar growth. I appreciated how it pushed me to think more critically about systems of power and opportunity, and to reflect on my own role within those systems.”
For Metz, key takeaways from the program included learning how to lead with vulnerability, listening more intentionally, and deepening her understanding of the structural and historical contexts that shape communities.
“REDI has given me a more grounded and nuanced lens through which I approach leadership,” she said. “I’m more intentional in how I hold space for others, how I make decisions, and how I use my voice to advocate for equity. It’s also made me more conscious of whose perspectives are centered—and whose are missing—in both my day-to-day work and broader strategic thinking.”