Business Summit on Mental Health

• Emmy Boyette, Associate Vice President of External Affairs, Marketing, NC Chamber
• Kelly Calabria, Chief Communications, Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Growing up in rural North Carolina and then working in public health and law grounded one of Anna’s goals as First Lady of North Carolina: ending the stigma around substance use disorder and mental health. Mental health and substance use disorders affect more than a million people in North Carolina. Stigma can be a significant barrier for people with these disorders to seek help. As First Lady, Anna Stein is working to reduce the stigma by holding open dialogues with state and local leaders and community members and promoting access to treatment and recovery services.

First Lady of North Carolina Anna Stein

Christoph Diasio, MD, shares a brief update on Sandhills Pediatrics’ approach to integrating mental health support, highlighting measurable progress, lessons learned, and opportunities for replication.

Christoph Diasio, MD, Sandhills Pediatrics

This session lifts up the strength, passion and drive of working professionals while also addressing the realities of stress, uncertainty, and burnout in the modern workplace. Participants will learn practical skills for wellbeing from the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) that individuals and teams can use to manage stress, improve focus, and build resilience on the job.

• Elaine Miller-Karas, Co-Founder, Trauma Resource Institute
• J’vanete Skiba, Executive Director, New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force

Take a moment to refresh, reflect, and continue conversations sparked during the morning sessions.

Business leaders discuss emerging mental health trends in today’s workforce, common challenges facing employees, and practical strategies organizations are using to support well-being while maintaining productivity.

• Beverly Hight, Manager, Benefits, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
• Alice Magnuson, Attorney, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP
• Tammy Robertson MT, (ASCP), Vice President & General Manager Raleigh/SunCoast/Chesapeake Regions, Labcorp
• Moderator: Debra Derr, Senior Director of Government Affairs, NC Chamber

Today’s conversation is about building a continuum of mental health support for young people by expanding access across different care settings and stages of development. Partnerships across the state are taking different approaches but share a core idea: bringing mental health expertise into the trusted settings where young people already are, whether that’s a pediatrician’s office or a college campus. This panel will explore what collaborative care looks like in practice—what’s working, what’s scalable, and what it teaches us about strengthening mental health access across North Carolina.

• Gary Maslow, MD, MPH, Chief, Division of Child and Family Mental Health and Community Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine
  
• Sy Atezaz Saeed, MD, MS, FACPsych, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
• Moderator: Colleen Briggs, President, Blue Cross NC Foundation

Enjoy lunch while continuing conversations with fellow attendees, speakers, and partners committed to advancing mental health in the workplace.

Mental health challenges affect students, families, and the workforce across North Carolina, making statewide collaboration more important than ever. In this conversation, leaders in the public sector will share how they are addressing mental health across education systems and communities.

• Kelly Crosbie, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, NC Department of Health and Human Services
• Representative Carla Cunningham, RN, BSN, North Carolina House of Representatives
• Dr. Anthony D. Jackson, Superintendent, Chatham County Schools
• Moderator: Meredith Archie, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, NC Chamber, and President, NC Chamber Foundation

A brief overview of research, trends, and resources from the UNC School of Social Work that can help employers better understand and respond to employee mental health needs.

Kathy Colville, PhD, MSW, MSPH, Associate Dean and Clinical Associate Professor, Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work

In a candid and compelling fireside chat, former Carolina Panthers standout Steve Smith Sr. brings his trademark authenticity to the critical conversation around mental health. Known for his intensity on the field, Steve will share a more personal side—opening up about his own mental health journey, the challenges he has faced, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

The discussion will also highlight the impactful work of his foundation and his commitment to breaking stigma, fostering resilience, and supporting others in navigating their own mental health challenges. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how vulnerability, accountability, and support systems can drive both personal and professional strength—closing the summit with a message that is as powerful as it is practical.

• Steve Smith, Sr., Three-Time All-Pro NFL Retired Receiver for the Carolina Panthers
  
• Cheryl Parquet, Associate Vice President of Community Engagement, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
  

Final reflections and a call to action, encouraging attendees to take what they’ve learned back to their organizations and communities.