Supporting the People Who Support NC: Meet the 2026 Sabbatical Awardees

June 10, 2026

From left: Sabbatical awardees H’yua (Liana) Adrong, Lisa Familo, Greg Jacobs, Shereen Abdelfattah and Phyllis Caldwell-George. Photo by Cornell Watson

We are thrilled to introduce the 2026 awardees of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) Sabbatical Program.

After years of serving others, these experienced NC nonprofit leaders will take up to six months away from work to rest, heal, reconnect with family and friends, travel, and find personal rejuvenation:

Shereen Abdelfattah, Owner, Delicious by Shereen
H’yua (Liana) Adrong, Executive Director, Montagnard Association of North Carolina
Phyllis Caldwell-George, President and CEO, Financial Pathways of the Piedmont
Lisa Familo, Executive Director, Iredell County Partnership for Children
Greg Jacobs, Tribal Administrator, Coharie Intra-Tribal Council

“Sabbaticals benefit leaders and their organizations,” says Niketa Greene, ZSR’s Director of Partner Engagement. “For leaders, sabbaticals provide a critical opportunity to recharge so they can return to their organizations with fresh ideas and momentum. For organizations, sabbaticals pave the way for positive changes around leadership and governance structures, capacity and succession planning.”

ZSR has been providing sabbaticals for nonprofit leaders since 1990, and its program was one of the first in the country. ZSR offers up to five sabbaticals every other year.

Each of the 2026 awardees demonstrates tremendous dedication to their organizations’ missions, from helping families build economic mobility to supporting children to preserving community culture and heritage.

You can learn more about the 2026 ZSR Sabbatical Program awardees below. Please join us in congratulating them as they embark on their journeys of personal rejuvenation!

2026 Sabbatical Program Awardee Profiles

Shereen Abdelfattah, Founder and Executive Director, Delicious by Shereen

Shereen Abdelfattah moved to the United States from Egypt in 2002 and settled in Winston-Salem, NC, in 2009. Through her involvement in the local Muslim community, Shereen met dozens of Syrian refugee families who had fled their country’s civil war and were starting new lives in the Triad. As an immigrant herself, Shereen knew how difficult that transition could be, and she wanted to help. She started an informal catering network that engaged refugee women in preparing homecooked Middle Eastern and African meals. Today, that network has grown into Delicious by Shereen, a nonprofit that trains refugee and immigrant women in catering, providing dignified work, a sense of community, and a pathway for women to support their families with their own hands and skills.

H’yua (Liana) Adrong, Executive Director, Montagnard Association of North Carolina

H’yua (Liana) Adrong is a native of Vietnam whose father worked with the US Special Forces during the Vietnam War. When Liana was 13 years old, her family was granted refugee status and resettled in Greensboro, NC, where they joined thousands of other Montagnards living in the state. (“Montagnard,” French for “mountain people,” refers to Indigenous peoples of Vietnam’s Central Highlands.) Today, Liana is Executive Director of the Montagnard Association of North Carolina (MANC), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Montagnard heritage, empowering youth and fostering a vibrant future for the community. Liana recently led the organization through a land acquisition for a wellness center, fulfilling a vision defined two decades ago. Liana’s influence extends to other immigrant communities in the Triad, and her leadership has touched thousands of families.

Phyllis Caldwell-George, President and CEO, Financial Pathways of the Piedmont

Phyllis Caldwell-George has dedicated her career to helping individuals and families build financial stability, housing security and economic wellbeing. She serves as President and CEO of Financial Pathways of the Piedmont, an organization focused on financial health and economic mobility. Phyllis joined the organization nearly 28 years ago after seeing firsthand the need for compassionate financial guidance while working as a recovery analyst. Over the years, she has served in nearly every area of the agency and helped guide it through growth and transformation. Today, Phyllis is recognized as a trusted nonprofit leader whose work continues to strengthen families and expands dignity, stability, and opportunity for all.

Lisa Familo, Executive Director, Iredell County Partnership for Children

Lisa Familo is a dedicated advocate and nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience championing the needs of young children, families, and early childhood educators. Since 2018, she has served as Executive Director of the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children, a nonprofit working to improve learning and healthy development outcomes for children from birth to age five. Its programs advance high-quality early care and education, strengthen families, promote child health, and expand early literacy. Drawing from both professional and personal experience as a recipient of supportive services, Lisa is passionate about ensuring every child and family has access to the resources they need to thrive. Under Lisa’s leadership, the organization has stabilized and diversified funding, expanded services, strengthened board governance, and opened a satellite office to broaden its reach across Iredell County.

Greg Jacobs, Tribal Administrator, Coharie Intra-Tribal Council

Greg Jacobs has always felt a calling to serve his community. Today, he serves as Tribal Administrator for the Coharie Intra-Tribal Council, a role he has held twice — most recently for more than 15 years. The Council is dedicated to preserving Coharie culture and expanding economic and educational opportunities. Under Greg’s leadership, its programs have grown to include the Great Coharie River Initiative, which helped the Coharie regain access to the river; cultural classes in drumming, singing, bead-making and art; an annual powwow; and community gardens that provide thousands of pounds of fresh produce each year. Greg is known as a hands-on leader, more likely to be found sweeping floors to give staff a break, planting seeds in a garden, or visiting with community elders than sitting behind a desk.

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