Imperfect Courage:
Building Resiliency to Effective Leadership
As women, we are socialized to be perfect. As we grow older, we learn that perfection costs. Striving to be perfect is riddled with many pitfalls that can make failure more possibility. Understanding and embracing the infinite power of our imperfections is critical in building resiliency and effective leadership. I will use my life experiences as the canvas of this presentation.
Participants will learn information to answer these three cornerstone questions:
3 key takeaways attendees will gain from your proposed session
1) How do we create resilient leadership in the midst of a possibility of failure?
2) What are the best practices in leveraging your resources and support systems effectively?
3) Can we successfully brand ourselves into effective leaders from our imperfections?
4) What impact, if any, occurs when we operate within our imperfect courage?
Website: www.rhinehart4judge.com
Bio:
Judge Shamieka Rhinehart is a native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She was reared by her retired grandmother and her working-class mother. Her grandmother taught her the importance of obtaining an education and treating everyone with dignity and respect. In 1993, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English. In 2001, she received her juris doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law. After graduating from law school, Judge Rhinehart worked as an associate attorney with Willie R. Perry, Jr. in 2002, and she worked primarily in representing clients charged with various criminal misdemeanors and traffic offenses. In 2003, she worked as an associate attorney with Brown, Flebotte, Wilson, Horn & Webb, PLLC. In June of 2005, Judge Rhinehart became an assistant district attorney in Durham County where she prosecuted various misdemeanor and felony cases. While working in this position, she supervised the property and fraud teams for two years until she became the supervisor of District Court in 2012. As the District Court Supervisor, Judge Rhinehart prosecuted various misdemeanors and felonies and supervised other assistant district attorneys and interns.
On January 2, 2017, she was sworn in as a district court judge for Durham County. Judge Rhinehart presided over various courts such as civil court, child support court, criminal district court, abuse neglect and dependency court, traffic court and jail court. During her tenure as a district court judge, she participated with many organizations and boards that served the needs of those who were justice involved. Specifically, she served as a volunteer judge for our state’s first Misdemeanor Diversion Court, a court that operated to divert youthful offenders away from the court system. She also participated as a member of the mental health sub-committee with the Criminal Justice Resource Center to discuss how the court system can better accommodate the needs of mentally ill defendants who were involved with the court system.
Volunteering in the community is important to Judge Rhinehart. She volunteers with the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties and her beloved Alpha Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as she works relentlessly in trying to make an impact in the community. She was appointed to serve as the co-chair of the Connection and Social Action Committee for the Mid-Atlantic Regional of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. to lead the sorority’s voting engagement efforts for North Carolina. She is a faithful church member of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Durham, North Carolina where she serves on the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Committee, the Vestry, which is the board of the church, and the Outreach Committee. On November 3, 2020, she was re-elected to a second four-year term.
On February 8, 2023, Judge Rhinehart was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the Superior Court for Durham County. Currently, she presides over serious felony and civil matters. She looks forward to continuing to learn about her new role as a Superior Court Judge as she conducts court across our great state.
When she has spare time, she loves to speak inspirationally to young people, spend time with family and friends, dance, and cozy up with a good book. She is currently in six book clubs.
Please bring a friend or colleague to this meeting; you’ll be helping your career AND helping another woman’s success as well!
