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JIF Leadership Initiative: Video Conversation with Nora Spencer, MSW

July 18, 2025 by Allison De Marco, PhD, MSW

She’s leading the way to bring gender equity to the construction trades

Link to the Full Interview here

Nora Spencer, a graduate of the UNC School of Social Work MSW program, is on a mission to bring gender equity to the construction trades while helping seniors age in place. She sat down with us to talk about her work for our Leadership Initiative. Nora is the Founder and CEO of Hope Renovations, an organization based in Chapel Hill that prepares underemployed women and gender expansive individuals for construction careers and helps older adults age in place.

We asked Nora to share a story that might highlight her leadership trajectory and what she wished she had known at the start of her journey. She shares her response here.

We also wanted to learn how Nora has been able to be innovative in these times; how she knows when she is moving in the right direction, and conversely, what helps her to change course and redirect when needed. View her response here.

Finally, we wanted to know what might be giving Nora support and hope right now.  We concluded by asking her to give us one piece of advice for folks looking to take up leadership positions in social work organizations. Watch Nora’s advice here.

Thanks so much to Nora for making time to share her work with us and for her commitment to our community.

Learn more about Hope Renovations here.

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Filed Under: Quick Takes

Allison De Marco, PhD, MSW

About Allison De Marco, PhD, MSW

Allison De Marco is the Lead Research Associate for the Jordan Institute for Families and an Advanced Research Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Allison coordinates the leadership webinar series - the Hive - for the Jordan Institute among many other things!

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