Carolina People: Linda Rhodes
A Tar Heel through and through, she helps with fundraising for the School of Social Work.
Linda Rhodes
administrative support specialist
School of Social Work
29 years at Carolina
What do you do at Carolina?
Most of my job responsibilities center around fundraising activities and working with our board of directors. The School of Social Work is involved in the Campaign for Carolina. We had a goal of $23 million. But I think the more important part is the stewardship of our donors. It’s a great honor for us to be able to steward a person’s resources, both their finances and time.
What inspires you in your job?
The people that I’m around every day. We have an amazing group of faculty and staff who all believe in the mission of the school. Social workers do not go into the profession for fame or fortune. Rather, they care about and recognize the problems that people encounter every day. When I see the people around me, it’s an inspiration because I know that they’re in this for all the right reasons. They’re in it to better the lives of individuals.
What’s your favorite Carolina memory?
I’ve been at Carolina a long time, and my favorite memory is when Bill Clinton visited campus and came to The Carolina Club. Then probably my second favorite is when Barack Obama came to Carolina during a campaign stop. James Taylor was there and sang “Carolina in My Mind.” To me, you cannot get any more Carolina than that.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am very politically active in my community and volunteer. That keeps me busy. And I have never met a thrift or antique store that I didn’t like!
What has most surprised you working at Carolina?
I live about 35 miles from Chapel Hill, and it is amazing the difference that 35 miles can make. I can drive those 35 miles and get one of the best educations in the nation, some of the best health care in the world and have access to some of the most transformational academic people that exist. And all of that is 35 miles from me in Chapel Hill. I consider that to be a modern-day miracle, almost. The other thing is that people absolutely love our University. The amount of loyalty and devotion that Carolina has from people is just immeasurable. Sometimes we love it in different ways, but we still cherish the fact that we have such a great resource here in our state.
What is your favorite part of campus?
For memories, my favorite parts of campus are Steele building and the area around it and South building. When I was a student here, I was a work-study student, working for the Office of Student Affairs, which was in Steele building. I worked for Dr. [Donald] Boulton who recently passed away. I have wonderful memories of going in after class, working, getting to know people and sometimes going to the Chancellor’s Office. Those two buildings provide me with a lot of great memories.
Who at Carolina has most impacted you?
I have to say two people. One is Dr. Iris Carlton-LaNey. Iris was a professor at the School of Social Work. She retired a couple years ago, right when COVID reared its ugly head. But Iris is an inspiration to anyone who meets her. She has a commonsense way of looking at things, has been recognized as Social Worker of the Year [in 2018, by the National Association of Social Workers’ North Carolina chapter] and has a wicked sense of humor. She’s made me a better person by being around her.
I also was the executive assistant to Athletic Director Dick Baddour. Mr. Baddour oversaw athletics during a time of extreme turmoil. The way he dealt with criticism and troubling issues gave me a great deal of respect for him. He was a lesson in remaining calm and doing what you know is right and trusting that in the long run it’s going to pay off. I’m very fortunate to have been able to spend time around both those people.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part is helping people understand the importance of fundraising. We’re very appreciative of the money that we get from the state, but we must raise private funds. We need to continue doing a good job of educating people on just how important private philanthropy is, not just for social work, but across the board. Raising money is very important, because it allows us to provide programs that otherwise would not be available to students. That falls on us and the school to make sure that people know how important that is.
