In an interview about being one of a dozen Southminster residents inducted into The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Janie McIntyre described her career as “checkered.” When that expression emerged in the early 1800s, it was a figurative comparison to a checkerboard, where light (positive) and dark (negative) squares sit side-by-side. Today’s Dictionary.com definition is far more applicable to McIntyre’s lifelong endeavors. It says checkered means “something marked by numerous and various shifts or changes”, in other words, “variegated.” But even the word variegated doesn’t begin to describe McIntyre’s varied and impressive accomplishments or the impact she has had on some of the Charlotte area’s most treasured organizations and companies.
Driven to Do More
Though she was born in Charlotte, McIntyre came of age in Rock Hill during a time when women who graduated from Columbia College, her Methodist all-girls school in Columbia, S.C., were expected to teach school or music or become a nurse. The speech therapy and special education courses she took there led to a degree in education and a job as a Special Education teacher for two years, a career she never wanted to pursue long term. After marrying D.G. McIntyre, she briefly considered not returning to work. But as someone who got a work permit and talked her father into helping her get a job in a clothing store at age 15, she never saw herself as not having a paying job for long.
When her husband’s job with the Air Force took them to the Washington, D.C. area and Omaha, Nebraska, boredom set in very quickly for McIntyre. Both their extended families were in faraway South Carolina, and their own family had quickly grown to include three daughters, all under five. In 1973, they moved to Charlotte, and she embraced volunteer work at their church, St. John’s Episcopal, and stayed busy with her three little girls.
A Self-Starter with a Strong Launching Pad
As she shepherded her daughters into their pre-teen years, McIntyre started building on her people skills as a member of the Junior League of Charlotte (JLC). Along the way, she gained the experience and confidence to find opportunities, forge connections and help change the city of Charlotte one day at a time.
In 1975, a paying part-time job at the Carolina-Virginia Trade Mart where many Charlotte women worked, allowed her to manage a family and still work a little thanks to a great mother-in-law and mother. Eventually, during her 13 years there, she and a friend began repping clothing lines, dragging big racks of clothes through gravel parking lots and back doors in towns across South Carolina. It wasn’t long before McIntyre decided there had to be a better way to contribute to their family.
Her college years studying public education, teaching for two years, having kids in public schools, and involvement with the PTA at an inner-city school inspired her to run for public office for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education. During her nine years on the board, from 1987 to December 1995, she took risks and endeavored to diversify the schools, believing everyone deserved an equal education.
When her daughters were in junior high and high school, she worked supporting underserved patients and grieving families with the JLC in the emergency room at Carolinas Medical Center before getting a full-time job. In 1991, after a brief stint in banking, she approached CEO Harry Nurkin about a job at the medical center. Her two younger girls happened to be babysitters for his family, which gave her a connection. “He knew about taking a risk,” McIntyre said. “I really wanted to learn healthcare, so he put me in business planning. I was already good at sales, so I set my sights on learning the hospital, their business development, healthcare marketing, and fundraising.”
An MBA at 50
McIntyre says she loves non-profit work, giving back to communities and managing people. “At the hospital, I got experience everywhere, writing business plans, managing the gift shop team, running events, and, ultimately, focusing on how to raise money. Right after I started there, when I was around age 50, I went back to school at Queens and got an MBA to build my credibility. My boss had advised me that getting an MBA would really help me as a female in what was a predominantly a man’s world back then.”
Her first big business challenge after getting her MBA and working at the hospital for nine years was as CEO of the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association). They were in serious financial shape. With faithful volunteers and staff, they were able to raise the level of financial support for the organization. Ultimately, they renovated the ladies’ quarters of the housing upstairs, built 10 additional townhomes for families that faced homelessness, paid back all debt, and created an endowment.
A year before leaving the YWCA, she underwent aortic valve replacement surgery using a pig’s valve to correct a heart defect she was born with. “Even though full recovery took a year, it gave me a new lease on my life.”
When offered the Executive Director role at United Way of the Central Carolinas, it was easy for McIntyre to accept. She says that D.G. was her biggest supporter. In her time as CEO at the United Way of the Central Carolinas, they raised 16 million dollars during the horrific 2009 recession to give directly back to the community. A total of more than six campaigns over the next five years returned over 100 million dollars directly to nonprofits in the region and surrounding counties. The money raised supported those most in need, thanks to many companies and numerous volunteers and staff. Her leadership and commitment to the community earned her recognition as Charlotte Woman of the Year in 2014 and also led to a Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award.
Energized by work and travel, she travelled even more with D.G. and took a part-time “retirement” job at Faison and Associates where she worked to oversee their philanthropy mission for more than eight years.
And what does McIntyre have to say about being inducted into the Long Leaf Pine Society? “It was the only time in my life that I was actually surprised — except when D.G. asked me to marry him. I usually don’t like surprises — they make me nervous. They kept the award a secret–they really tricked me.” SURPRISE, Janie!
“The Order of the Long Leaf Pine” Honorees at Southminster:
Lila Brown (father, Erwin L. Laxton, is an honoree), Ed Williams, Jane London “Janie” McIntyre, Curt Walton, David Ward, Ralph “Ed” Shelton, Thomas Moore, Ray Farris, William “Bill” Claytor, Ashley Hogewood, and James “Jim” Rogers (not pictured). We would also like to honor the late Major General Gerald A. “Rudy” Rudisill, Jr. and Hugh B. Campbell Jr.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is one of North Carolina’s highest civilian honors. Established in 1963, it is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and to the state through service, leadership, and achievement. Since its creation, the award has been presented by governors of both political parties. This series is intended solely to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments, service, and life stories of our residents who have received this distinction.