Rowan Chamber of Commerce establishes Alex Clark scholarship for leadership program

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 18, 2020

By Shavonne Potts

JON C. LAKEY / SALISBURY POST Alex Clark, founder of COMPASS at the non profit office on South Main Street in Salisbury. Gemstones Academy and COMPASS, are nonprofit organizations founded by Alisha Byrd and Alex Clark, with the mission of provide youth with the skills to reach their maximum potential by discovering their gifts, talents and abilities. Gemstones Academy offers their service to girls and young women where as COMPASS is offer to boys and young men. COMPASS stands for Confident, Optimistic, Motivated, Persistent, Assertive, Studious and Successful. Tuesday, April 11, 2017, in Salisbury, N.C.

By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Rowan Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Rowan program has announced the creation of the Alex Clark Memorial Scholarship.

Clark, who died Feb. 22 from Lou Gehrig’s disease, was a member of the leadership class of 2016-17 and participated as a co-chair for the next year’s class. His wife, Alisha Byrd-Clark, said her husband was a servant leader who loved his community.

“Even while battling ALS, he found it necessary to always be the best version of himself daily, which included making a difference in the lives of others,” Byrd-Clark said.

As his wife, she said, it is her duty to honor her husband’s legacy by continuing what he stood for and what he represented.

Byrd-Clark said she’s even more proud to match the scholarship amount on the behalf of the Alex Clark Foundation, “so that Alex’s work and vision can continue through helping another inspiring leader in our community.”
“Alex had this amazing gift of meeting people where they were and he was committed to making a positive impact on everyone around him,” said Nick Means, who is on the leadership program’s steering committee and a longtime friend.
Rowan Chamber President Elaine Spalding said the leadership steering committee voted earlier this year to name its annual scholarship after Clark.
“It was at the suggestion of Ken Ingle with RCCC, who was a classmate of Alex’s,” Spalding said.
Clark was the co-founder of Gemstones and COMPASS Leadership Academy, Inc., two companion nonprofits with the mission to empower our youth by providing them the skill set to maximize their full potential by unwrapping their hidden gifts, talents and abilities. COMPASS stands for being confident, optimistic, motivated, persistent, assertive, studious and successful.
The scholarship will be awarded annually to Leadership Rowan Class applicants from diverse backgrounds and will cover the cost of their tuition. The Leadership Rowan Steering Committee will select the scholarship winners.
The deadline to apply is by 5 p.m., Friday The link to apply is: https://www.rowanchamber.com/leadership-rowan/.

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