Betsy Annese

Betsy has more than 30 years of domestic and international experience in the textile, home furnishings, packaging, retail, food, pharmaceutical, news media, financial, technology, entertainment and tobacco industries and a variety of non-profit organizations that include social service agencies and churches.

Annese has held several executive positions during her career. Currently she is president of Annese Public Relations, Inc., a full-service public relations and marketing firm located in Winston-Salem , NC.

She gained experience in public relations through a 16-year career with RJR Nabisco, which included all aspects of corporate communications advisory for the parent company and five of its subsidiaries. Her last position was Sr. Vice President, External Relations for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International, Inc., in Geneva , Switzerland .

In the late 1970's she was Manager of Public Relations for Bigelow-Sanford, Inc., a major carpet company now part of Mohawk. She joined Bigelow after spending three years with two South Carolina newspapers as a news reporter.

Most recently she was Vice President, Corporate Communications for Lowe's Companies, Inc., the world's second-largest home improvement retailer.

A 1971 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.A. degree in Journalism, Betsy is a frequent lecturer on business management and public relations topics. She has spoken at the Center for Creative Leadership, the N.C. Clean Water Trust Fund, at the University of South Carolina, Wake Forest University, Campbell University and the International Association of Professional Administrators. She was named a Mover and Shaker by Biz Life Magazine and one of the top Women In Business in 2006 by the Triad Business Journal.

Her community activities include member of the Board of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Trustees of Old Salem Museum and Gardens, a member of the Women’s Council of Forsyth Medical Center Foundation and public relations advisor to Prodigals Community. Past board memberships include Family Services, Inc., Winston-Salem Urban League, former executive committee membership on the board of Right Turns for Youth (formerly Forsyth Court Volunteers) (chairman 1998-2000). She has served on several fund raising committees, including the $1.5 million capital campaign for the Head Start Program, YWCA Project New Start chili luncheon and the Brenner Children's Hospital Annual Antique Show. She is a member of the NewBridge Bank Advisory Board of Forsyth County and DataMax Corp.

She is a member of Ardmore Moravian Church , where she has served on the Board of Elders. She has served the local and international community through a variety of missions, including two lengthy trips to Mexico where she lived with Mixtec Indians. She first heard about Lillie Boyte through a First Baptist Church Women’s Bible Study Group, which prayed for Lillie and the Boyte family throughout the weeks of her illness. "I had never met the Boytes but prayed for them all during the many weeks that Lillie underwent treatment. Imagine my astonishment when Michelle called to ask for help with Lillie's Friends. I now know that God was preparing my heart to be a part of this new mission," she said.