Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy Leadership

Paige Harris received a B.A. and an M.A. from East Carolina University. She is also a non-degreed alumnae of NC State who majored in political science. A lifetime member of the NC State Alumni Association, she previously served as president of its board of directors. In 2020, Harris received the association’s Meritorious Service Award. A former community college teacher, she currently is a principal at Flatlands Jessup Insurance Group, which has grown out of an agency her father started in 1963. She also served as chair of the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, which named her its Community Leader of the Year in 2016.

Lori Constantino received a B.A. in business management from NC State in 1984. After earning her degree, Constantino went on to have a successful career for over 21 years in the mortgage banking industry, including almost 16 years at GE Mortgage Insurance. Constantino is a proud lifetime member of Wolfpack Club and the NC State Alumni Association. She has always stayed engaged at her alma mater through the Wolfpack Investor Network. She is a member of the R. Stanhope Pullen Society.

Gayle Lanier received her B.S. in industrial engineering from NC State in 1982. Lanier has over 30 years of experience as a transformational business executive at Fortune 500 companies across multiple industries. She retired in 2018 as senior vice president and chief customer officer for Duke Energy. At NC State, she has served on a long list of boards, including the Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors, Engineering Foundation Board, Kenan Institute Board, National Minority Engineering Programs Advisory Board and more. Recognized as Distinguished Engineering Alumnus of the Year, 2008, Lanier received the university’s Watauga Medal in 2017.

Pam Jones graduated with a B.S. in textile technology from NC State in 1978. She is a lifetime member of the Alumni Association and has served on the Board of Visitors, the Alumni Association Board and the Textile Foundation Board. Jones has more than 35 years of leadership experience in the textiles and office furnishings industries and in nonprofit development. She supports scholarships in the Colleges of Education and Design as well as the Wilson College of Textiles. Pam is also a member of the R. Stanhope Pullen Society.

Alison Starkey graduated with a B.S. in parks, recreation and tourism management from NC State in 2011. She was the assistant director of special events and clubs with the Wolfpack Club until 2021, overseeing the planning and implementation of fundraising and other special events. Born into a family construction business, owned and operated by her mother for four decades, Alison has always been passionate about women succeeding in every facet of their life, from the home to the classroom to the professional world. After leaving the Wolfpack Club, Alison wanted to continue her work with philanthropy at NC State. Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy is the perfect fit to combine Alison’s love for NC State, women’s leadership and philanthropy. Today, you can find Alison in her favorite role as mom to daughter Lawrence Riley, son Charlie and black lab Finley.

Cathy Sigal earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from NC State (1976); an A.M. in chemistry from Harvard; an M.S. in chemical engineering from MIT; and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton. In 1981, Sigal joined Mobil Research and Development Corp., where she developed new catalysts for petrochemical manufacturing. She later worked at Merck Research Laboratories, where she designed and scaled up processes for the production of new drugs and vaccines, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where she eventually served as director of international research. Now retired, Sigal serves as chair of the American Chemical Society Development Advisory Board, advocating for scholarships for underrepresented students in the field, green chemistry and more. A former member of NC State’s College of Sciences Foundation Board, she currently serves on the Board of Visitors.