FRANK Gallery, in Chapel Hill, announced:

• December's featured artist is Barbara Tyroler. Her show runs from Dec. 4 to Jan. 6. The opening reception is Dec. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. For her newest endeavor, Tyroler brings talented professionals together for creative conversation incorporating visual and interactive performance art. In Getting Layered, 6 Seasoned Women, participating artists produce self-portraiture inspired by Tyroler's photography. Collaborators include artists Katherine Armacost, Peg Bachenheimer, Mirinda Kossoff, Luna Lee Ray and Anita Wolfenden.
• On Dec. 6 at 6 p.m., the gallery presents St. Nick Salon: Artists Social and Benefit for the N.C. Cancer Hospital Expressive Arts Program.

This holiday season, FRANK is working with the program to help stock the Oncology Patient and Family Resource Center Art Cart. Throughout December, the gallery is collecting new and gently used art supplies to donate.

Local Color Gallery, in Raleigh, features the sixth annual Sisters exhibition, which displays the work of Virginia Owen (paintings, jewelry) and Mary Beth Owen-Zdanski (pottery). It takes place on First Friday, Dec. 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. Local Color Gallery is a co-op run by 13 female artists who work in a variety of mediums.

Drawing in the Galleries takes place Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill. On the second Saturday of every month, Amanda Hughes, the Ackland's director of external affairs, leads participants in a creative exploration of particular objects in the museum's collection.

Eno Gallery, in Hillborough, features the work of Tinka Jordy in the lower gallery with an exhibition of life-size and smaller figurative sculptures in high-fired stoneware. In the upper gallery, there's a group exhibition called Artists Favorites. It shows new paintings that gallery artists, including Molly Cliff Hilts, have chosen as their current favorites. Both exhibits run through Dec. 30.

Landscapes by Lynn Boggess and Jennifer Hall Boggess are on display in the newly renovated Umstead Art Gallery at The Umstead Hotel and Spa, in Cary. The hotel is owned by Ann Goodnight.

Dorothy Cowser Yancy, Ph.D., president of Shaw University, in Raleigh, announced:

• Evelyn Leathers is the new vice president for institutional advancement. Leathers provides executive-level operational management and supervision of alumni relations, annual giving, major gifts, corporate relations, foundation relations, public relations, stewardship and the university radio station. Previously, Leathers served in the same capacity at Wiley College, in Texas.
• Debra K. Latimore is the new vice president for fiscal affairs. Latimore, a Certified Public Accountant, most recently served as the university's interim vice president for fiscal affairs. As a member of Shaw's leadership team, Latimore oversees and manages the day-to-day fiscal operations of the university.

William Peace University, in Raleigh, announced:

• Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera, a 1985 graduate, was inducted into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame for her lifetime participation in and dedication to the sport of tennis. Currently, she's the director of marketing, membership and special events for the U.S. Tennis Association of North Carolina.
• Nicole Davis, M.A., LPCA, was named coordinator of counseling services. Davis is responsible for providing students with short-term individual counseling, group counseling and one-on-one educational consultations.

Debbie Potter, RN, was named director of health services at Peace. Potter is responsible for overseeing the provision of care and addressing students, faculty and staff in need of medical attention from acute illness or injury. Additionally, she'll work to integrate a university-wide educational program that will assist students in making better and healthier lifestyle choices.

Amy Barger was promoted to vice president of marketing at The Preiss Company, which specializes in the development, acquisition and management of off-campus student housing. The Raleigh-based company is the nation's fifth-largest privately held and largest woman-owned owner and operator of private student housing. The company's portfolio comprises about 15,000 beds in eight states.

Mary Long, owner of Posh the Salon, in Durham, announced that the salon was designated a Redken Fifth Avenue Elite Salon. This designation recognizes Posh the Salon as one of Redken's top salons in the United States.

Hill, Chesson & Woody, a Chapel Hill-based health and welfare benefits brokerage and consulting firm that designs, manages and implements employee benefit programs, announced:

• Sabina Kim joined as its marketing coordinator.
• Elizabeth Johnson was named health management coordinator.

Sepi Asefnia, president and founder of SEPI Engineering & Construction, a Raleigh-based firm that provides civil engineering and planning services across the Southeast, announced that the firm was named to Zweig Letter's 2012 Hot Firm list. Firms on the list are ranked according to their three-year growth rate in gross revenue from 2008 to 2011, and revenue in 2008 must have been at least $1 million. This marks the second year SEPI Engineering & Construction has been named to the Hot Firm List.

Lynn D. Minges was appointed president and CEO of the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association. The association, headquartered in Raleigh, serves as the voice of North Carolina's $17.5 billion restaurant and lodging industries, representing the interests of more than 16,000 businesses throughout the state. For the past 20 years, Minges has served in progressive leadership roles within the N.C. Department of Commerce. Most recently, she was assistant secretary for tourism, marketing and global branding.

Karen Barker and her husband, Ben Barker, who were the chef/owners of Durham's Magnolia Grill restaurant, received the Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Foodways Alliance. The award goes to innovators who have made indelible marks on cuisine and culture, setting regional standards and catalyzing national dialogues. Last year, the Barkers celebrated 25 years of continual operation, with Ben leading the savory side of the menu and Karen leading the pastry program. That same year, in a bold move, the Barkers went out on top, closing the restaurant at the height of its popularity. In addition to running the restaurant, the Barkers wrote two books, "Not Afraid of Flavor: Recipes From Magnolia Grill," which was published in 2000, and "Sweet Stuff: Karen Barker's American Desserts" which followed in 2003.

Campbell Law School, in Raleigh, announced:

• Professor and former dean Melissa Essary received the N.C. Lawyers Weekly 2012 Women of Justice Legal Scholar Award. Essary joined Campbell Law School as its fourth dean in July 2006 following a 16-year career as a professor at Baylor University School of Law. Essary served as the Campbell Law dean for six years before moving into a full-time faculty position in July.
• Amy Flanary-Smith, an assistant professor, was elected to the board of directors of the N.C. Society of Health Care Attorneys. An expert in legal discourse and advocacy, Flanary-Smith serves as the director of Campbell Law's Legal Research & Writing Program.

Kay Yow Cancer Fund's For a Higher Goal Gala takes place Monday, Dec. 3, at The Umstead Hotel & Spa, in Cary. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was established by the late Kay Yow, former N.C. State University head women's basketball coach, who battled breast cancer until her passing in 2009. The fund has granted $2.5 million to scientific research and related programs focused on women's cancers. The gala, which commemorates the five-year anniversary of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, includes dinner, refreshments and humorist Jeanne Robertson.

The Women's Giving Network of Wake County awarded $150,000 to six area nonprofits that support women and children, according to Liza Roberts, chair of the local giving circle, which is a program of the N.C. Community Foundation. Receiving $25,000 grants each were the Boys & Girls Club of Wake County – for the Collaborative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Initiative; Community Music School – for Capacity Building to Improve Music Education for At-Risk Youth; Healing Place of Wake County – for the Women's Rescue, Recovery and Rehabilitation Program; Literacy Council of Wake County – for Project LIFT (Literacy Instruction for Families Together); StepUp Ministry – for the Life Skills Program for Single Moms and Their Children; and Triangle Family Services – for the Welcome Home Project. Allison Atkinson and Paige Haensel, co-chairs of the Grants Committee, said it was a challenge this year for the membership to choose from so many excellent programs serving critical needs for Wake County women and children.

Yuyi Li, a resident of Chapel Hill, is one of only 14 young women from across the country to receive a grant from Ann Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, and Vital Voices, a nonprofit dedicated to investing in women. The business and organization partnered to identify the next generation of female leaders who are dedicated to giving back to their communities. The grant will help Li initiate her social change project, which is focused on providing financially disadvantaged women and girls free feminine hygiene products. In addition, Ann Inc. and Vital Voices will provide Li with leadership training and mentorship. Receiving this competitive recognition will help bring her community plans to the forefront of high-profile female leaders.

The Woman's Club of Raleigh donated the proceeds of its fall fundraiser, $10,000, to Dress for Success Triangle.

Norma Longo was honored as November Volunteer of the Month at the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Durham, which runs Durham's pet shelter. Norma was cited as "a dedicated cat volunteer who throws herself wholeheartedly into loving the kitties at APS. She has made fun, staff-approved toys, purchased individual scratchers for each cage and spends hours cuddling and playing."

Carolina Harmony Chorus captured first place among small choruses at the Sweet Adelines International chorus competition, which was held recently in Denver. The Triangle all-women's a cappella group competed against the highest-scoring regional winners in its division of Sweet Adelines International choruses from around the world. The Triangle group's 31 performing members wowed the judges and audience with their creative and musical entertainment package. Leading Carolina Harmony Chorus to victory was director Susie Smith, of Raleigh. Since it was chartered in 1978, the chorus has competed in numerous regional competitions and placed second internationally in 2010. This is the group's first international win. The chorus' members range in age from 24 to 82; each shares a love of music and of singing four-part barbershop harmony.

Carolina Ballet, based in Raleigh, added new members to its board of directors, including Laura Gualdoni, Tammy Brown and Laura Bayzle. Gualdoni works as an international tax manager in the Raleigh office of Deloitte Tax. Brown serves as the assistant vice president of client and community relations at PNC Bank in the Eastern Carolina region. Bayzle is a research director at The Link Group, in Durham, which specializes in market research.

Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS, based in Raleigh, announced:

• Buyer's Agent Pamela Mansueti claimed the Agent of the Month honor for October.
• Ronald McDonald House of Durham accepted a donation of $1,000 from Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS.

Linda Hunt Dickert joined the Raleigh Division of M/I Homes as marketing manager. Dickert is a 20-year veteran in the homebuilding industry. Under her leadership as chair of the Triangle Sales and Marketing Council, the group was named the Sales and Marketing Council of the Year. Also, Dickert is a member of the board of directors of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh - Wake County.

The John Rex Endowment, based in Raleigh, announced new officers and members of the board of directors. Sherry Worth is the new board chair. Worth has served on the board since 2004. Jill Wright, MD, of Wake Health Services New Bern Ridge Pediatrics, is the new vice chair. Janet Cowell, state treasurer of North Carolina, and Jill Wells Heath, president and CEO of Mulkey Engineers & Consultants, are new board members. Virginia Parker, director of strategic partnerships at Wake Tech Foundation, remains secretary. The John Rex Endowment invests in the development and support of activities, programs and organizations that improve the health of underserved children and youth in Wake County.

Allie Russos, R.N., joined the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, in Raleigh, as director of nursing. She leads a team of 25 RNs and LPNs who provide care for the residents and students.

Billie Redmond, CEO of Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties, served as a panelist during the N.C. Chamber's 2012 Health Care Summit. The conference featured discussions on health care and its impact on business and the state's economy.

"Jordan's Return," a new release by local writer Samantha Chase, is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The N.C. Writers' Network announced:

• Writing groups for women take place Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays in the Hillsborough studio of Nancy Peacock. They're for those who're working in or who wish to work in fiction and memoir. Peacock has written several novels. Her first novel was chosen as a New York Times Notable.
• "Out of the Silence" takes place the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 8 p.m. at Ideas! Coffee House, in Durham. Attendees share poetry, songs and personal stories at an open-mike session designed to promote domestic violence awareness. It's sponsored by the Lady Oya Foundation.
• Main Street Rag Publishing Company Reading and Open Mike Series takes place the second Thursday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Flyleaf Books, in Chapel Hill. This monthly reading series is co-hosted by Debra Kaufman and Stan Absher.