The BB&T Leadership Institute unveils plans for new facility

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., March 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) announced today the construction of a new home for The BB&T Leadership Institute, which provides leadership development programs for corporate executives, business owners, BB&T clients and education leaders. The 58,000-square-foot, approximately $34 million dollar facility will be built on a heavily wooded 11-acre site adjacent to the BB&T Triad Corporate Center on Airport Center Drive in Greensboro, N.C. The institute expects to begin operating in the new facility in early 2018.

Featuring a rustic lodge ambience with extensive use of glass and an open floor plan to fully feature the scenic surroundings, the three-level facility will include meeting spaces, 48 guest rooms for overnight visitors and room for staff offices. Project architects sought to create a relaxing, comfortable environment where participants become receptive to the program's mission of exploration and self-discovery.

Click image for a video with Will Sutton and architect Jeff Sowers

"This new home for The BB&T Leadership Institute will allow us to expand our life-changing leadership development offerings," said Will Sutton, director of The BB&T Leadership Institute. "With its unique natural setting and the ability to offer overnight accommodations, this new facility will provide a truly immersive environment where emerging leaders can grow."

Click here for a BB&T Leadership Institute infographic and hi-res photos of the new facility

BB&T has invested in leadership development programs for its own associates since 1971. BB&T first connected with Farr Associates as a client in the early eighties and acquired the world-class organization in 1994. The BB&T Leadership Institute was established to give organizations a leadership development partner to help create dynamic and effective leaders, increase employee retention and improve the bottom line. During this time, the vast majority of BB&T's senior leaders have benefited greatly from their psychological approach to leadership development. The institute currently operates out of High Point, N.C.

"This facility represents a major milestone for The BB&T Leadership Institute and underscores the value BB&T has placed on leadership development for nearly half a century," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kelly S. King. "We believe one of the best ways to improve our communities is through stronger leaders in all facets of society, and this new home will provide even greater opportunities for us to share all we've learned about leadership."

One of the foundations of BB&T's leadership development expertise is offered through the Mastering Leadership Dynamics course. This flagship program can raise a leader's self-awareness, develop conscious leadership practices and improve skills critical to individual, team and organizational performance. Surveys show that ninety-seven percent of participants rank it as one of the most powerful and impactful experiences of their professional development.

Building on its success in developing business leaders, the institute has customized a program to meet the specific leadership development needs of public school administrators at no cost to participants. Using an approach that combines face-to-face and virtual sessions with interim activities during a four-week period, this highly experiential program focuses on developing conscious leadership. School leaders learn how beliefs drive our behaviors and ultimately create the results we achieve. By offering overnight lodging, the new facility will eliminate the added cost of hotel accommodations for educators, making the specialized offering even more accessible and cost-effective for school systems.

BB&T engaged architect CJMW of Winston-Salem to design the new facility and landscape architect Surface 678 of Durham to optimize use of the site, which is adjacent to a 7-acre pond. Frank L. Blum Construction of Winston-Salem is the general contractor.

About The BB&T Leadership Institute
During the past half-century, The BB&T Leadership Institute, and its legacy firm Farr Associates, has developed and refined approaches to business leadership through collaborative work with clients in top companies throughout the United States. The BB&T Leadership Institute provides organizations with a leadership development partner that helps create dynamic and effective leaders, increase employee retention and improve the bottom line. Beginning with each client's specific goals and challenges, the institute's consultants identify the best approaches to address a company's needs and tailor offerings to individual executives, teams or both. Its offerings also include research, educational programs and consulting to help develop leaders in the education and nonprofit sectors. More information about The BB&T Leadership Institute can be found at BBTLeadershipInstitute.com.

About BB&T
BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $219.3 billion in assets and market capitalization of $38.1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2016. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., the company operates 2,196 financial centers in 15 states and Washington, D.C., and offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others. BB&T also has been named one of the World's Strongest Banks by Bloomberg Markets magazine, one of the top three in the U.S. and in the top 15 globally. More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at BBT.com.

SOURCE BB&T Corporation