For Neal Sharpe, the decision to return to Greensboro was less about leaving Seattle and more about embracing a life with deeper roots and fewer traffic jams.

After years in the Pacific Northwest, where he co-founded community initiatives and served in leadership roles within the United Methodist Church, Neal and his wife Laura began to envision a different kind of future – one where their daughter could grow up surrounded by family, green space, and a sense of ease that felt increasingly rare.

Now back in Greensboro, Neal serves as Chief Operating Officer at Peacehaven Community Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to creating inclusive living and working opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He’s helping guide the farm’s next phase of growth, including a major expansion that will add housing, job training, and community-building programs to its 89-acre campus in Whitsett, NC .

Neal is especially proud of Greensboro’s ongoing efforts to expand equity and inclusion across race and class lines. And while he still appreciates the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, he’s grateful to spend less time in traffic and more time with his family – whether that’s walking to local parks, enjoying a meal together, or simply being present.