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About Us | Message from the President Dear Friends:
On October 1, I joined the Golden LEAF Foundation as its second president. I thank the Golden LEAF Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity and responsibility to lead the vital work of this organization. In recent months, economic instability has forced industries, communities, and individuals alike to make tough financial decisions. Rural counties are particularly challenged given their historic reliance on tobacco and textiles - industries that have faced economic upheaval for some time. Golden LEAF stands ready to take advantage of every opportunity to make smart, targeted investments that can help grow jobs and investment, both now and in the future. Across the state, I have met many talented, creative people from rural North Carolina, who've moved away from their hometowns, often because of the lack of job opportunities. We must make it our business to help advance the knowledge, talent and skill of all North Carolinians and bring jobs and opportunity to the counties most in need. Golden LEAF will draw on our resources to meet these challenges. The current economic situation did not develop overnight, and neither will the answers. It will take all of us who care about progress to commit ourselves to the process of short-term growth and long-term development. To this end, we've launched an innovative approach to grantsmaking called the Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative. Last spring, we began holding community forums that will eventually take place in all Tier One counties. These forums allow citizens in each county to help determine their most pressing needs and the best use of Golden LEAF funds. Rather than waiting for ideas to come to us, we are actively reaching out and engaging these communities in finding solutions. It has been tremendously rewarding to meet the individual needs of these counties. Here is just one example of what we can do when we have the vision to see what is possible. As you may know, we provided the pivotal resources to bring Spirit Aerospace to the Global TransPark in Kinston. As a major partner, our investment will leverage $500 million in private investment and is estimated to create more than 1,000 jobs. The seeds for this success were planted when Golden LEAF created and funded the North Carolina Aerospace Alliance a few years ago. The Alliance focuses on maximizing our university expertise, facilitating cutting-edge training, and supporting infrastructure to bring companies to North Carolina communities from Elizabeth City to Ashe County. There is no silver bullet for the obstacles we face. Golden LEAF will have to reach out more actively to build partnerships with major national, regional and state foundations, all levels of government, and the business community to build on the diverse attributes of communities across our state and create more opportunity. Fostering stronger community involvement and engagement, seizing strategic opportunities for economic transformation and forging more partnerships to tackle the task - these are the ways to move forward. I am grateful for the strong leadership of my predecessor, Valeria Lee. Valeria built an organization driven by passion for our mission and unrelenting commitment to integrity. She also instilled transparency, excellence, professionalism and optimism for the future. Those values will endure here at Golden LEAF. Valeria has set the bar high, and I look forward to the challenge of making even more progress. There is much work to do. But with a volunteer board generously committing their time and talent and a highly skilled and dedicated staff, I look forward to it with optimism and zeal. Dan Gerlach
Golden LEAF Foundation |
