Happy holidays from the Golden LEAF Board and staff!
25th Anniversary
The Golden LEAF Foundation celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year with a new brand rollout, new website, and a celebration in conjunction with the annual Board meeting. Over 25 years, Golden LEAF has provided funding for projects resulting in more than 68,000 new jobs, $780 million in new payroll, and 98,000 workers trained across North Carolina. North Carolina leadership created the Golden LEAF Foundation more than two decades ago to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.
2024 Funding
In 2024, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded funding totaling more than $136 million for 99 projects as follows: $53.8 million in funding to support 55 projects for job creation and economic investment, workforce preparedness, agriculture, and scholarships through the Open Grants Program, Economic Catalyst Program, Community-Based Grants Initiative, the SITE Program, and the Golden LEAF Scholarship Program.
The Golden LEAF Board awarded funding to support several programs funded through state appropriations: $13.2 million in funding to support 18 Flood Mitigation Program projects; $360,700 in funding to support three Food Distribution Assistance Program projects; $8.5 million in funding to support seven Shell Building Pilot Program projects.
Following Hurricane Helene, Golden LEAF quickly allocated $7.5 million dollars to Mountain BizWorks to establish the WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund. The General Assembly then appropriated $50 million dollars to meet the demand. The Golden LEAF Board also created a Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief Initiative, with funding to date totaling $3 million for 14 projects.
New Team Members
Six team members joined the Golden LEAF staff in 2024 to fill open positions and support the growth of the Foundation and its programs. Learn more about each of the new hires by clicking the links: Evan Benedict, Director of Grants Administration; Jacqueline Smith, Senior Program Officer; Elizabeth Bryant, Program Officer; Meaghan Malone, Digital Communications Specialist; Arianna Kidder, Data Manager; and Caty Gray Urquhart, Operations Manager.
Golden LEAF Board
Golden LEAF’s 15-member Board of Directors is appointed by the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House. The Foundation Board holds meetings every other month to award funds for projects supporting long-term economic growth. Golden LEAF welcomed a new Board member in 2024, Jarette Sampson. Read more about Golden LEAF’s Board meetings in the press releases below:
Critical Conversations
As part of its mission, Golden LEAF convenes with leaders throughout the state. One way Golden LEAF helps share this information with its stakeholders is through a “Critical Conversations” series. In this series, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton talks with professionals about economic development issues affecting the state. Watch the 2024 Critical Conversations in the links below:
- January – Blake Brown, NCSU Hugh C. Kiger Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- February – Doug Edgeton, NCBiotech President/CEO
- March – Cecilia Holden, MyFutureNC President/CEO
- April – Reginald Speight, USDA-Rural Development State Director
- May – Thomas White, Economic Development Partnership Director
- June – Bill Aimutis, NC Food Innovation Lab Executive Director
- July – Alejandra Castillo, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
- August – Mike Arriola, US SBA District Director
- September – Laura Kilian, NC Ag Leads
- October – Katie Loovis, North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation Executive Director
- November – John Hardin, NC Office of Science, Technology and Innovation Executive Director
- December – Ralph Strayhorn, Golden LEAF Board Chair