My role as the Operations Manager is a combination of building maintenance, daily office operations, and IT management. I coordinate with third-party vendors for building maintenance and IT.

In December, Golden LEAF Program Officer and A/V Tech Coordinator, Brynn Fann graduated from the Rural Economic Development Institute, REDI. REDI is the NC Rural Center’s flagship leadership development program. This three-month leadership training prepares existing and emerging leaders with tools needed to approach economic and community development issues amongst rural North Carolina.

“I applied for REDI to obtain a certification and increase my knowledge on management practices found within rural initiatives,” said Fann. “After joining the program, I realized REDI offered so much more.”

Recently, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton sat down with the Chair of the Golden LEAF Board of Directors Ralph Strayhorn, via Zoom and filmed an episode of Critical Conversations. In this series, Scott talks with professionals about economic development issues affecting the state.

I am responsible for managing development and dissemination of content on Golden LEAF’s website, social media platforms and newsletters. I also manage the internship program at Golden LEAF, serve as the media contact, and am the liaison for the Board of Directors.

Happy Thanksgiving! In this edition of our Golden LEAF newsletter, I am sharing some of the reasons I am thankful this year. November marked my fifth anniversary as president of Golden LEAF, and in October, Golden LEAF hit 25 years! 

I am grateful for the work of rural communities that are developing and implementing economic development strategies, humbled that Golden LEAF was asked to assist with efforts that will help with resilience for years into the future, and excited to reflect on the impact that Golden LEAF has accomplished over the last 25 years.