Golden LEAF Board to launch search this summer
ROCKY MOUNT (June 4, 2026) – The Board of Directors of Golden LEAF Foundation today announced President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton will retire at the end of this year following a distinguished career of leadership and service to North Carolina.
Hamilton has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2019. Under his leadership, Golden LEAF strengthened its commitment to advancing economic opportunity through investments that led to the creation of new jobs, improved workforce preparedness, and supported agriculture across rural North Carolina.
“Scott’s leadership has helped shape the direction and long-term vision of Golden LEAF,” said Brian Raynor, Chair of the Golden LEAF Board of Directors. “His ability to bring people together around a shared mission has strengthened communities across North Carolina and positioned the Foundation for continued success.”
Among Hamilton’s signature accomplishments was leading the development and adoption of Golden LEAF’s strategic plan in 2021, which established a clear framework guiding the Foundation’s priorities.
Hamilton also helped launch several key initiatives during his tenure, including NC Ag Leads, a collaboration with the NC Chamber, NC Farm Bureau, and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, resulting in the first strategic plan for agriculture in North Carolina, Golden LEAF Schools, an initiative implemented by the NC Department of Public Instruction focused on increasing educational attainment in rural middle schools, and the Golden LEAF SITE program to spur development of industrial sites in rural North Carolina.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden LEAF and work alongside this dedicated team,” Hamilton said. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished to move the needle in rural communities and expand economic opportunity for North Carolinians. As I look ahead to retirement, I am especially grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with my family while watching Golden LEAF continue its important mission.”
The Board of Directors will begin a search process to identify Golden LEAF’s next president soon.
About Scott T. Hamilton
Before joining Golden LEAF, Scott served as Executive Director of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and held leadership roles with local and regional economic development organizations in North Carolina, including serving as President and CEO of AdvantageWest, where he supported economic advancement across the state’s western counties and was the founding President and CEO of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development.
Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2025, Methodist University awarded Scott the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa (L.H.D.). This degree is conferred upon individuals who have provided exemplary service to the community. Scott is a current member and past president of the North Carolina Economic Development Association and has held leadership positions with numerous boards and organizations across North Carolina, including the North Carolina Economic Development Board and as a gubernatorial appointee to the North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development. Scott most recently served as a member of the Steering Committee for North Carolina’s State Strategic Economic Development Plan led by the Department of Commerce.
About Golden LEAF
The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.
For more than 25 years, the Foundation has provided lasting impact to tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and rural areas of the state. In fiscal year 2025, Golden LEAF helped create 1,665 jobs, more than $116 million in new payrolls, and more than 4,722 workers trained or retrained for higher wages.
For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, please visit our website at GoldenLEAF.org.
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Jenny Tinklepaugh
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252.801.1370
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