December 28, 2023
Happy New Year from the Golden LEAF Board and staff.
In 2023, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded funding totaling more than $47.5 million for 161 projects as follows: $32.7 million in funding to support 61 projects for job creation and economic investment, workforce preparedness, agriculture, and the Golden LEAF Scholarship Program; $6.5 million in funding to support 26 Flood Mitigation Program projects; and $8.3 million in funding to support 74 Food Distribution Assistance Program projects.
Golden LEAF’s mission is to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, economically distressed, and tobacco-dependent communities. In 2023, Golden LEAF created and expanded programs and initiatives and collaborated across sectors to help strengthen North Carolina’s economy. Golden LEAF also launched the Community-Based Grants Initiative in the Piedmont-Triad Prosperity Zone.
Five team members were added to Golden LEAF staff in 2023 to fill open positions as well as support the growth of the Foundation and its programs. Learn more about each of the new hires by clicking the links: Lakisha Cherry Food Distribution Assistance Program Associate, Blythe Evans Administrative Assistant for Operations & External Affairs, Katie Fisher Program Officer, Jordan (Henderson) Love Operations Manager, and Flecia Silver Accounting Specialist.
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 two new Board members in 2023: Buddy Keller and Jeffery Lee. Read more about Golden LEAF’s Board meetings in the press releases below:
LEARN ABOUT GOLDEN LEAF'S PROGRAMS QUESTIONS ABOUT A PROJECT IDEA