March 23, 2023
Briefly describe your role at Golden LEAF.
I get to be involved in all aspects of the investment process like sourcing investment opportunities, due diligence for investment managers, rebalancing the portfolio, working with service providers, making recommendations to our Investment Committee, and closing on legal documents. I also get to work with internal staff on strategic initiatives.
Describe yourself in three words.
Approachable. Resourceful. Knowledgeable.
What’s your favorite part of your job and why?
My favorite part of my job is that it is dynamic. Each year offers similar, as well as very different challenges given no two years are exactly alike. I genuinely enjoy the challenges that arise that are unexpected but need to be addressed in a timely and efficient manner to keep us on track. We invest across six asset classes with over 40 external managers, so no matter how proactive you would like to be there is always something that will require you to be reactive.
What is your favorite pastime outside of work?
My favorite pastime is anything food related. On any given weekend, you can find me, and probably my fiancée Ursula, hanging out at a farmers’ market, attempting to cook for friends, or visiting some of eastern North Carolina’s best barbeque joints.
What is your biggest work-related accomplishment within the last year?
My biggest work-related accomplishment within the last year was continuing to grow Golden LEAF’s relationships across its Private Equity, Absolute Return, and Real Assets asset classes. We were able to access and add new names to the portfolio, as well as grow our relationships with some top-performing managers.
What motivates you to support long-term economic development in rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities?
I have spent a lot of time in communities like the rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities that Golden LEAF serves. The first tractor that I ever operated was a 1957 Ford, while sitting on my grandpa’s lap. I enjoy watching each year pass by in different crop cycles versus an actual calendar, whether it is sorghum, sweet potatoes, tobacco, or cotton, usually you know what time of the year it is just by looking in a field.