Briefly describe your role at Golden LEAF.
As a program officer, I help ensure Golden LEAF funds are used to positively impact rural North Carolina economies. I conduct due diligence and review inquiries related to applications to assess their alignment with the foundation’s funding priorities. I serve as a liaison to grantees on funded projects supporting their financial and pragmatic success.
Describe yourself in three words.
Friendly. Curious. Empathetic.
What’s your favorite part of your job and why?
My favorite part about Golden LEAF is meeting people all over North Carolina. I enjoy meeting people in rural communities who are doing the hard work of bringing economic opportunity to their areas, from the east to the west. There are people who are working every day to make a more prosperous North Carolina. I am excited to learn their different strategies that may benefit another community in the state.
What is your favorite pastime outside of work?
When it is not something that involves my three teenagers, my husband and I walk a lot together for exercise. It is our favorite thing to do as we live in beautiful Edenton on the Albermarle sound. Just getting out and seeing the beauty of Eastern North Carolina, there is nothing like an Edenton sunset.
What is your biggest work-related accomplishment within the last year?
The most rewarding experience this past year was attending the groundbreaking for the McNair Heights neighborhood in Goldsboro. The project, funded by the City of Goldsboro, Habitat for Humanity, and Golden LEAF, helps fill the gap in workforce housing. It was a joyful celebration of years of hard work, and being part of it was truly meaningful.
What motivates you to support long-term economic development in rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities?
My grandparents were tobacco farmers in Eastern North Carolina, and my parents also grew up working in tobacco, so it’s always been a big part of my life. Over time, I’ve watched those same rural communities decline. Now, as my husband and I raise our family in a similar area, I’m motivated to help build a rural North Carolina where children can find opportunity, return home, and prosper. I want my family, and others like us, to be able to come back, raise their families, and thrive in their hometowns.
Learn more about Elizabeth here.