June 30, 2023
Contact: Jeanne C. Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, 919-889-2902
New Directors Elected to Statewide Nonprofit Board
Raleigh, NC – Nonprofit member organizations of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits have elected four new members and re-elected six continuing members to the Center’s 2023-24 Board of Directors to provide strategic direction and growth around the Center’s mission to educate, connect, and advocate for North Carolina nonprofits. New board members include Stephanie Cooper-Lewter with Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, Katie Masood with Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC, Samantha Nevins with Disability Rights & Resources, and Johnny Wilson with Fayetteville Urban Ministry.
Dr. Stephanie Cooper-Lewter is executive vice president at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in Winston-Salem where she leads the operational work of staff across departments and serves as a strategic partner to the Trust’s president. Prior to joining the Trust, she was inaugural executive director of Leading on Opportunity in Charlotte, served at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, Financial Security Charlotte, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia. She recently served on the regional Board of Trustees for Philanthropy Southeast (formerly Southeastern Council of Foundations). An immigrant from India, she served on the national Board of Directors for Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. She has a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, a Bachelors in Social Work, and is a certified Personal and Executive Life Coach through the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute.
Katie Masood is director of development with the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC in Chapel Hill, where she supports the school's mission by partnering with alumni and donors to identify opportunities for transformational philanthropic gifts. She is also the staff liaison for 100 Women, an alumnae-led initiative created to encourage and support more future female leaders to pursue their business education at Kenan-Flagler. Prior to higher education, Katie spent 12 years working in Triangle-area nonprofits addressing children's health, conservation advocacy, and organ donation. As a Teach For America '07 Eastern North Carolina corps member, she wanted to return to public education and help bring more resources to the educational environment. Previous nonprofit engagements include serving on the boards of Girls on the Run of the Triangle, Durham People's Alliance (board chair), and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) Triangle Chapter. Currently, Katie is a captain in the Eno Community Tennis Association leagues.
Samantha Nevins is executive director of Disability Rights & Resources in Charlotte. As a nonprofit leader, she has over 25 years of professional experience implementing and evaluating health programs for marginalized populations. She has served on a number of national, state, and local aging and disability committees and nonprofit boards in both Florida and North Carolina. She is a Certified ADA Coordinator through the University of Missouri, and frequently provides ADA training and technical assistance to local businesses, schools, and municipalities as part of her work as a disability rights advocate and inclusion specialist. Originally from Florida, Samantha graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Health Promotion and received her Masters in Public Health from the University of South Florida College of Public Health. She relocated to Charlotte with her husband and two daughters in 2020.
Johnny Wilson began his career at Fayetteville Urban Ministry as a volunteer in 1999. He became part of the staff as the director of Find-A-Friend (FUM’s youth program) and associate executive director before serving in his current role as executive director. Learning from his own unconventional background and touching base with the legal system as a teen and young adult, his work with youth has been a blessing. He has built relationships throughout his community to sharpen FUM’s outreach and help get youth back on track before their adult years. Johnny presents local and statewide workshops, webinars, and training on how to work with at-risk youth for area colleges, small business training, statewide conferences, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit education. In 2022, he earned Juvenile Justice Reform & Breakthrough Series Collaboration (BSC) Certification from Georgetown University. He has been part of BSC for the Cumberland County initiative that concentrates on disparities with minorities within the judicial system, and is a proud partner of the Fayetteville Community Policing Project. He is a founding member and partner of Cumberland Gang Prevention Partnership, and a council member of the Collective Impact Group to Stop the Violence in Fayetteville. He serves on the board of Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) under the Governors’ Crime Commission of NC, and is past president and active board member of NC Juvenile Services Association.
“With a new board nomination and election process this year, we’ve been impressed by the community leaders nominated and elected by our nonprofit members,” said Deviré Robinson, Vice President, Philanthropic Advancement at Foundation For The Carolinas and Center board chair. “Our board members represent diverse sectors and communities around the state, and we are excited about the valuable perspectives and experiences they bring to the Center’s work to support and strengthen the capacity of all North Carolina nonprofits.”
The six members re-elected to the Board include:
- Jana Barrett, National Director, Education Initiatives, Lincoln Financial Group, Greensboro
- Doug Heron, Associate Vice President, Duke State Relations, Duke University Health System, Durham
- Lenora Jarvis-Mackey, President & CEO, River City Community Development Corporation, Elizabeth City
- Diego Ramon, Vice President, North Carolina Regional Office, Mutual of America, Charlotte
- Sabrina Slade, Director, Racial Equity and Advocacy, John Rex Endowment, Raleigh
- Juanita Wilson, Training & Development, Department of Human Resources, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), Cherokee
The Board also selected its new slate of officers for 2023-24, including:
- Chair: Dawn Chávez, Executive Director, Environmental Leadership Program, Asheville
- Vice Chair: Sabrina Slade, Director, Racial Equity and Advocacy, John Rex Endowment, Raleigh
- Treasurer: Deetra Watson, CPA, Principal, Blackman & Sloop, CPAs, P.A., Chapel Hill
- Secretary: Jeanne Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, Raleigh
“Our board leaders take seriously their responsibilities to ensure they’re building and maintaining a strong foundation for the Center and looking forward to a more equitable future for the nonprofit sector,” said Jeanne Tedrow, Center president & CEO.
See the complete 2023-24 Board of Directors at www.ncnonprofits.org/board-directors.
About the Center: Founded in 1990, the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a statewide network for nonprofit board and staff members, an educator and resource partner on effective organizational practices, and an advocate for the nonprofit sector as a whole. We offer capacity building services to all sizes and types of 501(c)(3) nonprofits and work closely with local, state, and national groups that support nonprofits.
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