I am on the road a lot, and many times I find myself traveling alone — but recently I got in some extensive road miles with our board chairman, James W. Narron.  We traveled to northwestern North Carolina, where he spoke to a group of community leaders in Lenoir over lunch at the Bernhardt Furniture plant.  We then attended the Unifour Foundation grants celebration in Hickory, where more than $214,000 was awarded to 27 local nonprofits.  The next day he spoke to a group of professional advisors about community foundations and charitable giving.  The following week we were in Wilmington, meeting with the local affiliate board of our newest affiliate, the New Hanover County Community Foundation and then attending a donor reception at the lovely home of Margaret and Ned Barclay.

Spending time with Mr. Narron always reminds me of how lucky we are to have him at the helm of this organization.  His professional experience, his passion for philanthropy and his community involvement provide an amazing combination.  When I have the opportunity to introduce him, I often share a little bit of his extensive professional background and the skills and talents he brings to our work.  But what I usually say is that he is a good and kind person, who cares about the future of our communities.   

We are privileged to have him lead our work and so appreciate the time he takes from his real job and his family to devote to NCCF.