July 15, 2021
Contact:
Jeanne C. Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, jctedrow@ncnonprofits.org, 919-790-1555 or 919-889-2902
New Directors Elected to Statewide Nonprofit Board
Raleigh, NC – The Board of Directors of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits has elected five new members to provide strategic direction and growth around the Center’s mission to educate, connect, and advocate for North Carolina nonprofits: Jana Barrett with Lincoln Financial Group, Doug Heron with Duke University Health System, Lenora Jarvis-Mackey with River City Community Development Corporation, Diego Ramon with Mutual of America, and Juanita Wilson with Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Jana Barrett is the national director for education initiatives at Lincoln Financial Group (Greensboro) and responsible for the Lincoln Financial Foundation’s community impact through education programs across its eleven locations. She was one of the original founders of codeLinc and led the launch of the inaugural Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. She serves as co-chair of GSO Works Community and co-chair of the Housing our Community, Community Outreach Committee; on the board of directors and as finance committee treasurer/secretary with the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers; and on the 60x30 Talent Alignment strategic planning team.
Doug Heron currently leads Duke State Relations (Durham), which is responsible for representing the legislative, regulatory, and policy interests of Duke University, Duke Health, and Duke LifePoint to elected and appointed officials throughout NC. Previously, he was a partner and associate in a government relations practice at a large multistate law firm in Raleigh; director of government affairs and legislative counsel for the North Carolina Bar Association; and spent several years lobbying in Washington, DC for a large international law firm. Heron previously served as president of the North Carolina Professional Lobbyists Association, is the current chair of the Durham Chamber Public Policy Committee, and serves as a member of the Durham Chamber’s Board of Directors. He is a licensed attorney who achieved the rank of Captain in the US Army Reserves Judge Advocate General Corps, and a graduate of Leadership North Carolina Class XXV.
Lenora Jarvis-Mackey has been president and CEO of River City Community Development Corporation (Elizabeth City) since its founding over 30 years ago. Under her leadership, RCCDC’s programs and services have grown to include housing counseling, development, and homelessness services, youth development, business and economic development, and social and cultural awareness. She has and continues to serve on numerous boards and committees at local, state, and national levels, including the National Council of Negro Women, Reinvestment Partners, North Carolina Rural Center, Elizabeth City Rotary Club, and Elizabeth City University Foundation. Among her awards and recognitions, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service degree by Elizabeth City State University in December 2020 in recognition of her many years of service and contributions to her community, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon a citizen of North Carolina by a sitting governor.
Diego Ramon is vice president of Mutual of America’s NC operation (Charlotte). He has worked for Mutual of America since 2003, concentrating on retirement education for nonprofit employees across NC. He grew up in Richmond, VA and graduated from Barton College (Wilson, NC). He is currently the chair of New Business Outreach for the Charlotte City Club, serves on the Board of Hospitality House of Charlotte, is an active member of the largest Rotary Club in Charlotte, and a member of the Charlotte Society for Human Resources.
Juanita Wilson is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokees Indians (Cherokee). She manages Training & Development for the EBCI Human Resources Department. She believes in the power of collaborative partnerships and has over 15 years of collective experience working for nonprofit, education, and governmental entities including Region A Partnership for Children, Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Cherokee Central Schools, Southwestern Community College, Western Carolina University, and the EBCI. She has served on numerous boards and committees, and participated in top leadership academies such as the NC Governor’s Leadership Academy, Native Americans in Philanthropy’s, Circle of Leadership Academy, NC Native Leadership Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Z. Smith Reynolds Community Leadership Council.
“Our new board members bring extensive and diverse nonprofit leadership experience from every corner of the state,” said Deviré Robinson, vice president, philanthropic advancement at Foundation For The Carolinas and Center board chair. “We are very excited about their energy and the possibilities the Center has to continue to help nonprofits strengthen their management capacities.”
The Board also selected its new slate of officers for 2021-22, including:
- Chair: Deviré Robinson, Vice President, Philanthropic Advancement at Foundation For The Carolinas in Charlotte
- Vice Chair: Dawn Chávez, Executive Director of Asheville Greenworks in Asheville
- Treasurer: Angela Poole, Interim Chief Financial Officer of The Institute in Durham
- Secretary: Jeanne Tedrow, President & CEO of North Carolina Center for Nonprofits in Raleigh
“I am pleased to welcome our new officers and directors to the Center’s board. This very talented team and our entire board express the Center’s deep commitment to serve North Carolina’s diverse nonprofit sector,” said Jeanne Tedrow, Center president & CEO.
See the complete 2021-22 Board of Directors at www.ncnonprofits.org/board-directors.
About the Center: Founded in 1990, the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a statewide network for nonprofit board and staff members, an information center on effective organizational practices, and an advocate for the nonprofit sector as a whole. We offer services directly to all sizes and types of 501(c)(3) nonprofits and work closely with other local, state, and national groups that assist nonprofits.
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