One aspect of the nonprofit world that too often gets overlooked is the volunteer leadership that has for so many years driven the success of our local nonprofits. Having served as President of the HPCF for almost 27 years now, I often reflect upon the generations of leadership that have taken us from a fledging $5 million Foundation to a $115 million organization which has granted more than $112 million since 1998.
I still remember my first day on the job when I sat alone in my single room office, with a laptop, a cellphone and one picture on the wall my father had just given me. That day I folded my hands, lowered my head, and prayed, “God, you better be in charge of this, because if it is just me, we’re in real trouble.” Since then, I have seen those prayers answered by the remarkable Trustees who have worked arm-in-arm with me to take this great endeavor forward. I have learned it is not the CEOs, or the paid staff who build and sustain long-term nonprofit success stories. It is instead the generations of local volunteer leaders who provide the energy, wisdom, vision, leadership, and commitment. Here is a glimpse of our leadership, remarkable folks who are even now shaping the future of the Foundation and High Point.
Let me begin with Barry Safrit, who is the 13th Chair of the HPCF, and the son of “Pinky” Safrit, a devoted business and community leader who passed on his commitment of community service to his son. Barry has an accountant’s attention-to-detail and an unrelenting commitment to excellence. He puts an enormous amount of his time and energy into the HPCF while also serving as the CFO at Marsh Cabinets. There is Mark Nelson, our Treasurer, who has served in multiple roles at the HPCF including chairing both our Grants and Finance Committees while also serving as Co-Chair at Open Door Ministry. He brings accountability and transparency, which is key to our success. In all his spare time, he is the Senior Partner of his local accounting firm, Dodson, Shelton and Nelson, PA.
We also have the Pinnacle Bank “Dynamic Duo” in John Bencini, our most recent past Chair, who is a Vice-President at High Point’s Pinnacle Bank and William Laney, our current, Vice-Chair who is the Lending Officer at Pinnacle Bank. Both men have a long history of community service and come from strong family traditions of servant leadership. They bring a wealth of experience and wisdom from the banking field, which is important to our financial and investment operations. One of our youngest Trustees is Raven Jefferson, High Point’s First Lady, who serves as Chair of our most visible and impacting programs, the HPCF Annual Grants Program. She does all of this while serving full-time as a Community Coordinator with the High Point Schools Partnership and raising two cute young sons!
Overseeing our all-important Governance Committee, which ensures the integrity and consistency of our Foundation, is one of the most conscientious people I have ever known, Angela Kreinbrink. She is a partner at the McAllister, Aldridge and Kreinbrink Law Firm and is widely known and respected for her expertise in Estate Planning. In our Investment Committee that has successfully grown our assets over the years are Rufus Yates who retired from senior leadership at Truist, David Covington, a leader in the local textile industry, Sandy Finch and John Thomas who were both leaders in the Furniture industry. These men have brought experience, rigor, and insight to our investment strategy.
Our Trustees understand that organizational progress demands time, oversight, commitment, and thoughtful leadership. They are the “secret sauce,” which has made the HPCF a successful financial resource, a “Reservoir of Hope,” that will impact High Point for generations to come. I want to share this picture of leadership with the younger generation, who are even now busy building lives and careers in High Point to remind them that these nonprofits will one day be depending on them to step-up and lead. For Good, For High Point, Forever.
