Dear John Rex Endowment partners and friends,  

When someone asks me to share about myself, I think about a lot of things. My family. My professional career. The lived experiences that have shaped my outlook on life and leadership.  

But one of the most important things that comes to mind is my home: North Carolina. I grew up here, went to high school here and came back here to work. Today, I live in with my family, including my 12-year-old son, who is a Wake County public school student.  

I say all of this because I want you to know that John Rex Endowment’s work – your work – is personal to me. Being chosen as board chair is both an honor and a privilege, and I’m thrilled to lead this work alongside you in 2024.  

Our collective work is about a commitment to racial equity, to education, to the social emotional health of children, to making this community – our community – a better place for generations to come.   

Through this work, we’re partnering with amazing nonprofits to make real change happen. We help these nonprofits – nonprofits that do everything from helping youth involved with foster care find safe homes to helping kids learn to read – build their capacity. We work together to ensure these organizations have the support they need to grow and serve their clients well. We’re also collaborating with other foundations and friends to expand our impact. We’re thinking about ways to support movement building, too.   

And we’re planning ahead – way ahead. Most organizations create a four, maybe five year strategic plan. But we’re dreaming bigger. We’ve developed a clear vision for the next 20 years. In 20 years, we will have a resilient, equity-centered ecosystem that is better equipped to improve the social emotional health of children. 

Everything we do is focused on this goal.  

I’ll be the first to admit it – this work can be hard. We face challenges every single day, including criticism about our focus on equity. Yet, we remain steadfast in our commitment. We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing, because it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do for our community, for our kids and for a strong, thriving future for all in Wake County.  

Through my leadership, we’re going to continue learning as we do this work and finding even better ways to serve this community.  

As we look to 2024, I want you to know how much we value you as well – our partners, fellow child advocates, supporters and friends. Together, we’re going to continue making a difference this year.  

I can’t wait to get started.  

All our best,  

Bryan