Paul R. Barkus
Managing Director of Bessemer Trust
Mr. Barkus joined Bessemer Trust in 2000 after the acquisition of Brundage, Story and Rose, where he served as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. Prior to Brundage, he was a portfolio manager at Bankers Trust Company.
Mr. Barkus graduated from Deerfield Academy and received a B.A. from Vanderbilt University Magna Cum Laudi; Phi Beta Kappa. He has served as a past Governor and Treasurer of the Investment Counsel Association of America and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Besides serving on the Mebane Charitable Foundation Board he is a Trustee of The Byrne Family Foundation.
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“The Mebane Foundation serves as a catalyst for developing programs to address many of the challenges facing education today, providing both inspired leadership and funding in melding state of the art technology with innovative teaching techniques. Allen Mebane’s vision and drive to improve early childhood education, combined with his firsthand knowledge of the importance of education in developing the skills needed to allow American workers to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace, serve as a model for how public / private partnerships should work in North Carolina and across the nation. Seeing first hand the enthusiasm with which both students and teachers embrace these new programs, along with the support that has grown throughout the community, makes my involvement with the Foundation particularly rewarding.”
Carl N. Boon
Owner of Whip-O-Will Land & Cattle, LLC
Mr. Boon is a former partner of Piece Good Shops, Inc., a retailer of fabrics, notions and crafts, which at its peak had more than 300 stores in the eastern United States. Prior to his business ownership Mr. Boon was in the fabric merchandising business with such department stores as Stix, Baer & Fuller, St. Louis, Missouri and May Department Stores in Los Angeles, California.
Mr. Boon graduated with a B.S. in Business from Washington University of St. Louis.
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“All of my life I’ve had a passion for helping children. I’m so happy and proud to be with the Mebane Charitable Foundation, an organization that is sincere and true to its mission to help educate our children, no matter what walk of life they may come from.”
John A. Hilton, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer of The Bessemer Group, Incorporated
Prior to joining Bessemer Trust, Mr. Hilton was managing director for The Deerpath Group of Lake Forest, Illinois. Earlier he served as an executive director for Merrill Lynch & Co’s Private Capital Group in Chicago. He began his career at Citibank in 1969 and served in offices in New York City, Syracuse, Houston and Rio de Janeiro.
Mr. Hilton received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Vermont. Besides serving on the Mebane Charitable Foundation Board he is a board member with Churchview Building Corporation and the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars and serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Vermont.
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“I firmly believe there is nothing more important to the future of our country than educating young Americans. What the Mebane Charitable Foundation is doing for education in rural North Carolina is truly extraordinary.”
Reverend John C. Lathrop
Retired
Reverend Lathrop retired from St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Compton, California as Rector and Headmaster in 2000 and from the Center for Community and Family Services, a California nonprofit with child development and Head Start programs, as Chief Executive Officer in 1995. He is also a retired United Sates Army Colonel.
Reverend Lathrop received his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and also holds B.D., M. Div., and Ph.D. Degrees.
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President of McMillion Capital Management, Inc. a SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm founded in 1980.
Previously, Mr. McMillion had been with Citibank, New York; Venture Capital; President, First Securities of North Carolina; Officer/Director Wheat, First Securities, Richmond, Va.; Director/Chairman Finance Committee, Eastern Music Festival, Greensboro, N.C. Mr. McMillion received a B.S. Degree in Business and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a J.D. from the UNC at Chapel Hill School of Law, and LLM – Taxation from New York University School of Law.
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"The great 18th century English poet, Alexander Pope wrote in his Moral Essays:
‘Tis education forms the common mind:
Just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined.'
“To be given the opportunity to affect the direction of just one twig, at its most formative stage, is a gift in keeping with the mission statement of the Mebane Charitable Foundation and is ample reward for the privilege of board membership.”
George Allen ( Jay ) Mebane, V
Nonprofit Leadership & International Trade
Mr. Mebane has been very involved in nonprofit leadership. Besides sitting on the Mebane Charitable Foundation board he is on the Cleveland County Humane Society board in Shelby, North Carolina. He is past board chair for local Shelby nonprofits, Dover Foundation YMCA; Coalition for the Homeless; Cleveland County Red Cross; Cleveland Community College and North Shelby School Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program.
Mr. Mebane graduated with a B.A. from Duke University in 1977.
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“From my earliest involvement with such initiatives as Touching the Lives of Children and WINGS Literacy Program, I’ve been proud of the Foundation’s ability to be a catalyst for public and private partnerships which insures sustainability and staying power over time, and ultimately quantitative results that affect the lives of our children.”
Chairperson of the Board of Mebane Charitable Foundation
Mrs. Mebane is a past member of the Junior League of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and a member of Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem. Mrs. Mebane is a graduate of Averett University.
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“Our Foundation has had the goal of improving the education of children since its beginning and I feel that we are successfully engaged in accomplishing this.”
<Dr. Mary E. Rittling
President of Davidson County Community College
Dr. Rittling previously served as President of Potomac State College and was Regional Vice President for West Virginia University. Sshe has held several positions in education at State University of New York, College of Technology at Delhi, including that of Vice President of Academic Affairs and Interim President. Dr. Rittling received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York, and a Master of Science in Nursing from Binghamton University in Binghamton, N.Y. She also holds a Master of Science and Doctorate of Education in Higher and Adult Education from Columbia University in New York.
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“Serving on the Mebane Charitable Foundation is humbling. The work funded by the Foundation is enhancing the future of our young citizens. In return our community will flourish. While I find the dedication of the staff of the organizations funded outstanding, it is Mr. Mebane’s vision that is indescribable. His perseverance and passion has made the work of the foundation a success. I am honored to be part of this effort”.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Grady-White Boats, Inc.
Mr. Smith has been at the helm of Grady-White for 40 years. The company is the world’s premier builder of outboard powered sport fishing boats ranging from 18-36 feet and has its headquarters in Greenville, North Carolina. Grady-White manufactures 22 models which are distributed both nationally and internationally through independently owned Grady-White dealerships.
Mr. Smith is a graduate of The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Just a few of his numerous industry and charitable affiliations include past member of the Board of Directors of the American Boat & Yacht Council, Inc and past Chairman of the Board of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. He is a past member of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, past member of the Board of Trustees of the International Game Fish Association and The Recreation Roundtable. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the UNC Educational Foundation; World Presidents’ Organization; and Chief Executives Organization.
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“I am excited about having an opportunity to participate in the Mebane family’s vision of dramatically improving early age education. I have seen its effects in Davie County and I have no doubt that the excellent models being developed there can spread throughout North Carolina and beyond. It has been educational in helping me with my own philanthropy in learning how you can effectively decide on which projects to support, how to help them be successful in their efforts, and the importance of holding them accountable in achieving their stated goals. In working with the Mebane Foundation I have also learned the tremendous advantage of “leverage” through challenge grants which help the non-profits reach higher goals much more rapidly.”