Paul R. Barkus
Managing Director, Bessemer Trust
Mr. Barkus joined Bessemer Trust, an international financial services firm with headquarters in New York, in 2000 after its acquisition of Brundage, Story and Rose, where he served as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. Previously, he was a portfolio manager at Bankers Trust Company. He graduated from Deerfield Academy and earned a B.A. at Vanderbilt University with Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. A Chartered Financial Analyst, he is past Governor and Treasurer of the Investment Counsel Association of America.
“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 firsthand 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.”
Ron E. Blaylock
Founder & Managing Partner, Gennx360 Capital Partners
Ronald E. Blaylock is a Founder and Managing Partner, and member of the Investment Committee of GenNx360 Capital Partners, a private equity fund headquartered in New York City.
Prior to launching GenNx360 Capital Partners, Mr. Blaylock was Chief Executive Officer of Blaylock & Company, a highly regarded investment banking company he founded in 1993. Prior to founding Blaylock & Company, Mr. Blaylock held executive management positions with UBS and Citigroup.
Mr. Blaylock currently serves on the corporate boards of W.R. Berkley, Inc. CarMax, Inc., Radio One, Inc., and was recently elected to the board of Pfizer, Inc. in February, 2017. He also currently serves on the boards of Carnegie Hall and the New York University Stern School of Business, and was elected to the board of The Mebane Foundation in April of 2017. He had previously served on the board of Georgetown University and the New York University Board of Trustees. He had also been named “Man of the Year” by Covenant House for his work with abandoned youth.
Paul H. Livingston, Jr
Attorney, Schell Bray Aycock Abel & Livingston PLLC
Mr. Livingston engages in the private practice of law in North Carolina and concentrates his practice in Trusts and Estates and Exempt Organizations. He received a BS in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina (is a CPA) and a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law. Mr. Livingston is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is a former chair of the Tax Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. In addition to serving on the Board of the Mebane Charitable Foundation, Mr. Livingston currently serves as a Board Member of Well Spring Retirement Community, Inc.
“I believe there is no more important task for the future of our country than to provide a world-class education for the next generation. A primary focus of the Mebane Charitable Foundation is to identify cutting-edge approaches to education, to document the effectiveness of those approaches in the field, and then to find ways to replicate those approaches across the country. I am truly honored to play a role in these efforts.”
Donald C. McMillion
President, McMillion Capital Management, Inc
Before founding McMillion Capital Management, Mr. McMillion worked with Citibank, New York; Venture Capital; First Securities of North Carolina, President; Wheat, First Securities, Richmond, Virginia, Officer/Director; and Eastern Music Festival, Greensboro, North Carolina, Director and Finance Committee Chairman. He received a B.S. in Business and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; a J.D. from the UNC School of Law, and a LLM-Taxation from NYU School of Law.
“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 Foundation and is ample reward for the privilege of board membership.”
Marianne Cheek Mebane
Chairperson, Mebane Foundation Board of Directors
Mrs. Mebane is a trustee with The North Carolina Museum of Art, and she is a member of the NYU Medical Center Chairman’s Circle Advisory Board and is on the board of the Animal Medical Center. Mrs. Mebane is a member of Christ Church, New York. She is a graduate of Averett University.
“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.”
William Mebane
Mr. Mebane is a financial planning and analysis manager at Unifi, Inc. He received a B.S. in Accounting from Elon University in 2011. He earned a Masters of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University. He enjoys hunting, traveling, scuba diving and playing golf.
“It is crucial for children to master reading and writing early in life. I believe the Mebane Foundation is committed to helping children accomplish this goal as well as prepare them for the rest of their educational career.”
Dennis W. Quaintance
Founder, CEO, Chief Design Officer and Chief Storytelling Officer of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants & Hotels based in Greensboro, NC
Beyond his interest in business, Dennis is actively involved with civic endeavors primarily centered on issues of social fairness and sustainable practices. He is a past member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), having led a regional YPO educational program, and he was Executive in Residence for a year at the Center for Creative Leadership. He became acquainted with Allen Mebane in the late 1970s, and he still considers Allen a mentor because the echoes of Allen’s advice, common sense and wisdom influence him daily.
“It is only fair that all children be given every opportunity to realize their full potential for experiencing joy and prosperity. It is an honor, and a humbling opportunity, to get to serve the Mebane Foundation in helping more young people discover their potential and become responsible and joyful global citizens.”
Dr. Mary E. Rittling
President, Davidson County Community College
Before becoming Davidson County Community College President, Dr. Rittling served as President of Potomac State College and was Regional Vice President for West Virginia University. She has held administrative posts at State University of New York’s College at Delhi, including Vice President of Academic Affairs and Interim President. She received a B.S. in Nursing from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York, and a M.S. in Nursing from Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York. She also holds an M.S. and Doctorate of Education from Columbia University in New York.
“Serving the Mebane 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.”