NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The endowment’s new CEO Dan Winslow has selected two new hires to join the charitable organization in October days after three employees announced their resignations. Both new hires have past work affiliations with Winslow.
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The New Hanover County Endowment was founded with $1.25 billion from the sale of New Hanover County Regional Medical Center to Novant in 2020. It focuses on allocating grants to address systemic county problems including health, safety, and housing.
The endowment announced Wednesday Jodi-Tatiana Charles will join the team as interim chief marketing officer and Gabriella Diaz will serve as administrative assistant. Both will begin shortly after new CEO Winslow steps into his position Oct. 1.
The announcement comes the same week as three employees — interim director and vice president of programs and operations Lakesha McDay, communications director Kevin Maurer, and programs and operations coordinator Alison Cheng — announced their resignations.
Winslow is exiting as president of nonprofit New England Legal Foundation, served as a former Massachusetts state senator, and was a private-sector attorney. Port City Daily reached out to the endowment to ask when he made the new hiring decisions and if he has other planned employees but did not receive an answer by press.
Tatianna-Charles is the founder of marketing and business consultancy firm LCG Brands. Her past experience includes working as director of small and diverse business engagement for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and community outreach coordinator for nonprofit MassChallenge.
MassChallenge provides funding and mentoring assistance to startups and was founded by two Bain & Company consultants in 2010. Tatiana-Charles is former deputy press secretary for Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the former CEO of Bain & Company. Winslow also served as Romney’s chief legal counsel from 2002 to 2005.
“Jodi’s experience working with diverse sectors, including nonprofits, coupled with her passion for community engagement will help amplify the Endowment’s efforts to address critical needs in education, social and health equity, community development, and safety, and create long-term, community-driven solutions,” Winslow said in a Thursday press release.
LCG Brands’ clients include small businesses, universities, and multinational corporations. PricewaterhouseCoopers — Novant’s financial auditor and a financial supporter of the New England Legal Foundation — is a client of LCG Brands.
Diaz most recently worked as an executive assistant for Las Vegas-based Executive Option LLC. Executive Option provides consulting services to a diverse range of sectors including the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, casino, electronics, and agriculture industries.
“Gabriella’s experience will be instrumental in advancing the Endowment’s mission and connecting with the community,” Winslow said in the release. “She will be an asset to our administrative and operations work and serve as the administrative liaison to the Board and support the operations team.”
Diaz worked as an executive assistant with the new endowment CEO at Las Vegas-based software firm Rimini Street for several months before Winslow left to become the president of the New England Legal Foundation in October 2021. Winslow worked as legal counsel and eventually served as executive vice president for the firm Rimini Street for eight years; he grew the staff of lawyers to 70 before his exit.
“We’re excited for both Jodi and Gabriella to join our team. We know their leadership will enhance the organization, strengthen our partnerships, and elevate NHCE’s role in driving long-lasting and impactful change in our community,” endowment board chair Bill Cameron said in the press release.
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