On Tuesday next week, Dan Winslow will officially take the reins as the CEO and President of the New Hanover Community Endowment.
Winslow is a former Massachusetts Republican politician and attorney who until recently ran the Libertarian-leaning New England Legal Foundation. He will head up the $1.3 billion community foundation formed from the sale of the county-owned New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health.
This week, ahead of Winslow’s arrival, three Endowment staff members resigned: Executive Vice President Lakesha McDay, Director of Communications Kevin Maurer, and Programs and Operations Coordination Alison Cheng. McDay, who has run day-to-day operations since former CEO William Buster was ousted earlier this year, has agreed to stay on for several months to help Winslow with the transition.
Related: Top staff members resign from New Hanover Community Endowment
Winslow hired Jodi-Tatiana Charles as the interim chief marketing officer, touting her “experience working with diverse sectors, including nonprofits, coupled with her passion for community engagement.” A spokesperson from Eckel & Vaughan, the PR firm currently handling the Endowment’s communications, declined to say why it’s an ‘interim’ position or why Winslow had pivoted from 'communications' to 'marketing.'
[Editor's note: After publication, E&V reached out with additional context on Charles' hire, noting "expertise is transitional growth for organizations. This role will eventually be brought fully in-house as we evolve our improved communications and marketing efforts."]
Charles and Winslow both worked in Republican Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's administration starting in late 2002; Winslow was Romney's general legal counsel and Charles served as deputy press secretary.
Like Winslow, Charles has long worked in the greater Boston area, where she’s built an impressive three-decade-long record working in marketing and consulting. In 2009, she founded her own firm, LCG Brands, which she's run for 15 years.
Charles calls herself a “brandographer,” telling Moneys Magazine last year, “I am the choreographer to my client’s and mentee’s brands. Once a client has defined their brand, we help them tell their story to the world.“
Charles has also served as president of the Marblehead Festival of the Arts, which has for decades run in Marblehead community north of Boston.
Winslow also hired Gabriella Diaz as an administrative assistant, saying her “experience will be instrumental in advancing the Endowment’s mission and connecting with the community.” According to the Endowment, Diaz “is fluent in Spanish and will be an asset as the Endowment continues its work with diverse populations.”
According to her LinkedIn account, Diaz has worked in several executive assistant positions over the last four years, in addition to working for a couple of years as a personal trainer.
Diaz’s year working at Rimini Street, a Las Vegas-based software firm, overlapped with the end of Winslow’s time as executive vice president at the company, where he had built and managed an extensive global legal team. Most recently, she worked at Executive Option, a consulting firm that specializes in “getting companies in distress back on track,” boasting “salvage expertise and resuscitation services for distressed projects.”
According to the Endowment, Charles and Diaz will both start work shortly after Winslow’s official start date next week
“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,” Board Chair Bill Cameron wrote in a statement.
