The Endowment announced this week that Sophie Dagenais will be the new CEO and president. She's the third person to lead The Endowment in four years.
The Endowment, formed with $1.25 billion from the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center by the county to Novant Health, is now in charge of $1.7 billion in assets. The Endowment has made major grant contributions since its inception in 2021, committing nearly $180 million.
But the organization has also struggled with internal discord and executive turnover. The Endowment's first CEO, William Buster, was hired in 2022 and left abruptly just over two years later, in 2024. His successor, Dan Winslow, took the reins in October 2024, and lasted less than a year, resigning — again, abruptly — in July of last year.
Dagenais was initially hired as the vice-president of programs and grants in early 2025; she has been serving in a dual role as VP and interim CEO and president since Winslow's exit in July.
Naming Dagenais as the new CEO and president appears to have settled an internal debate over whether to hire a local leader or again conduct a nationwide search. Dagenais is a relatively recent transplant to Wilmington; she relocated here in the summer of 2024 and has said she previously owned a home in the area "many years ago." It also quiets rumors, at least for now, that New Hanover County Manager Chris Coudriet was in line for the job; Coudriet has consistently denied he had any interest in the role.
