Posted January 19, 2022
An extensive Executive Director search will be conducted
As we begin a new year, I wanted to share that our Executive Director at The Belk Foundation, Johanna Anderson, has let me know that she will be stepping down at the end of spring. Johanna has made a tremendous impact on the Foundation and our mission during her 12-year tenure. We will miss her dearly and wish her well as she moves into her next chapter.
Johanna guided The Belk Foundation to establish our two strategic issues of third grade reading and equitable access to effective teachers. She was integral in the 2015 formation of Read Charlotte, Mecklenburg’s initiative to improve children’s literacy, and in recent years has championed research-based literacy improvement at the state level. Johanna advocated for innovative practices in educator human capital, such as advanced teaching roles piloted in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that have now spread to multiple districts across North Carolina. A hallmark of Johanna’s leadership has been fostering collaborative partnerships across education leaders, researchers and philanthropy to improve outcomes for students.
In 2009, Johanna joined The Belk Foundation as our first Executive Director, a significant milestone in our Foundation’s 94-year history. She has overseen $30 million in grants to public education, leading our Foundation with humility and an abiding passion for students and teachers. She engaged the fourth-generation of the Belk family to establish the Next Generation Advisory Board, attracted top caliber community leaders to our Board of Directors, and advanced the Foundation’s commitment to racial equity.
We plan to conduct an extensive search and will look forward to celebrating Johanna’s leadership in the coming months. I hope you will join me in congratulating her on the indelible mark she has made on our community.
Please stay tuned for an invitation to February programming related to our strategic issues as well as further information on our Executive Director search.
John R. Belk
Board Chair, The Belk Foundation