|
 New
Executive
Director Hired
T. Duane Gordon comes to Middletown from
the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, Miss.
The Middletown Community
Foundation is pleased to announce the hiring of T. Duane Gordon as executive
director. Gordon succeeds Kay Wright, who retired Jan. 1 after eight years
in the position but plans to continue working until February to assist in
the transition.
Gordon comes to
Middletown
from the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, Miss., where he had worked
for nearly eight years, the three most recent as Director of Finance and
Technology. Previously, he had performed the duties of Communications
Officer, Programs Officer and Development Officer at the
Jackson
foundation, which covered a three-county service area of 450,000 residents.
He is the Community
Foundation’s fourth executive director since its 1986 creation, following
Wright, Norman Hayes and Ronald Ely.
Gordon was an active leader
in
Jackson
nonprofit community, having been elected Vice President of the Board of
Directors of the Mississippi Chapter Association of Fundraising
Professionals and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi
Chorus, in which he was also a singer. Other volunteer work included with
the Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross in the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina, the Phi Theta Kappa/USA Today All USA Academic Team,
Jackson
Public
School District
and Mississippi
Center
for Nonprofits.
In 2003, the Southeastern
Council on Foundations named him a Hull Leadership Fellow. The annual
program seeks to identify and nurture young leaders in philanthropy from
around the southern region. It involves a rigorous application and screening
process, an intensive leadership fellowship conference and additional
professional development at the Council’s annual conference.
Prior to joining the
nonprofit sector, Gordon worked as a member of the press. He holds a
journalism and communications degree from
Mississippi
State
University, where he was graduated with honors. His early career path
included service as a newspaper reporter, photographer and editor, receiving
more than 20 individual awards from the Mississippi Press Association.
He said thus far he has
found a very excited and hospitable community.
“Everyone I’ve met here
has welcomed me with open arms and spoken with such an enthusiasm for the
changes they see coming to
Middletown
,” he said. “The city certainly presents challenges, but I see a road of
opportunity and tremendous potential. I am very honored to have been
selected to for a position where I hope to work with other stakeholders in
the community to grab that potential and turn the opportunities into action
for the betterment of greater
Middletown."
|
