On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl
sits down with Craig DeLucia, CEO at The Leonard G. Herring Family
Foundation and President and CFO at NC Tech Paths.
Craig speaks on the crucial difference between charity and
philanthropy. To him, being charitable is writing a check to help a
good organization do well, whereas philanthropy involves human
capital—direct involvement—in helping the community or organization
solve problems.
Discussing his role at The Leonard G. Herring Family
Foundation in Wilkes County, Craig believes that the challenges
presented by the pandemic over the past couple of years have
heightened the urgency of his work at the nonprofit. Fueling
Craig’s passion for his role is the fact that he had worked
directly with the Leonards’ as their CPA before their
passing.
The foundation supports a variety of projects from coast to
coast, with a focus on impacting the quality of life of the
citizens of Wilkes County via expanding access to education.
“Our work is honoring the legacy of Leonard and Rose
Herring—two incredible human beings—and their service to the
community in Wilkes County, as well as their family’s desire to
impact their communities where they live.”
Another nonprofit led by Craig is NC Tech Paths which aims to
“break the urban world divide in the digital economy.” While The
Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation aims to equal the playing
field with regards to education, NC Tech Paths is a logical
extension of sorts, as it works to provide greater access to
technology jobs to young professionals in an economy where
virtually every company today has technology needs.
Craig says that part of succeeding in the modern economy when
it comes to attracting and retaining a workforce is access to
quality-of-life amenities. With greater access to education and the
technological skills required to thrive in the new normal, those
quality-of-life amenities naturally flow into the community.
Looking to the future, Craig sees his philanthropic
collaborations with amazing organizations as serving as a model for
the rest of North Carolina. In his words: “We are living a case
study that will be written about in the most positive ways for how
a community can come together and roll up its sleeves and do the
hard work to make it the best place it can be.”
