Sabbaticals Awarded by Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (July 21, 2004)
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has awarded sabbatical grants of $15,000 each to five leaders from North Carolina's nonprofit community through its annual Z. Smith Reynolds Sabbatical Program. The sabbaticals allow nonprofit leaders to take extended breaks from their rigorous jobs to relax, revitalize, and gain new energy.

This year's winners are:

• James Barrett, executive director of Pisgah Legal Services in Asheville
• Peter Kittany, director of the North Carolina Rural Communities Assistance Project in Pittsboro
• Sonjia Kurosky, executive director of Samaritan Ministries in Winston-Salem
• Mary Ann Lama, executive director of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services in Wilmington
• Jonathan Sher, president of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute in Raleigh

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation established the sabbatical program almost 15 years ago. Foundation trustees saw that some of the most creative and inspired leaders in the nonprofit community were burning themselves out because they had no relief from the daily challenges of sustaining and effectively managing a nonprofit.

"This is a practical solution to a serious problem," Thomas W. Ross, Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, said. "We make it possible for these people to walk out the door and not worry about how they will pay their personal bills or whether the organization will have adequate leadership while they are gone. It enables them to clear their minds, renew their spirits, and get a fresh perspective on life."

Ross urged North Carolinians in communities around the state to look at nonprofit leaders in their area and urge them to apply to the Foundation if they think they might benefit from a sabbatical. The sabbaticals may last from three to six months. Recipients structure their time away as they choose to travel, work on special projects, spend time with family, read, relax or simply reflect.

"Often we look at nonprofit leaders as sort of superheroes intensely motivated and devoted, to their causes. And they are. But because they are so motivated and dedicated, many drive themselves unmercifully. This program gives them downtime, a chance to recharge their batteries," said Ross.

Barrett has served as executive director of Pisgah Legal Services for 10 years and has worked at the nonprofit for 20 years. Pisgah Legal Services advances and protects the legal rights of low-wealth individuals. Barrett manages a staff of 24, including 11 attorneys, with an annual budget of approximately $1.5 million. In 2002, the NC Center For Nonprofits honored Pisgah Legal Services with its Nonprofit Sector Steward Award.

"As I served 10 years as director, my daughters grew to the ages of 11 and 13," Barrett said. "It seems that they are nearing the end of the golden years when they are content to be with their parents. My sabbatical activities will involve a considerable amount of travel on what they call 'field trips.'"

Kittany has worked with the North Carolina Rural Communities Assistance Project for 20 years, serving as director for the last eight years. The Rural Communities Assistance Project provides assistance to low income rural communities on public health and environmental quality issues pertaining to water, wastewater, solid waste and affordable housing.

"I want to continue in this profession as long as I possibly can, but I feel I must now stop and listen to my body and its imperative to 'slow down' a bit - to care for myself with dedication equal to that invested in the world around me," Kittany said. "I'm like a winded runner. I want to continue the race, of course, but I just need to stop, close my eyes and hold my knees for a few minutes before I move on."

Kurosky has served as the executive director of Samaritan Ministries for 11 years. Samaritan Ministries provides hope and healing by offering food, shelter, and guidance to individuals and families in need. Kurosky, who directs the staff and overall operations of Samaritan Ministries, received the 1996 Leadership Winston-Salem Alumni (Salem Class) Scholarship and the 1997 Triad Girl Scout Council Dream Catchers Award.

"I am totally committed to our work at Samaritan Ministries. I am also totally committed to my own well-being and that of my staff," Kurosky said. "My absence through a sabbatical will create an opportunity for our most talented staff to stretch into greater leadership. Through this sabbatical, I know I'll receive the gift of rejuvenation, better perspective and greater creativity."

For 18 years, Lama has been the executive director of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services, which provides shelter and direct services to victims of domestic violence and their children. She oversees management and administration, community education, employee supervision, program development and implementation, and budgeting and fund development. Lama has received numerous awards and accolades, including the YWCA Women of Achievement Award and Jaycees Boss of the Year Award.

"It is kind of ironic that my position as the first executive director of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services was partially funded by a Z. Smith Reynolds grant in 1985," Lama said. "I can't imagine doing anything else except what I've been doing. It's the real work of the planet. It is my life's work. It's what I need to return to . . . after a rest."

Sher has worked for eight years as president of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute. Founded in 1983, the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-issue organization that influences public policy in favor of North Carolinians below the age of 18. At the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute, Sher leads five full-time and 15 part-time staff, oversees the organization's strategic plan, and has responsibility for fundraising and financial management. Sher also serves as vice chair of the Covenant with North Carolina's Children, a public policy coalition of 140 organizations representing approximately a half million members.

"This sabbatical will allow me to recharge my batteries, regain my edge and approach the Institute's work with renewed vigor and a fresh perspective." Sher said. "My time away also will give everyone else at the Institute a chance to break the recent cycle of having me involved in the minutiae of too many tasks."

The recipients of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation sabbaticals were selected on the basis of the need for a break from the stress and challenges of their work environment, the innovation and creativity they have demonstrated in their past work achievements, and their potential to continue to make significant contributions to public service.

The Sabbatical Program was initiated in 1990 by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1936 as a memorial to the youngest child of R. J. Reynolds. During its history, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has made grants of more than $354 million to projects in all 100 counties in North Carolina. The Foundation's current areas of major interest are community-building and economic development; the environment; governance, public policy and civic engagement; pre-collegiate education; and social justice and equity.

# # #


For more information call:
Tom Ross at (336) 725-7541 or
Scott Carpenter at Ralph Simpson & Associates (336) 761-0711