Photo Caption: Mo Green accepted an award from shift_ed President and CEO Wendy Poteat at an event presented by High Point University on May 2, 2023.
---
Former Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) Executive Director Maurice “Mo” Green is known statewide as a champion of public education.
In 2015, when Green transitioned from his role as superintendent of Guilford County Schools to ZSR, Guilford County community members established a scholarship fund through local nonprofit shift_ed in recognition of his work.
Now, eight years after the Maurice “Mo” Green Endowed Fund for shift_ed was first established, ZSR is donating $425,000 to the fund in honor of Green’s years of dedicated service to the Foundation.
Green chose shift_ed to receive the honorarium because he considers it a “gamechanger” for students and families in Guilford County. “During my time as superintendent,” he says, “I encountered many families who couldn’t envision an educational future for their kids beyond high school simply because of cost. shift_ed’s all-encompassing approach to supporting students, from tutoring to last-dollar tuition scholarships, helps students and families see that anything is possible.”
shift_ed President and CEO Wendy Poteat calls Green a visionary. “It was thanks to his foresight and persistence that shift_ed came to exist in Guilford County,” she says. “To transform our community means accelerating outcomes for our students so they can fill critical roles in our workforce. Mo understood that and assembled changemakers from across the county to make it happen. This gift underscores his commitment to students, families and our entire community.”
Green led Guilford County Schools for more than seven years, completing the district’s first-ever strategic plan and launching a second, both of which have resulted in notable outcomes such as increased graduation rates and other impressive student achievements, both academic and non-academic.
In 2016 Green took the leadership role at ZSR and served for nearly seven years. In that time the Foundation launched All For NC, our current Framework for Grantmaking and Learning.
Green considers the donation from ZSR humbling. “It is an honor not only for me but also for my entire family to know that these resources will enable students in Guilford County to continue their educational journeys beyond high school graduation,” he says. “Knowing that we are helping to break down financial barriers and open doors for the next generation of leaders is truly humbling and deeply gratifying.”