Laura Gerald

President

Contact Details
laura@kbr.org

At the Trust

I work every day to ensure the Trust’s investments achieve Mrs. Reynolds’ vision of improving the health and quality of life of North Carolinians. I lead strategic direction and am responsible for overall management of the Trust. As president, I represent the Trust and take a leadership role in philanthropy at the state and national level.

My Proudest Accomplishment

My proudest accomplishments are those of the Trust, including, after 70 years, setting a new strategic direction and deepening our commitment to racial equity and systems change to achieve Mrs. Reynolds’ vision. I am excited that everything we do—our grantmaking, our messaging, and even our website—remain consistent with Mrs. Reynolds’ values, to inform our success today. In 2022, we advanced this work by announcing that the Trust would divest from tobacco and invest $100 million of the foundation’s corpus in socially responsible funds that support economic opportunity for North Carolina residents. The announcement coincided with the Trust’s 75th anniversary and further aligned Trust resources with our founder’s mission.

Before I Got Here

  • Market Medical Director, Evolent Health
  • North Carolina State Health Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health
  • Executive Director, North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission
  • Senior Medical Consultant, Community Care of North Carolina
  • Pediatrician, Lumberton, NC

Education and Awards

  • Bachelor of Arts, Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges
  • Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  • Master of Public Health, Harvard University School of Public Health
  • David T. Tayloe Sr. Award for Outstanding Community Service, 2020, North Carolina Pediatric Society

When the Day is Done

I serve on the Board of Directors of Grantmakers in Health, the Board of Trustees for Winston-Salem State University, the Advisory Board for Center for Effective Philanthropy, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Wisdom Council. I am a board-certified pediatrician and fellow in American Academy of Pediatrics and an adjunct assistant professor at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. In addition, I have two beautiful sons, and I enjoy hiking, traveling, cooking, and reading.

Back to all people

Related News & Stories

Confronting Structural Racism to Build a Thriving Future

Stewards work with others to create the conditions that everyone needs to thrive, beginning with those who are struggling and suffering. But what happens when a steward recognizes that to be in deeper, trusting relationships with the people an organization serves, you must acknowledge the role your organization has played in causing harm? If you are Dr. Laura Gerald, president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in North Carolina, you confront it, head on. Because stewardship takes courage.
Published on

Critical Conversations with Scott T. Hamilton Featuring Dr. Laura Gerald

Recently, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton sat down with the President of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, Dr. Laura Gerald, via Zoom and filmed an episode of Critical Conversations. In this series, Scott talks with professionals about economic development issues affecting the state.
Featured
Published on

Philanthropy Profile: A Conversation with Laura Gerald

Current issues of trust between health care insti­tutions and communities are rooted in generations of marginalizing behavior and system failures. In this interview, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust President Laura Gerald emphasizes the hard truths about why trust is lacking and what must be done to build it.
Featured
Published on

Driving Equity Through Truth

Among foundations making intentional changes to their work, North Carolina’s Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust stands out for the depth of its commitments. The cover story for Philanthropy Southeast Inspiration magazine examines how racial equity has become the central motivator in reconciling the history and mission of the Trust in its work toward systems change.
Featured
Published on

More Foundations Are Examining Where Their Money Came From

In this recent Chronicle of Philanthropy piece, Trust President Dr. Laura Gerald explains how honestly examining the history of the Trust has informed its efforts to prioritize systems change, racial equity, and socially responsible investing.
Featured
Published on