About Us

Thomas S. Kenan III has served as a Trustee of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust for forty years, beginning in 1984. Mr. Kenan is a philanthropist and business leader from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the Woodberry Forest School in 1955 and a 1959 graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill having majored in Economics. Mr. Kenan also served the United States Navy from 1959-1962.

In addition to serving as a Trustee of the William R. Kenan Charitable Trust, Mr. Kenan has been an active champion for high quality education for all and has served as Trustee, philanthropist, and advocate for many organizations including UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem; Director of the Arts and Sciences Foundation at Carolina; Trustee of Woodberry Forest School; the Kenan Family Foundation and the Kenan Flagler Business School Board of Visitors, among others.

Mr. Kenan also served in leadership roles as Trustee to leading philanthropic organizations including The Duke Endowment, The Randleigh Foundation Trust, the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, St Stephens Episcopal Church, The Semans Art Fund, the Executive Mansion Fund, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the National Tropical Botanical Garden Foundation and the Henry M. Flagler Museum. He has also served the Flagler Systems as a long time Director. Mr. Kenan’s dedication and generosity prompted many awards and honors including to name a few, UNC Honorary Doctor of Laws, ands Honorary degree as Doctor of Performing Arts at UNC School of the Arts,The Flagler Medallion from Flagler College, the North Carolina Award for Public Service and the Albert Schweitzer Medal for Artistry for the Order of the Old Well. Hollins College also presented Mr. Kenan with an Honorary Degree. In 1988 Mr. Kenan was honored to receive the Morrison Award for leadership and advancement of the State of North Carolina’s cultural advancement. In the Spring of 2024, Carolina presented Mr. Kenan its highest honor for philanthropy to the University known as The Lux Libertas award.

Lawrence Gray was named Trustee of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust in July 2020. He is the great, great grandson of Jessie Hargrave Kenan Wise, the sister of William R. Kenan, Jr. Mr. Gray is also Chairman and CEO of Gray Holdings, LLC, a private real estate company focused primarily on the ownership and management of apartment communities, timberland and housing communities throughout the Southeast. Mr. Gray joined Gray Holdings in January 2010 after a 17-year career in the real estate investment banking business working for Wachovia/First Union, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.

Mr. Gray serves on the Board of Trustees of Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE: LXP) and on the Investment Committee of the University of Richmond. Over the past thirty years, Mr. Gray has served on the Boards of a number of organizations including the Woodberry Forest School, the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond and the UNC – Chapel Hill Board of Visitors. Mr. Gray has an A.B. in Economics from the University of North Carolina and a M.B.A. from the University of Virginia. He and his wife of 34 years, Freddie, live in Richmond, Virginia and have three grown children.

Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York (now known as JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A) was the original corporate trustee named in William R. Kenan, Jr.’s Will and has served in that capacity since the charitable trust’s inception in 1965. The firm is represented as trustee by two Private Bank senior officers, currently Mary G. Campbell, Managing Director and Senior Trust officer, and Robert P. Baynard, Vice Chairman and private banker. Mary has served in this role for more than 3 decades and Rob for two decades. While both Mary and Rob are long-time residents of New York City, they both also have strong North Carolina ties. Mary is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving both her undergraduate and law degrees there, while Rob, a Charlotte native, is a graduate of Duke University.

Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York (now known as JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A) was the original corporate trustee named in William R. Kenan, Jr.’s Will and has served in that capacity since the charitable trust’s inception in 1965. The firm is represented as trustee by two Private Bank senior officers, currently Mary G. Campbell, Managing Director and Senior Trust officer, and Robert P. Baynard, Vice Chairman and private banker. Mary has served in this role for more than 3 decades and Rob for two decades. While both Mary and Rob are long-time residents of New York City, they both also have strong North Carolina ties. Mary is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving both her undergraduate and law degrees there, while Rob, a Charlotte native, is a graduate of Duke University.

A nationally recognized leader in higher education, educational access, financial aid, affordability, and liberal arts and sciences curricula, Nancy Cable served as the eighth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Asheville from 2018–2023. She served as Dean at Denison University from 1977–1986, Guilford College from 1986–1991, and Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Davidson College from 1991–2005. Together with Davidson trustees, faculty, staff, and student leaders, she helped to lead efforts to advance selectivity, diversity, financial capacity, and to implement a strategic plan that advanced Davidson College’s standing as one of the strongest liberal arts colleges in the U.S. From 2005–2009, she served as Vice President for Development in the College of Engineering at the University of Virginia and later with UVA’s Semester at Sea program. Following three years of service as Bates College’s Vice President, the Bates College Board of Trustees elected her as Interim President, a position that allowed her to help lead collegewide efforts on governance, faculty, and curricular issues, and matters of diversity and inclusion. Before becoming the chancellor of UNC Asheville, Nancy served as the president of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.

Nancy is one of the charter founders of the University of Virginia Semester at Sea Desmond Tutu Program in Global Understanding and the CY Tung Scholars program on US-China Relations. She was named a Fulbright Senior Specialist and has consulted with the Director of the Fulbright Center in Hong Kong on the development of the liberal arts curricula within the evolving Chinese higher education system.

Her professional service includes membership on many boards of trustees for schools and colleges, including the College Board Task Force on Equity in Higher Education, the Council of Independent Colleges, the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and the Asheville School. From 2013–2017, she served as chair of the Better Angels Society Board of Directors, which advises and supports Ken Burns’ work as America’s leading documentarian of long form historical documentaries. Nancy also serves as the chair of the Board of Directors for the National Trust for the Humanities in Washington, D.C.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Nancy earned her B.A. from Marietta College, a M.Ed. from the University of Vermont, and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. She also completed the Harvard University Institute for Educational Leadership.

Annie Bryan is a seasoned philanthropy professional with experience spanning national foundations, family foundations, and private charitable trusts. In her current role as Senior Grant Officer for the Kenan Trust, Annie supports entities seeking grants across the Trust’s focus areas while also managing the portfolio of active and past grantees. Annie’s experience includes serving as Senior Program Officer for the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations where she focused on grantmaking in private higher education, healthcare, environment, and public educational media. She has also served several private and family foundations as a consultant for grantmaking, strategic planning, and grantmaking operations. Prior to her career in grantmaking, Annie practiced law in Jacksonville, Fla., and served as a Development Director for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.

Annie has a J.D. and certificate of Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and she is a member of the Florida Bar. She also holds a degree in Event Management from the University of Florida.

Robby Russell spent the bulk of his career in the banking industry, assisting commercial businesses by facilitating financial transactions and providing credit and money management services. During his banking career, Robby worked on the Community Development and Foundation team serving nonprofits working in the development of affordable housing, financial literacy, small business lending, food insecurity, and healthcare. Robby is an active leader in the community and known for his involvement in various initiatives and for his contributions to the arts.

In his role as Grant Officer for the Kenan Trust, Robby helps identify potential grantees that fit the mission and guidelines of the Trust. He manages active and past grantees providing guidance as needed, and evaluates the project’s impact at the conclusion of the grant period.

Robby received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He has participated in numerous professional development programs for business and nonprofit leaders.

Aarif Elkhatib, an experienced professional with a background in Information Technology, excels in software development and IT management. Prior to his current role with the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, he served as IT Lead for Hawaii Energy in Honolulu, where he honed his skills and made significant contributions to the organization’s technological advancements. Today, Aarif leverages his diverse experience and acumen to drive excellence in IT operations and ensure seamless functionality for the Kenan Trust.

Aarif has a degree in Information Technology from University of Khartoum. He is also a certified consultant with Salesforce.

Tinka Deal is the Executive Coordinator at the Kenan Trust, a position she has held since 2010. In her role, Tinka manages Trust related events, coordinates meetings with internal and external stakeholders, and provides support around grant payments. After holding various positions in advertising, the record store industry, fundraising, and event management, she began a long stint in public television, beginning locally at PBS NC (formerly UNC-TV), followed by national media at PBS KIDS and Brand Management/Promotion at the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in Arlington, Va.. At PBS she held various positions as a publicist, writer/editor, photographer and station relations consultant. As a devoted philanthropy ambassador, Tinka brings a wide range of experience to the Kenan Trust, and a useful knowledge of the people, arts, and education throughout North Carolina.

A native North Carolinian, Tinka graduated from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with a degree in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures, focusing on a career in communications.

As Grants Management Consultant, Doreen works closely with the staff in reviewing various reports and activities related to a grant. She was formerly Chief Operating Officer of The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations (AVDF) where she contributed to the development of operational practices and managed the Foundations’ recurring activities related to grant operations. As program officer, Doreen provided leadership over the Public Media and Local Initiatives programs. As secretary to the AVDF Board, Doreen oversaw meeting planning and post-board meeting functions. She worked in banking prior to her career in philanthropy. Doreen holds a bachelor’s degree from the Lyceum of the Philippines. She has completed the Hull Fellows program at Philanthropy Southeast and other leadership development programs for nonprofit leaders. In addition, Doreen has participated in continuing education and professional development programs at several institutions, including the Harvard University Extension School.