The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust Hires Two New Grant Officers

CHAPEL HILL, NC — The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, based in Chapel Hill, is pleased to announce the selection of two new grant officers chosen after an extensive national search. Ms. Annie Bryan, formerly of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations in Jacksonville FL, will serve as senior grant officer, and Mr. Robby Russell, former First National Bank leader in Western North Carolina, will serve as grant officer.

Both were selected by the Kenan Charitable Trust Trustees during their May 2023 Trustee meeting and both new leaders assumed their responsibilities in September. They will assist in the current inaugural strategic planning process for the Trust, will represent the Kenan Charitable Trust with past, present, and future grantees and will collaborate with other philanthropic trusts and foundations.

Senior Grant Officer Annie Bryan is an attorney and previously served as a grant officer for the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, where her work focused on health care, palliative care, higher education, and the environment, following an extensive strategic planning process at the Foundations. She has also worked in fundraising and grant management for the YMCA Charlotte.

Robby Russell spent the bulk of his career in banking as Market President and managing a commercial banking team that assisted commercial business owners achieve their financial goals by providing a variety of banking products and services. During his banking career, Robby also spent time as a Community Development Officer and Community Affairs officer, working with nonprofit leaders who served underrepresented populations. A dedicated financial and education leader across North Carolina, Robby has served on more than 20 nonprofit boards and organizations, leading the way in creating networks and resources to meet the needs of the population, including health care, education, K-5, schooling, the YMCA and the Rescue Mission of Western NC.