Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro’s (CFGG) inaugural
Philanthropic Leadership Award &
philanthropy continuing education
Applied for a 2-hour course: NC CIE, CFP, CPE, and CLE
730 am Breakfast Served
745 am Announcements
800 am CE begins
850 am Break
900 am CFGG Leadership Awards
915 am CE resumes
1015 am CE Ends
The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro will present its inaugural Philanthropic Leadership Award during the break, with Ron Johnson selected as the award's recipient.
Abstract:
Join us for an insightful panel discussion. Our first hour panel speakers will include Kieth Hiatt, Ron Johnson, and Michael Mahoney. They will discuss ways that successful advisors bring philanthropy into discussions with clients. What are the best ways to broach the subject that leads to impactful action? What typically doesn't work as well? How do advisors work with other family members to honor and implement the parents' wishes?
In the second hour, Walker Sanders, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro (CFGG), and Cathy Knowles, Vice President of Development & Donor Engagement, will explore how Professional Advisors can strengthen client relationships by partnering with CFGG to navigate charitable giving opportunities. CFGG serves as a trusted specialist in philanthropic guidance, ensuring that your clients' financial, personal, business, and philanthropic goals are met. Whether working behind the scenes or in collaboration with CFGG, Professional Advisors are empowered to deliver exceptional value and expertise.
Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of CFGG’s diverse giving vehicles, including Community Endowments, Nonprofit Endowments, Donor Advised Funds, and Legacy Giving. These tools provide strategic avenues for donors to give back to Greensboro, addressing both immediate and long-term community needs.
Note: This meeting is at The Terrace
Map
Speakers from CFGG:
Kieth Hiatt, CPA, AEP, CAP
Keith S. Hiatt, CPA is a certified public accountant and partner with the firm Breslow Starling Frost Warner Boger Hiatt PLLC in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has over 30 years of experience in the areas of corporate and individual taxation, with a special emphasis on tax, estate, retirement and financial planning for individuals and owners of closely held businesses.
Keith has a passion for helping individuals and businesses save taxes. He emphasizes the need for tax planning before tax preparation. He assists clients with an "annual financial checkup" as a critical step to stronger financial health. His experience includes assisting foreign nationals working in the U.S. and U.S. citizens working overseas. Much of this international experience began with his employment with Deloitte, a large international accounting firm (where he was employed for 11 years). Keith is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Greensboro Estate Planning Council and the Greensboro Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. He has served as president of these two latter organizations. He has attained the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils.
Keith received his Bachelors of Science and Masters in Accountancy degrees from Brigham Young University.
Ron Johnson, BA, JD
Ron Johnson focuses his practice on estate planning, estate administration, business law and nonprofit corporations. In addition to being board certified in estate planning and probate law, he is a former board member and past president of the Greensboro Estate Planning Council. He also has been repeatedly recognized by Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” — ranked by his peers for his excellence in the area of Tax & Estate Planning.
Before joining Carruthers & Roth, Ron was an attorney in the Greensboro law firm Johnson, Peddrick & McDonald. The firm was dissolved in 2021 when three of Johnson, Peddrick & McDonald’s attorneys joined Carruthers & Roth.In addition to his commitment to his profession, Ron is well-known for his service to the community. He has founded community nonprofits, served on many nonprofit boards and earned kudos for his leadership.
Michael Mahoney, CFP, CLU, CAP
Mike Mahoney has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2007. As Partner and Director of Wealth Management Services, he has a passion for helping our clients navigate the complexities of retirement distribution planning. Mike holds designations of Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), as well as his Life, Health, Long-Term Care, Series 63 and Series 7 licenses. Mike graduated from Elon University and lives in Greensboro, NC with his wife Amy and two children Evelyn & Finn. In this free time Mike enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time as a family.
Sarah Britt
Sarah is a lifelong resident of Greensboro. She is a two-time graduate of UNC Greensboro, earning both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Studies, focusing on storytelling and empowerment within nonprofit organizations. She has spent her entire career in nonprofits, overseeing marketing and fundraising operations as the Development and Communications Manager for North Carolina African Services Coalition and as a Director of Development for Victory Junction. She has also spent time volunteering with various human rights organizations in Uganda, Thailand, and Romania.
Walker Sanders, President
Walker is from Charlotte, NC, and attended Sewanee: The University of the South where he double majored in Economics and Political Science (although his father always said it was a double major in Bourbon and Water). He started his career in the investment and insurance business in 1989 and earned his Certified Financial Planner certification in 1991. His philanthropic career started in 1993 with his work at the Foundation for the Carolinas. He became the first President and CEO of a healthcare conversion foundation in 1996 and was later hired as the President of CFGG in 1999.
Walker enjoys many things about Greensboro: being involved in the arts, visiting local parks, ACC, UNC Greensboro, NCAT, Greensboro and Guilford basketball, and the many fantastic hiking trails. Walker and his wife, Dabney, enjoy traveling, cool and outstanding dining adventures, and entertaining at their home.
Cathy Knowles, VP, Development & Donor Engagement
Cathy Knowles recently returned to Greensboro after 20+ years living in New York and Los Angeles. She achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Communication from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1998. She is thrilled to be back in Greensboro working for an organization that is by, of, and FOR this community.
Cathy was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to an Ethiopian mother and an American-born Caucasian father. After living in Karachi and Geneva, she and her family moved to North Carolina in the late 1970s. Her passion for social justice and equity, complemented by her 20+ years of experience as a professional fundraiser, shapes her strategy to each initiative.
Cathy’s love of bringing people together through philanthropy and community engagement shines through every facet of her work as a development professional. She is very proud of her experience in top development departments in New York and Los Angeles for organizations including the American Cancer Society and The Salvation Army. Additionally, she found great fulfillment as a volunteer tutor for the International Rescue Committee, as a founding board member of South Bronx United, and as a volunteer for The Salvation Army’s Territorial Anti-Trafficking Initiatives in the Social Justice Department.