Foundation Professionals

Russell Altenburg
Senior Program Officer Education
Russell Altenburg
Senior Program Officer Education

Russell Altenburg is a Senior Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Senior Program Officer, Russ oversees the grantmaking program, vision, strategy, and team for the Education mission area. Russ has focused his time and energy on education work since 2005, a journey that has included co-founding three nonprofits, working in developing countries, and collaborating in K-16 philanthropy. He started his career at JPMorgan and holds a BSc in Economics from Duke and an MBA from UCLA. Russ and his wife, Alex, have two young daughters.

Dianna Beaty
Senior Grants Management Associate
Dianna Beaty
Senior Grants Management Associate

Dianna Beaty is a Senior Grants Management Associate for The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Senior Grants Management Associate, Dianna is responsible for managing the grantee portal, tracking grants made by the organization, and obtaining and maintaining reports required from grantees. She also ensures accurate and efficient collection and reporting of grants data. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2020, Dianna worked as a Program Director for The Parkinson Association where she helped plan and host educational symposiums for the community. A native of Claremont, NC, Dianna graduated from The University of North Carolina – Charlotte. She enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew, biking, and visiting dog parks with her dog, Calli.

Sara Fedyna
Director of Information Management
Sara Fedyna
Director of Information Management

Sara Fedyna is the Director of Information Management at The Leon Levine Foundation. In her role, she leads the organization's information management strategy and its implementation. Sara oversees the Information Management team, provides direction on data governance, guides the development of board materials, and strategically leverages technology to enhance the foundation's information-related capabilities. Prior to joining The Leon Levine Foundation in 2016, Sara served as a special education teacher and held various positions in higher education at her alma mater, Queens University of Charlotte. A Charlotte native, she is rooted in the community and finds joy in outdoor activities with her husband, Rost, and their dog, Nina.

Janice Gearheart
Director of Accounting
Janice Gearheart
Director of Accounting

Janice Gearheart is the Director of Accounting for the Levine Family Office. As the Director of Accounting, Janice maintains financial record systems and provides auditing services, financial statements and tax preparation services to the family office’s and Foundation’s management team. Janice joined the Family Office in 2019, after working as a consultant with CliftonLarsonAllen’s Cast division. She was also formerly a Senior Manager in the general services group of McGladrey and Pullen. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Janice earned a degree from Radford University. She has two adult daughters. Janice enjoys spending time outdoors in her flower gardens and spending time and a glass of iced tea with friends and family on the front porch.

Lauren Joseph
Senior Program Associate
Lauren Joseph
Senior Program Associate

Lauren Joseph is a Senior Program Associate with The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Senior Program Associate, Lauren supports Senior Program Officers in evaluating grant proposals, conducting background research, and preparing proposals for review. Lauren also is responsible for evaluating a portfolio of grant proposals. Lauren joined the Foundation in 2020, after working as an Account Recruiting Manager for a local staffing firm. Originally from Washington, Illinois, she earned a degree from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale and is currently pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Notre Dame. She and her husband, Lucas, enjoy biking the greenway and hiking with their dog, Koda.

Ragaa Kunda
Program Assistant
Ragaa Kunda
Program Assistant

Ragaa Kunda is a Program Assistant with The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Program Assistant, Ragaa supports the Healthcare and Education program teams in all administrative matters, including scheduling, document management, report maintenance and data tracking. Ragaa joined the Foundation in 2023 after working in healthcare administration. Originally from Sudan, she grew up in Tennessee and earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Studies and Administration from the University of Memphis. She enjoys tennis, painting, and learning about different cultures.

Thomas (Tom) W. Lawrence III
President and CEO

Tom Lawrence is the President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors with The Leon Levine Foundation as well as Chief Financial Officer of the Levine family office. Tom joined the family office in 2002 to oversee the personal finances, tax compliance and investment portfolio management for the family and its Foundation. As President, Tom is responsible for directing the overall staff, program, and administrative activities of the Foundation. He works closely with the board to develop the Foundation’s vision and strategies. He previously worked in the Family Wealth Planning division of Arthur Andersen in Charlotte and with the general services group of McGladrey & Pullen in Richmond, Virginia. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Tom is a graduate of the University of Richmond. He and his wife, Gina, have two children.

Deborah Majewski
Senior Program Officer Human Services
Deborah Majewski
Senior Program Officer Human Services

Deborah Majewski is a Senior Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Senior Program Officer, Deborah oversees the grantmaking program, vision, strategy, and team for the Human Services mission area.  Deborah joined the foundation in 2018 after working primarily in financial services, most recently at Bank of America. She is a native of Buffalo, New York, and is a graduate of The University of Rochester and SUNY Geneseo. She and her husband, Dan, enjoy spending their free time in the North Carolina mountains.

Lindsay Messinger
Director of Research and Evaluation
Lindsay Messinger
Director of Research and Evaluation

Lindsay Messinger is the Director of Research and Evaluation with The Leon Levine Foundation. As Director of Research and Evaluation, Lindsay oversees the research and evaluation team and develops key performance metrics, converts data into actionable business insights, manages processes for data collection, organization and visualization and works across the Foundation to measure and forecast community level impact in the grant and investment portfolios. Lindsay joined the Foundation in 2023, after nearly twenty years conducting research in education and healthcare settings, most recently at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from New York University and her Masters and Doctorate degrees in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University. She and her husband, Mike, enjoy walks on the greenway, trying new restaurants, and traveling.

Carla Miles
Director of Human Resources
Carla Miles
Director of Human Resources

Carla Miles is the Director of Human Resources for the Foundation and the Levine Family Office. Carla joined the Foundation in 2023, after working in human resources for over 25 years, most recently at Winthrop University as the Employee Relations & Benefits Manager.  She is a native of Kentucky and a graduate of the University of Kentucky. She and her husband, Kenny, enjoy spending their free time exploring the Carolinas.

Stacie Miller
Accounting Manager
Stacie Miller
Accounting Manager

Stacie Miller is an Accounting Manager for the Levine Family Office. As an Accounting Manager, Stacie maintains provides accounting, audit, tax and financial services to the family office’s and Foundation’s management team. Stacie joined the Family Office and Foundation in 2023. Her 24 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant have provided unique accounting expertise working with clients from many industries, including in the non-profit industry. She enjoys spending time with friends & family, biking on the greenway, and going to live concert venues around the area.

Rachel Rankin
Administrative Assistant
Rachel Rankin
Administrative Assistant

Rachel Rankin is the Administrative Assistant at The Leon Levine Foundation.  As the Administrative Assistant, Rachel is responsible for providing assistance to both the Levine Family Office and the Foundation. A native of North Carolina, Rachel graduated from UNC Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  In her free time she enjoys taking road trips, sewing, and spending time with her pets.

Dr. Mike Richardson
Senior Program Officer Healthcare
Dr. Mike Richardson
Senior Program Officer Healthcare

Mike Richardson is a Senior Program Officer and member of the Board of Directors with The Leon Levine Foundation. He has worked with the Levine family since 2004 and joined the Foundation in 2009. As a Senior Program Officer, Mike oversees the grantmaking program, vision, strategy, and team for the Healthcare mission area. In addition to his work with the Foundation, Dr. Richardson is also the Associate Medical Director for Genetics at the Levine Cancer Institute. Previously, he served as a primary care physician for 25 years. Born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, Mike is a Morehead Scholar and graduate of the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He and his wife, Kelli, have two adult children. In his free time, Mike kayaks in the mountains of NC. If he’s not with his paddle, he’s spending time with the Levine Scholars and alumni.

Mack Pinto
Portfolio Associate
Mack Pinto
Portfolio Associate

Mack Pinto is a Portfolio Associate with the Levine Family Office. As Portfolio Associate, Mack performs daily portfolio management and reporting, conducts initial diligence of external public and private investment managers, and works with the Investment Committee to implement portfolio investment strategies. Mack joined L&L Management, Inc. in 2023 after working at CAPTRUST as an Institutional Investment Research Associate helping manage the investments of various endowments and foundations. Mack graduated from High Point University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics. In his free time, Mack enjoys golfing and exploring the many restaurants Charlotte has to offer.

 

Jen Rosen
Senior Program Officer Jewish Values
Jen Rosen
Senior Program Officer Jewish Values

Jen Rosen is a Senior Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Senior Program Officer, Jen oversees the grantmaking program, vision, strategy, and team for the Jewish Values mission area. Jen joined the Foundation in 2024 after spending nearly twenty years working in the Jewish community building space, both as a foundation professional and then as an executive scaling a global nonprofit. After growing up in Northern Virginia, Jen graduated from Indiana University and lived in Washington DC for the first part of her career before moving to Charlotte in 2011. Jen and her husband, Andrew, have three young children and a golden retriever named Luna. In her free time, Jen enjoys hiking, reading, and bringing friends together.

Gillian Small
Program Officer Education
Gillian Small
Program Officer Education

Gillian Small is a Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Program Officer, Gillian is responsible for evaluating grant proposals, program research and identifying new grant opportunities in the Education mission area. She joined in the Foundation in 2022 after working  as an 8th grade teacher and nonprofit leader in the Charlotte community. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Furman University and her Master of Education from American University. She and her partner, Avery, enjoy hiking with their dog, baking and traveling.

Justin Steinschriber
Senior Vice President
Justin Steinschriber
Senior Vice President

Justin Steinschriber is the Senior Vice President with The Leon Levine Foundation as well as the Director of Operations for the Levine Family Office. As Senior Vice President, Justin supports the President and CEO to implement the Foundation's vision and strategies. He is responsible for the integration of the grantmaking, investment, operations, human resources, technology and communications teams. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2016, Justin worked at Wells Fargo Private Bank and Moore & Van Allen, PLLC, advising high net worth families on comprehensive legal, tax and wealth management matters. Originally from Northridge, California, Justin is a graduate of Tulane University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his wife, Kirsten, have two children. He enjoys coaching his kids’ sports teams, cooking new recipes and traveling.

Michael Tarwater
Chairman of the Board
Michael Tarwater
Chairman of the Board

Michael Tarwater is the Chairman of the Board of Directors with The Leon Levine Foundation and a Senior Advisor to the Levine family office. Michael works closely with the President and the board on crafting and implementing Foundation vision and strategies. Before joining the Foundation in 2019, Michael enjoyed a 35-year career with Carolinas HealthCare System (Atrium Health). While there he held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately retiring as the system’s President and CEO in June of 2016. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Michael is a member of North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a graduate of the University of West Florida and the University of Alabama – Birmingham. He and his wife, Ann, have three adult children and seven grandchildren. They enjoy travel, the arts, and their grandchildren.

Jacob Wiltshire
Program Officer Healthcare
Jacob Wiltshire
Program Officer Healthcare

Jacob Wiltshire is a Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Program Officer, Jacob is responsible for evaluating grant proposals, program research, and identifying new grant opportunities. He works primarily in the Healthcare mission area. Jacob joined the Foundation in 2022, after 13 years working in fundraising for non-profits and universities and four years working as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in healthcare. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He and his partner, Amy, enjoy hiking, live music, and traveling.

Cindy Woller
Senior Accountant
Cindy Woller
Senior Accountant

Cindy Woller is a Senior Accountant for the Levine Family Office. As a Senior Accountant, Cindy maintains financial record systems and provides auditing services, financial statements and payroll services to the family office’s and Foundation’s management team. In 2005, she joined the Levine Family Office, and the Foundation full time. Previously, Cindy served as the Corporate Cash Manager for Family Dollar Stores while also working part time for the Levine family and their Foundation. She is a native of Charlotte and graduated from Wingate University. Cindy and her husband, Scott, have two adult sons and one granddaughter. In her free time, she enjoys reading and gardening.

Andrew Yavorski
Program Officer Human Services
Andrew Yavorski
Program Officer Human Services

Andrew Yavorski is a Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Program Officer, Andrew is responsible for evaluating grant proposals, program research and identifying new grant opportunities. He works primarily in the Human Services mission area. A Charlotte native, Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy & History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington. He is an avid sports fan, particularly of his alma mater and hometown Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets.