Summer, Issue 1
Outgoing United Way Board Chair Dave Hunt passes the gavel to new chair Smedes York.
Smedes York New United Way Board Chair
Vice Chairs Bob Grecyzn and James H. Speed
will lead in 2008 and 2009
Outgoing Triangle United Way Board Chairman Dave Hunt passed the Chairman’s gavel to new Chairman Smedes York. York is the Chairman of The York Companies. He has been a long time United Way volunteer and donor serving most recently as Vice Chair.
A Raleigh native, Smedes York has spent many years serving the needs of Raleigh and its citizens. He is a highly respected businessman and has been instrumental in helping the Triangle area become one of the most desired places to live in the United States.
York earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From 1964-1966, York served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, receiving an Army Commendation Medal for his service in South Korea.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, York served the Raleigh community in the political arena. He was a Raleigh City Councilman, District E, from 1977 to 1979. He then served two terms as Mayor of the City of Raleigh, from 1979 through 1983.
York has spent his professional career in real estate and construction and is Chairman of The York Companies which include York Properties, McDonald-York and York Simpson Underwood. In addition to his business, he has served in a leadership capacity for many organizations.
2007 Triangle United Way Board of Directors
| Tom Adams, Time Warner Cable | Floyd Laisure, John Avery Boys & Girls Club, Inc. |
| David Anna, Resolute Building Co. | Jerry Oliver, Smith Moore |
| John Anthony, TrustAtlantic Financial Corporation | Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, Progress Energy |
| Ben Balderas, El Centro Latino | David Poe |
| Bill Beardall, NC State University | Barry Porter, American Red Cross, Triangle Area Chapter |
| William (Bill) Bell, Mayor, City of Durham | E. Bryson Powell, East West Partners |
| Dr. Inderdeep Chatrath, Duke University | Bernie Prazenica, ABC 11 |
| Martin Clough, Ph.D., Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. | Michael Ruffin, Durham County Government |
| Walter Davenport , Cherry, Bekaert & Holland | Harvey Schmitt, Raleigh Chamber of Commerce |
| Ron Day, RBC Centura Banks, Inc. | Maria Spaulding |
| Monica P. Doss, Council for Entrepreneurial Development | Walter Sturdivant, WCHL |
| Linda Foreman | Chris Viehbacher, GlaxoSmithKline |
| Richard French, French/West/Vaughan | Ronald G. Wainwright, Jr., RSM McGladrey |
| Craig Jackson, Craig Jackson & Partners | Wendy Watkins, Franklin Co. Deparment of Aging |
| Robert W. Jones, SunTrust | Kurt Weaver, Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice PLLC |