CHARLOTTE, NC (February 6, 2025) – The Duke Endowment is pleased to announce the recent promotions of three staff members.
Jay Kennedy, a Program Officer with the Health Care grantmaking team, was named Senior Program Officer. In announcing the promotion, President Rhett Mabry highlighted Kennedy’s in-depth grantmaking expertise, strategic grantmaking approach and commitment to strengthening relationships with grantees.
Kennedy joined the Endowment in 2017, after working as a rural hospital program manager for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to his work in state government, he served as chief operating officer for Maria Parham Hospital in Henderson, N.C.
Brittany Worden was promoted to Program Officer in Special Initiatives. She first joined the Endowment in 2018 as a Fellow, and was then promoted to Program Analyst in Special Initiatives, where she has helped advance key projects such as the Endowment’s work with Ready for School, Ready for Life, a nonprofit driving an ambitious long-term effort to improve early childhood services and outcomes in Guilford County, N.C.
Prior to the Endowment, she gained program coordination experience with Cabarrus Health Alliance. Mabry said she excelled as a Program Analyst and demonstrates the skills, expertise and commitment needed for the Program Officer role.
Eric Frazier was named Senior Communications Officer. He previously served as the Digital Communications Strategist on the Endowment’s Communications team. In addition to his continuing oversight of the Endowment’s internal and external digital communications, Frazier will lead the department’s content development strategy and amplify the visibility of the Endowment’s work.
Frazier joined the Endowment in 2017 after more than two decades as a reporter and editor at The Charlotte Observer. He ended his tenure with the newspaper as Associate Editorial Page Editor.
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Based in Charlotte, N.C., and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has awarded more than $5 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but they are separate organizations.