NCGives, a statewide initiative focused on philanthropy of community, is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its Advisory Board. Denis Carter, Jay Chaudhuri, Mercedes Rodriguez and Edgar Villanueva will serve for a two-year term effective the beginning of 2008.

"With the addition of these new members, NCGives has fulfilled one of its institutional goals, to expand and further diversify its board," said Donna Chavis, Executive Director, NCGives. "And we couldn't be more delighted to have these four skilled and creative individuals join NCGives' leadership. They bring new and valuable energy and experience to NCGives as it moves ahead with its commitment to North Carolina and to the belief that all North Carolinians give of their time, talent and treasure for the common good of the state."

Denis Carter is a faculty member with the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, having served as an economics professor since 1978. During his tenure at UNC-W, Dr. Carter has also served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Associate Provost for Enrollment Affairs, Associate Dean of the Cameron School of Business and Chair of the University Diversity Advisory Council.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Dr. Carter relocated to the United States where he completed undergraduate and graduate studies in economics at Boston College and the University of Florida. His special interests include diversity, higher education administration, educational opportunity and access programs for minority students and economic inclusion initiatives for historically underrepresented businesses.

Jay Chaudhuri serves as Special Counsel to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. As Special Counsel, Mr. Chaudhuri develops major policy initiatives and provides counsel to the Attorney General concerning a wide variety of legal and policy issues. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he spent his undergraduate years at Davidson College, and earned his MIA and juris doctorate from Columbia University and N.C. Central University, respectively.

Mr. Chaudhuri is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association's Minorities in the Profession Committee, and also serves on the boards of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative and the Indian-American Leadership Initiative. He has been recognized as a William C. Friday Fellow, an American Marshall Memorial Fellow and a Henry C. Toll Fellow.

Mercedes Rodriguez is a community economic development practitioner who has invested over 25 years in efforts to improve the quality of life for residents and businesses in economically challenged communities. Currently a resident of Fayetteville, N.C., Ms. Rodriguez holds CED certification from the Pratt Institute's Center for Community Economic Development and her juris doctorate from Northeastern University School of Law.

Ms. Rodriguez's professional career has included experience in the foundation, education and community economic development arenas.

Edgar Villanueva is a program officer in the Health Care Division of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. A 2006 Southeastern Council on Foundations Hull Fellow, Mr. Villanueva holds a master's degree in Health Care Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He completed undergraduate studies in public health at UNC-CH as well as in theology at Jackson College.

Currently, Mr. Villanueva is a participant in the Leadership Winston-Salem program. He also serves on the boards of two Forsyth County-based organizations, the AIDS Care Service and YMCA Community Outreach Services.

The four new appointees join continuing NCGives Advisory Board members Calvin Allen, Mickey Locklear, Ivan Kohar Parra, Pat Smith and board chair Eugene Wright, Jr.