Charlotte Nash Community Fund
Dean Collins had an idea.
“I was sitting with some community leaders talking about Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Charlotte Nash’s retirement,” said Dean, who is founder and president of Axis Companies. “A little later, I started thinking about our conversation. What could we possibly do as a community to thank her for her leadership? When you talk to Charlotte, you quickly realize how much she loves this community.
“Suddenly, a light bulb popped on in my head. What better way to thank her than to give back to the community, and who can help us do this that is also committed to Gwinnett? The answer was obvious – The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. So, I called Randy and pitched the idea. The rest is history.”
When Randy Redner, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, heard the idea he knew it was a good one.
“It made complete sense to honor Charlotte by creating a fund that would honor her name in perpetuity,” Randy said. “So, working with Dean and other community leaders, the Charlotte Nash Community Fund was created here at the Community Foundation. It is an endowment fund that will, in perpetuity, provide support to charitable organizations addressing critical needs such as early learning in Gwinnett County. We appreciate the privilege of making that happen here – it just makes perfect sense to honor her legacy through giving to issues she cares about.”
During the February 12th, 2020 State of the County address – where Charlotte’s fund was announced – Charlotte spoke at length about Gwinnett’s Early Learning Strategy.
“This affects not only individuals and families, but the entire community,” Nash said. “If Gwinnett of the future is to be a place of extraordinary opportunity with bright economic prospects, with a climate that supports business formation (and) with a skilled workforce that delivers for both the public and private sectors, then, we must bend the trend on early childhood learning by assuring that kids get a strong start even before their early years of schooling.” (from Gwinnett Daily Post coverage)
“I have come to believe strongly that early childhood learning, especially literacy, is the main leg up we can give our students and, through them, our entire community,” Nash said. “We must ensure that Gwinnett students leave the third grade ‘reading to learn’ versus still ‘learning to read.’ And the effort must touch children even before they enter kindergarten.”
Want to honor Charlotte Nash’s legacy and help our community give kids the early learning opportunities they need? Give today!
To learn more about Charlotte’s legacy, visit: https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/Departments/BoardofCommissioners/AboutYourCommissioners