Chuck’s Dream Manifested

More than ten years ago Chuck ReCorr sent me to Harvard as part of an experiment to invest in human capital to improve the outcomes of Non-profits in The triangle. Over the last decade he has spent over a million of his own dollars to educate Non-profit leaders in the triangle with the hopes of creating a collaborative and supportive non-profit community in the triangle that is unmatched any where else in the country. I think tonight his dream might have been come true.

432 Non-Profit leaders gathered at the Rialto Theatre in Raleigh at an event sponsored by the Harvard 100, Chuck’s group and Community Leaders Drinking coffee, a non-profit leader groups started by Danny Rosin and Maggie Kane. The event was a screening of a movie called Unchairitable andthe unveiling of a succession planning tool.As a member of the Harvard 100 executive committee I was part of the planning group, but I was one of the least involved in the making of this event. Danny Rosin was the true leader. We only had a dream we could fill the Rialto theatre and in a very short time the event was sold out.

Before the screening there were a few remarks by Maggie, Danny and Chuck. Chuck warned me before hand that he was going to talk about me. So I stayed in the back of the theatre to be somewhat incognito. Right after he said my name, a woman standing next to me in the back turned to her neighbor and said, is that the same Dana Lange who is the Mah Jongg teacher.

I didn’t say anything to her at the moment as Chuck was on the stage talking. He then asked all the people in the audience to meet two people in the room to help facilitate getting to know each other. I turned to the man on one side of me and then the woman on the other. The woman said, “Didn’t you teach me Mah Jongg? I recognize your voice.” I said yes. And we talked a minute about how much she loves the game and what her non-profit is.

It was an exciting night at the Rialto. I think Chuck should take a victory lap for what he has personally done for the triangle community. As Chuck has retired he is looking to others to continue his work and Danny is doing a great job, along with others, to follow in the path Chuck created.