Shaheen Towles Joins The Duke Endowment as Associate Director of Communications

Shaheen Towles Joins The Duke Endowment as Associate Director of Communications

9/26/2022
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Duke Endowment is pleased to announce that Shaheen Towles has joined its staff as the new associate director of communications.
 
 
Towles comes to the Endowment from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) after more than a decade where she served as the Foundation’s first communications director. Her primary responsibilities included building the infrastructure of ZSR’s external communications, developing awareness of the Foundation’s mission and core values, and furthering the role of the Foundation as a leader on issues of importance across North Carolina. She also led the development and implementation of strategic communications plans for ZSR’s grantmaking programs and initiatives. In addition, she co-led ZSR’s Non-Profit Internship Program and served as the lead staff for its Community Leadership Council.
 
Towles brings more than 20 years of professional experience to her new role, having previously worked as a TV producer/writer, senior associate for leadership development and a management consultant.
 
“I am thrilled to join the staff of The Duke Endowment, an organization that I have admired and respected for many years,” said Towles. “I am honored to be a part of the incredible work that the Endowment is doing to strengthen and enrich the lives of individuals and communities across the Carolinas and to join a team of people who are so committed to these efforts.”
 
“Shaheen’s communications background and experience in the philanthropic sector will be valuable contributions to the ongoing work of the Endowment,” said Rhett Mabry, president of The Duke Endowment. “We are glad to have her onboard.”
 
Towles graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Public Policy Analysis and a Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is a Roy H. Park Fellow and a two-time Emmy nominated producer. She currently serves on the board of The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem and in 2015, was selected as one of the Triad Business Journal’s 40 Leaders Under 40.
 
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Based in Charlotte 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 distributed more than $4.3 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.
 
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