Spartanburg leader Mary Thomas takes 'good work being done locally' to 'national platform'

Mary Thomas helped Spartanburg families to get food, clothing, childcare, or whatever they needed to build healthier lives and then led a group to establish a village for Rwandan refugees and Zairian children after the Rwandan War.

For more than 25 years, Thomas has used her talents and leadership skills to help people and communities in need. Now she is taking her work to the national level by becoming the new president and CEO of CFLeads. The Boston-based nonprofit is a national network of community foundations committed to advancing community leadership, according to its website.

Thomas is completing her work as the Chief Operating Officer for the Spartanburg County Foundation and executive director of the Robert Hett Chapman III Center for Philanthropy. Her last day on the job is April 17.

"I cannot imagine a better fit for Mary at this time in her career than her new role at CFLeads," said Troy Hanna, president and CEO of the Spartanburg County Foundation. "She takes with her the good work being done locally in Spartanburg to a national platform with this move. I could not be happier for her."

Surprise ceremony: Spartanburg County Foundation COO Mary L. Thomas honored

Thomas was a part of CFLead's founding board and definition of community leadership, in 2009. Now, she becomes president and CEO.

"I never would have imagined I'd be sitting in the seat as their next president and CEO," Thomas said. "CFLeads was not something I necessarily pursued. A dear friend of mine, George Newby, told me a long time ago 'Let the game come to you,' and that's what happened."

Developing a career to help others improve their lives

In 1987, Thomas became the executive director of the Bethlehem Center and held the job for 11 years.

She worked to bring quality programs and services to the Highland community. Thomas oversaw various initiatives, including childcare services, afterschool programs and senior citizen activities. She even expanded her philanthropic work to Zaire, where she lead a team to rebuild a village for children after the Rwandan War.

"I come from a background of service, and I've always been a part of a family that looks out for other people," Thomas said. "The first philanthropist I ever knew was my grandmother. The love of humankind is what philanthropy is. It comes from how I was raised, my love for community, humanity and people."

Thomas's humanitarian efforts influence Spartanburg's communities

When Thomas began working for the Spartanburg County Foundation in 1998, it served simply as a charitable bank, providing financial services for organizations in the county.

"We weren't doing the outreach in the community that community foundations do," Thomas said. "We have evolved into more than just a charitable bank. The board, under the leadership of John Dargan, allowed me to spread my wings. I just started convening and bringing the community together to consider what's best for Spartanburg."

She led the Extended Day Academic Program, a program that reached out to younger students to enhance their abilities in academics. The program allowed the trustees to make the largest grant in the foundation's history of $1.05 million to all seven school districts.

From 2003 to 2004, the foundation began losing money from stock markets and struggled to figure out how to do more with fewer finances. Thomas's experience at the Bethlehem Center allowed her to start bringing more national funding to the Spartanburg community.

"I was serving on some national boards at the time, and met with some foundations that had an interest in the South," Thomas said. "One thing led to another, and we were able to get William Randolph Hearst Foundation funding, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation funding and the faith-based initiative that George Bush led while he was in office. All of that together helped us leverage well over $750,000 to do what we call 'strengthening voices.'"

"Strengthening voices" was about building organizations to be more effective and to work with the people they serve. The individuals went through a Grassroots Leadership Development Institute, an institute that builds leaders in the community by promoting community growth and activism.

When Thomas served as the foundation's executive vice president in 2006, she was honored with the Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grant Making. As part of the award, she received a $10,000 prize which she used to launch the Mary L. Thomas Fund for Civic Leadership and Community Change Fund. This fund provides recognition to outstanding leaders in the community, who have made a positive and lasting contribution to Spartanburg.

"Mary Thomas, in my estimation, brought to life the Community Leadership work of the Spartanburg County Foundation," Hanna said. "Mary has been dedicated to community transformation throughout her career, and I am grateful for her 25 years of service to our community through her work at the Spartanburg County Foundation."

Adom Appiah, who is a freshman at Duke University, is the founder of the nonprofit organization Ball4Good. He took a seventh-grade service project and created the nonprofit volunteer organization that has raised more than $70,000 for causes such as autism, the homeless and abused children.

Appiah has been recognized for his dedication to community service. He said Thomas's guidance and leadership are what shaped him into the leader he is today.

"Ms. Mary Thomas' mentorship has significantly impacted me in my journey as a leader," Appiah said. "Over the years, her guidance has helped me to understand the power of community building. I am so greatly thankful for her influence in my life."

Thomas will help communities at a national level with CFLeads

Thomas will be in a new position, but she will be able to spend some time in Spartanburg.

"It's bittersweet that Mary is leaving. I am happy that she gets to spread her wings and do the work she loves to do nationally," said Victor Durrah Jr., president and executive director of BRUHMentorship. "I had the honor to meet her through Grassroot and from there she's been a mentor of mine.

"She's taught me a lot of work about leadership and has been a real influence on the work we've been doing in BRUHMentorship. Her leadership in Spartanburg reaches beyond the Spartanburg County Foundation. She has a leadership and professional quality that is unmatched throughout our community."

Thomas said the message of CFLeads shared the same passions she believes in. She said the organization is unapologetically committed to advancing public policy, insisting on racial equity and amplifying community voice. Everything in CFLeads speaks to who Thomas is.

"That's what really drew me to this opportunity and I'm so excited about it," Thomas said. "They use the term 'evangelize' and I just knew that this job was for me. I'm in ministry and I understand what it means in the spiritual realm, but in this context, we have a compelling message that we hope community foundations will embrace so we can do the work in place space communities."

Thomas hopes to leave her legacy in a way to be remembered for her innovation, commitment to community and passion to serve others. She is looking forward to seeing the impact other members of the Foundation will bring to the community.

"It's not just about Mary, it's about who we bring along with us," Thomas said. "Sometimes we have to step back so others can step up, and that's what I'm excited about seeing. I want to say thank you to Spartanburg and every member of the community I've had the privilege to work with and I want to thank our incredible team here at the Foundation."

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Mary L Thomas joins CFLeads to help communities across the nation