The Lee County Community Foundation annually recognizes two people who are selected for their service. This year’s nominees, Tommy Chester “Chet” Mann III and Lisa McNew Chapman, have spent decades making a positive impact on the community, both professionally and personally.
A gala banquet recognizing Mann and Chapman was held Thursday, March 20, at the Sanford Elks Lodge.
Mann has deep roots in the local community and serves on numerous local boards including as incoming chairman of the Mann Center of NC, home of the Lee County Arts and Community Center, a trustee of Central Carolina Community College and as vice chairman of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance (SAGA).
Mann has also been honored as the Occoneechee Council of The Boy Scouts of America Man of the Year, YMCA of the Triangle Lee County Volunteer of the Year and the Lee County NAACP Man of the Year.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and after spending the first 20 years of his career managing successful small businesses, Mann now works as a loan officer for a local mortgage company.
Chapman began her career as a biologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and later transitioned to Central Carolina Community College where she served in various roles over her 27-year career, including as executive vice president/chief academic officer.
In 2014, Chapman left the college to serve as the senior vice president/chief academic officer of the North Carolina Community College System.
Chapman has served on advisory boards at public universities, and state government advisory councils and commissions and serves the local community through her church, United Way, Partnership for Children and the Lee County Education Foundation.
She is an Aspen Presidents Fellow and holds a bachelor of science degree in zoology from UNC-Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in physiology from East Tennessee State University, and doctorate in curriculum and instruction from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has lived in Sanford for 42 years.
In 2024, the Foundation awarded more than $89,000 in grants to over 20 local organizations for critical programs that address basic human needs, education, health care and support quality of life issues, as well as arts and culture in Lee County. The annual banquet provides funding for the grants program.
The Foundation was founded in 1997 and is led by a local volunteer advisory board that helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership.
The North Carolina Community Foundation brings together generous people and connects them to causes and organizations they care about, with a focus on inspiring lasting and meaningful philanthropy in the state’s rural communities.
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