The New Hanover Community Endowment board is taking applications for two additional members, whose spots were added through negotiations with the state attorney general to reflect a diverse membership.
 
The new endowment board is responsible for managing about $1.25 billion from proceeds of the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health. The sale of the county-owned hospital closed Feb. 1.
 
After county commissioners signed off on the deal last fall, they appointed their five members to the foundation board. In December, the new regional local board created to oversee NHRMC under Novant ownership appointed its six endowment members.
 
The community endowment is expected to fund education, health and social equity, community development and community safety projects in New Hanover County using interest income from proceeds of the sale. Officials have said those allotments might not start until next year as the endowment is set up and investments made.
 
As part of his overall review of the sale, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein called for certain changes to the deal between NHRMC and Novant Health, a not-for-profit system based in Winston-Salem. One of those negotiated conditions was to add at least two additional endowment board members “with experience working on the issues that the endowment will support – like public health, support to underserved populations, and promotion of racial equity and justice,” according to Stein’s office, making it now a 13-member board.
 
Board chairman Spence Broadhurst said Monday that New Hanover County residents with “deep experience” in those three categories – public health; service to underserved communities; or racial justice and equity – are encouraged to apply.
 
Applications opened Monday and run through Feb. 19. A decision will be made by March 4, and the new board members will join the endowment board March 11 for their first meeting, Broadhurst said.
 
“This the first of many opportunities the Endowment plans for engaging the community as we move forward in our mission of service,” Broadhurst said in a statement.
 
The application is available online at nhcendowment.org.