Dan Winslow, president and CEO of the New Hanover Community Endowment, has resigned. 

Winslow is stepping down to “focus on personal priorities,” according to a news release Monday. The endowment’s board of directors appointed Sophie Dagenais, the endowment's vice president of programs and grants, to serve as interim CEO. 

“Leading the Endowment and getting to know the people of New Hanover County has been a true privilege,” said Dan Winslow wrote in Monday’s news release. “I’ve made the difficult decision to step away to refocus my time and attention on other priorities. While this wasn't an easy choice, I am proud of the work we’ve done, in partnership with the board, staff, CAC and the strong network of partners in New Hanover County, to introduce the “grants rainbow” and further define the Endowment’s strategic vision. I am confident that this work will continue and will truly transform the county.”

Winslow joined the endowment last fall as its new president and CEO. The approximately $1.3 billion endowment was formed from the proceeds of the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health in 2021.

“Thanks to Dan’s leadership, we’ve made significant progress and built momentum towards transforming New Hanover County,” the endowment’s board chair, Shannon Winslow (no relation to Dan Winslow), wrote in the release. “Dan has played a critical role in operationalizing the Endowment’s vision and building a talented team to carry the work forward. We’re grateful for his contributions and wish him the best in his next chapter.”

Last August, endowment officials announced their selection of Dan Winslow as the next leader of the organization. He is a former trial court judge, a former legislator in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and previously served as chief legal counsel to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Before joining the endowment, Dan Winslow led the Boston-based New England Legal Foundation (NELF).

During his tenure, the endowment announced a new approach to its grant-making process, providing strategic and responsive grants in various investment categories that Winslow referred to as the endowment's "grants rainbow," and brought on new personnel and added new positions.

With Dan Winslow's departure, Dagenais, who joined the endowment earlier this year, will lead its day-to-day operations, according to the release. She previously served as an assistant dean at Syracuse University and led the Baltimore Civic Site at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a $3.4 billion charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families across the United States.

She also previously served as chief of staff to the mayor of Baltimore. According to the release, her career builds on a foundation of success as a partner at an AmLaw 100 firm, where she specialized in corporate law, finance, real estate, and economic development.