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To: GRACE Scholars Board of Directors and Chancery Staff
From: Brad Wilson, Chief Financial Officer
With mixed emotions, I announce the retirement of David Brown as the Executive Director and Corporate Secretary of GRACE Scholars effective July 1, 2018.
GRACE Scholars was formed in 2008 by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and Bishop J. Kevin Boland to administer the newly passed tuition tax credit legislation for Catholic schools in the State of Georgia. David is the second Executive Director, serving since 2011.
During David’s seven year tenure, cumulative donations topped $22.6 million. In spite of deepening cuts in tax credits in recent years, GRACE was able to maintain donations at the $3 million level each year. Today, 1,100 students are attending Catholic schools because of GRACE Scholars – up from 421 students in 2011.
GRACE provides an opportunity for students from families of modest means to attend our Catholic schools. One in four of our scholars come from a family with an annual income of $25,000 or less. The average family income for our scholars is $40,600. Clearly, without GRACE, these students would not have the opportunity to attend and be formed by our Catholic schools.
I thank David for his leadership in this important ministry to make Catholic education available, affordable and accessible.
David will be getting married and moving to Holly Springs in Cherokee County. He is planning more family time with his son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter in Augusta and daughter in Los Angeles. He will keep busy writing family history, volunteering with nonprofits and redirecting his Georgia tax liability to GRACE!