Four new directors named to Community Foundation board

The Gaston Community Foundation has announced the appointment of four new members to its board of directors.

"Each member brings a wealth of knowledge and community spirit, enhancing the impact of the Community Foundation and strengthening the organization," said President Ernest Sumner in a press release.

The new directors are Mike Fayed, Tony Powell, Amy Spencer, and Robert Spencer.

Michael Fayed is a certified financial planner and CPA and owner of Michael E. Fayed Financial Planning in Belmont. Fayed and his wife, Jen, live in Belmont and have two children.

Colin is a junior at Gaston Day and Lana is a freshman at Gaston Day. Fayed serves on the board at the Boys and Girls Club and the Heart Society. He has also served as a board member for the YMCA Stowe Branch.

Anthony Powell and his wife Carol reside in Gastonia and have three adult children and three grandchildren serving in careers out of state.

Powell served as a human resources leader over the last 40-plus years for organizations including natural gas and electric utilities, BIC Consumer Products, General Electric Commercial Insurance and most recently Firestone Fibers and Textiles in Kings Mountain and Gastonia.

Prior to retirement last December, Powell served on the Gaston Chamber of Commerce now the Gaston Business Association, Gaston Together, Careers in Technical Education Advisory Board, Junior Achievement of Gaston County Board as well as the United Way Allocations Committee.

Powell serves as the ministry leader for the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Gastonia Kingdom Men’s Ministry and supports other ministries there. He has trained and served as an internal life and business coach for several organizations over the years.

Amy Spencer is the executive director of the Gaston County Education Foundation. Spencer graduated from the University of Georgia and worked in South Carolina for Blue Cross Blue Shield, until returning to Gaston County as a pharmaceutical representative with Roche Pharmaceuticals, and later for TAP pharmaceuticals.

Spencer and her husband, Marsh, have three children, Davis, Ben and Reilly. They are members of First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia, where she is currently serving on the Presbyterian Women's Council.

Spencer has been active in the community serving in various ways over the years including: the YMCA Metro Board , Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Board of Visitors, Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Bug Ball Chair, Gaston Day Parent Association, Let Me Run Coach, First Presbyterian Church Youth Committee, First Presbyterian Church bake sale chair, and Gaston Day School swim coach.

Robert Spencer is a retired banking executive. Spencer and his wife, Janet, moved to Gastonia in 1984 with Wachovia Bank where he had a long career in several capacities.

For many years he served as the area executive for Wachovia for Gaston and counties west of Charlotte.

In 2001 with the merger of Wachovia and First Union his responsibilities moved to Charlotte in the Risk Management Group where he managed the western region commercial banking credit team.

In 2007, after 30 years, Spencer retired from Wachovia, but only briefly. He soon began working in Charlotte in the Corporate Banking Group of RBC Bank which was later acquired by PNC Bank.

In 2020, he retired from banking. He and his wife are members of First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia where he is currently serving as an elder. They have two grown children, Lee and Lucy Brown.

Spencer has been active in the community serving on numerous boards over the years that include: the YMCA (chair), Schiele Museum, Chamber of Commerce, Gastonia Police Foundation, Boys and Girls Club, Cancer Services, the NC Turnpike Authority, the Highway Trust Fund Study Commission and others.

He and his wife served as co-chairs of the Gaston County United Way Fund Drive in 2018.

Upon joining the Community Foundation Board, each member is appointed to a committee of the foundation.

Fayed and Powell will serve on the Grants Committee for the foundation. Robert Spencer will participate on the Investment Committee and Amy Spencer will serve on the Development Committee.

“The Foundation feels fortunate to have such strong leaders at the helm. Their guidance and expertise in all areas of the community provide a strong role in diversifying our impact throughout Gaston County,” said Sumner.

In addition to the new board members, the foundation’s returning board members are Kathleen Boyce, Robert Caldwell, Nazrul Chowdhury, Jennifer Davis, Dr. Kelvin Harris, Davidson Hobson, Gayle Kersh, John McGill, Nancy Paschall (chair), Chris Peek, May Robinson, David Rogers, Harding Stowe, Jennie Stultz, Andy Warlick,and David Wofford.

The Gaston Community Foundation was incorporated in 1978 and since that time has grown to assets over $124 million at 2021-year end.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Four new directors named to Community Foundation board