Benay Hicks
Communications Manager
benay@bookharvest.org
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Start Date: November 2020
Role at Book Harvest: Benay develops, designs, and implements effective communications and outreach strategies, tools, and events to successfully advance Book Harvest’s mission and to strategically influence and advance public awareness about children’s literacy.
Favorite Children’s Book Right Now: “Thunder Cake” by Patricia Polacco
Likes & Loves: Benay loves adventure, whether it’s in her backyard or across the world. You’ll find her out hiking, training in Krav Maga, hosting dinner parties, trying a new restaurant, or picking fruit at a local orchard. Her favorite people include her husband and a teenager they’ve been mentoring for five years.
Community Involvement: Grow Your World, Board of Directors; Students to Scholars, Founder; Partnership for a Healthy Durham, Communications Committee
Where she studied: BA in Psychology and Religion from Simpson College in Iowa; Master’s of History of Religion from Boston University; Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University
Experience: 16+ years working with nonprofits, including four years as Director of Operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties. Her background includes marketing/communications, development, volunteer management, and operations.
What she’s hopeful for: Universal equity in education and access to education — from Pre-K to graduate school and everything in between.
