Emily Beaver

Emily Beaver is a program manager on MDC’s education equity team, primarily supporting the work of Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust’s Great Expectations initiative, which works to ensure that children in Forsyth County, NC, enter kindergarten ready to learn and leave set for success in school and life. In this work, Emily and other MDC Great Expectations team members work closely with grantees of the Trust, key organizations supporting the early childhood system in the county, and other community leaders in implementing the Great Expectations strategy and emphasizing equity within the early childhood system.

In addition, Emily supports MDC’s Home-Based Child Care initiatives, HBCC Haven and the HBCC Community of Practice, as well as MDC’s Learning and Impact team.

Previously, Emily was a program administrator, providing administrative and organizational support to MDC’s program teams. She also helped build and maintain cross-programmatic tools and systems.

Emily was born and raised in Durham. She earned her bachelor’s degree in religious studies and psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill and went on to serve as Director of Youth Ministries at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church in Raleigh, where she served for seven years building programs and fostering community for young people and families. She then felt a pull towards developing her skills in the nonprofit field and her knowledge around social justice issues and building greater equity. This led her to pursue a master’s degree as a Community Engagement Fellow at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, where her community engagement projects and internships focused on education equity work.

In her spare time, Emily enjoys exploring Durham with her partner and their two dogs, from all the great restaurants to the museums and beautiful trails.