Conversation About the Future – Building Community in the New Normal

Educational institutions and nonprofits have historically claimed to be leaders in the area of community building. In this third episode in our series “Conversations About the Future”, Ian sits down with some iced coffee and discusses how to build community in radically changing moment in time. His guest? Dr. Gary Daynes, a noted thought leader in the area of community building.

Gary is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Barton College in Wilson, NC. During his seven years there he has, in addition to overseeing academic functions, at various times also led enrollment management, advancement, marketing, and student life. Prior to joining Barton, Daynes worked for six years at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT, where he founded the Center for Civic Engagement, led new initiatives for the college, and served as Vice President for Strategic Outreach and Enrollment.

Daynes holds a PhD in American History, and has written extensively on the intersection of history, education, and community development. In addition to his academic work, he has chaired the boards of the City Academy Charter High School, the Utah Humanities Council, and the St. John Community Development Corporation, and was part of a team that won a million dollar grant to build a co-working space and entrepreneurship hub in Wilson. Daynes was born in Utah, raised in Colorado, and has lived with his family in Delaware and Washington state. When he lived in Utah he was an avid trail runner. Since moving to North Carolina, he has become an avid barbecue fan.