Teddie Brown Takes a Break
Key staff member at Sanford Institute retires
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Durham, NC -- The Sanford Institute said farewell to one of its linchpin staff members in January when Teddie Brown -- half of the duo that includes professor of the practice Tony Brown -- retired after 13 years of service.
“I feel like I have known Teddie forever,” said Institute Director Bruce Kuniholm. “In her various capacities here, she has played so many different roles for the Sanford team that I think of her as a utility infielder—as valuable as many of the MVPs that she sometimes pinch-hits for.”
Her latest pinch-hitting experience was a second stint as MPP program director, filling in for Helene McAdams, who has since returned from maternity leave. Before that, she had handed building rentals, special events and assorted other posts. She also spent seven years working in tandem with Tony on his Enterprising Leadership Initiative, a project of the Hart Leadership Program.
She advised students on their social entrepreneurship projects, connected them with people in the community, maintained connections with alums, hosted meals, and generally handled all logistics.
Teddie—whose given name is Theodora— was the trailing spouse when her husband came to Duke in 1994 eager to teach young people to employ business skills for social change. However, her experience as an events planner for a large child and family agency in Connecticut soon led to her first contract assignment at Sanford; she planned three days of events to dedicate the Sanford Institute Building in the fall of 1994.
“We had scheduled President Bill Clinton as the keynote speaker. He was supposed to land by helicopter on the baseball field. We were going to cut down the chain-link fence between the ball field and the institute so he could come directly over and avoid a mob,” Brown said.
But, knowing that working with big names is an iffy business, Brown had a Plan B.
“I filled every minute of all three days with classes and lectures, so even if he did cancel there was plenty to do.” Good thing; Clinton canceled 10 days before the event.
Brown’s reputation for volunteer leadership also began soon after she hit town. She volunteered at One World Market, a Durham nonprofit retail store that sells goods from developing countries on fair trade principles. Eventually, she became chairman of the board.
Her participation in the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Durham program led to more board invitations, including Meals on Wheels, Volunteer Center of Durham and Habitat for Humanity, which she has chaired for the last year.
As an active member of the Institute’s Internal Communications Committee, Brown organized numerous volunteer activities for faculty, staff and students.
“All of these allowed us to provide a service and strengthened our PPS community,” said ICC Chairman Stan Paskoff, “assuming that getting paint splattered on each other while painting a woman’s shelter builds community.”
The common thread through her service work, she said, is “helping people to reach their potential.” She traces this passion to her childhood in rural eastern Connecticut.
“I came from a good family, always had a roof over my head, and was always fed. But there was always a lack of resources, and I remember working hard,” she said. “Habitat [for Humanity] hits my soul—it gives people a leg up to become a citizen with property, with something of value. I am a very pragmatic person and like to work on things I can see, touch and feel, so it’s been the best thing for me.”
Tony is the “idea-a-minute, creative person” who doesn’t much enjoy details while, “I’m good at making sure all the Is are dotted and Ts are crossed,” Brown said.
Over the years, she learned sanity-saving strategies for supporting creative people. She admitted she didn’t rush to carry out each and every one of Tony’s great ideas.
“You just can’t keep up! Sometimes I would say to myself, ‘Let’s see if he brings this up again.’”
After a January trip to Honduras to build houses with Habitat, Brown plans to do some more pinch hitting with Hart Leadership and Duke Engage in March. Who knows? She may not retire after all.