To learn more about the Tocqueville Society at United Way, or how you can get involved with United Way through giving, advocacy or volunteering, visit www.unitedwaytriangle.org, or join in the conversation on Facebook or Twitter.
By R. J. Moshay
United Way of the Greater Triangle
Serve Others. That's the motto by which Chapel Hill resident Kevin Trapani lives both in the boardroom and in the family room.
As president and CEO of Morrisville-based The Redwoods Group, the Duke University graduate has been committed to serving and helping others since his early days as a YMCA camp counselor, lifeguard and swim coach.
Trapani shares his Y experience as inspiring him to begin giving back. "I was asked to teach a class of autistic kids to swim. Let's just say that patience was not my strong suit and, with no real understanding of autism, the kids taught me way more than I taught them," explains Trapani.
From this all-American beginning to an illustrious leadership career that includes stints at Chubb and Burlington Insurance Group, the Connecticut native founded The Redwoods Group with the unique business model based upon serving others. The company is a consistent leader in the world of United Way, winning the highly coveted Spirit of North Carolina, United Way of North Carolina's top award, for two consecutive years.
Earlier this spring, Trapani was appointed chairman of the Tocqueville Society, United Way of the Greater Triangle's leadership giving group composed of individuals and couples who contribute $10,000 or more annually to United Way.
On the home front, Trapani and his wife, Jennifer, work constantly to cultivate a philanthropic mind-set within each of their children. For Family Trapani, "LIVE UNITED" means teaching charity at home and spreading it communitywide. Weekly allowance for their 8-year-old twins, for example, comes with the chant "Spend some, save some, give the rest away."
"Our whole family is engaged with Habitat for Humanity -- where we build houses while our kids make birdhouses or work in gardens -- Triangle Land Conservancy and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke," Trapani says. In addition, Jennifer is a board member of the YMCA where Trapani chairs the capital campaign. Both are also involved with TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers) in Durham and Interact in Raleigh which provides support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Trapani leads by example through his board work with several organizations, including WUNC- North Carolina Public Radio, where he is board chairman. He is also a regular speaker on leadership at Duke and the Fuqua School of Business. In step with the zeitgeist, the entrepreneurial Trapani is the author of the widely read blog, www.serveothers.redwoodsgroup.com.
Trapani believes our community needs time, talent and treasure from our Triangle volunteers and donors to move us forward. "Between the pressures of the economy and the divisive political atmosphere, we have somehow allowed a culture of selfishness and greed to develop and, even, to be celebrated. That's not moral and it's not sustainable. We are our brothers' keeper and we need many more business and individuals to, simply, share," says Trapani.
To that end, Trapani follows these two adages: "Of those to whom much is given, much also is expected," and, "Things don't just change -- you have to change them."
