Darryl Lester brings over 30 years of Leadership experience in the Higher Education, Nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, with significant success in increasing individual and organizational cultural competency, racial equity, community engagement, and strategic direction. Darryl currently serves as a Senior Advisor with Armstrong McGuire and as the Principal of the Institute for Building Communities by Design. Prior to that, he served as the first Director of Service Year NC at the Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State University, he had a major impact on how “service” is viewed by the masses, implementing strategies to elevate the notion of a year of paid, full-time service – also known as a “service year. Darryl also served as a founding staff member of Public Allies North Carolina. The Institute for Building Communities by Design seeks to build communities by design and not out of crisis through growing philanthropy, promoting Civic and Community engagement, developing leaders that are purposeful, grounded, and culturally appropriate and competent, and promoting recreational opportunities for young people with physical and mental challenges.