PTA Thrift Shop director Barbara Jessie-Black named to nonprofit board

After heading one of the most prominent and successful nonprofits in the area, Barbara Jessie-Black is getting recognition at the state level.

Jessie-Black, executive director of the PTA Thrift Shop, was elected to the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

She has been the thrift shop’s executive director for 10 years and has worked with nonprofits for 20 years. She started on the board in August.

She said the board approached her and offered her the position. Before she was on the board, the PTA Thrift Shop was already a member of the center.

“I was very flattered when they spoke to me about joining the board,” she said.

She said her main responsibilities on the board include overseeing the financial activities of the organization and bringing in new members.

The center chooses candidates for its board of directors based on their past experience and set of skills, said Emily Zimmern, chairwoman of the board. She said the board is diverse in terms of its members’ geographic locations and professional backgrounds.

Zimmern said Jessie-Black is the only board member from Orange County, and her unique background brings valuable experience to the board.

“That is the kind of learning and kind of cross-pollination that really makes the board of the center very excited to bring those differences, those different ways of doing things and the different community contexts from across the state,” she said.

The board chooses candidates who are respectful and deeply committed to the nonprofit sector, Scott Wierman, vice chairman of the board, said. He said Jessie-Black has a strong reputation for being an effective leader.

“She is well-regarded as a nonprofit leader in terms of understanding governance, understanding the issues and challenges that are faced by nonprofits, and we thought she would be a wonderful addition to the board,” he said.

Wierman said the PTA Thrift Shop’s model is unique for nonprofits because the organization supports itself without relying on monetary donations. He said her experience with the shop’s model of revenue generation would be particularly helpful.

“She brings very much the mindset of how can we bring best business practices to create a sustainable business model that will benefit nonprofits — I mean, how you create the most value you can for the greater good,” Zimmern said.

Jessie-Black said she holds the board in high regard and hopes to make contributions. She said her experience in the nonprofit world will add to the board.

“I know how nonprofit world operates and how nonprofit organizations actually function, so I bring that to the table,” she said.

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