Lester Strong

Over the past 10 years, Lester Strong has been a leader in educational entrepreneurship and development. He was most recently the chief development officer for the Building Educated Leaders for Life Foundation, or BELL, which provides tutoring and mentoring services to 12,000 underserved children. His efforts doubled the foundation's endowment and propelled expansion from three to five cities: Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New York, and Springfield, Massachusetts. A long-time proponent and practitioner of meditation, Lester was also CEO of the SYDA Foundation, an educational organization that provides instruction in yoga and meditation in 46 countries.

Strong spent 25 years in the television industry as an executive, producer, reporter, and anchor in Charlotte (WBTV), Atlanta (WSB), New York (ABC Entertainment), and Boston (WHDH). His work earned him a host of national and regional awards, including five regional Emmy Awards and a White House commendation from President Ronald Reagan. Strong serves as a member of the board of trustees of Noyce Foundation and the board of visitors at Davidson College. He holds a bachelor's degree from Davidson College, is a graduate of the Columbia University Business School's Institute for Non-Profit Management, and the recipient of an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Endicott College.