William (Bill) McGuinn, Jr.
3rd Chairman of the High Point Community Foundation

J. William (Bill) McGuinn, Jr. is the third Chairman of the High Point Community Foundation and he is an original member of the Foundation Executive Board. He accepted the gavel in January of 2005 and during Bills 2-year tenure over $24,000,000.00 new dollars were brought in to the Foundation to bring the assets to just under $60 million. Also seen during his tenure has been an increase in staff size from two employees to four. His leadership has included overseeing the first rotation of the Board, a strong and diverse granting record, and a tremendous expansion of the Foundations Donor Advised Funds.

Bill is a native of High Point, North Carolina where he graduated from High Point Central High School after a leaving a strong academic and athletic legacy that propelled him to Duke University where he attended on an academic scholarship. Upon graduation he joined the United States Air Force and became a Jet Fighter Pilot and ultimately attained the rank of Captain and served as a Commander of the AACS Detachment.

Upon retiring from the Air Force, McGuinn embarked upon a business career that eventually lead him to the banking industry where he served for 28 years as the Senior Banking Executive in the High Point area for First Citizens Bank. He retired in 1997 and has since served as a consultant for the bank and as Chairman of the local First Citizens Bank Board.

Over the years Bill has been very active in church and community matters. He has been Chairman, or President of Guilford Technical Community College, the High Point Chamber of Commerce, the High Point Economic Development Corporation, the High Point United Way - where he also served as interim President, Communities in Schools, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Rotary Club, and the High Point Country Club.

A life-long member of the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, Bill is currently serving as the Co-Chairman of the God's Future Church Capital Campaign, and he has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Staff-Parris Relations Committee and he has been a Lay Leader.

Bill has also served on the High Point City Council in the early 1990s and has been a strong and consistent advocate for economic development, education, social services, and youth issues. He is has been a member of the ElectiCities Board of Directors on two separate occasions and is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In addition to this he has served two years as a Commissioner of the Power Agency No. 1.

"Bill is a man of great moral and spiritual strength who leads with great humility and a selflessness that makes him one of the most effective leaders I have ever known," states Paul Lessard, President, HPCF. "Our Foundation has been blessed to have a man like Bill who not only exemplifies servant leadership, but who also has the skill set, the experience and the relationships to build partnerships that have taken our Community Foundation to the next level."

Bill is married to Caroline McGuinn and has three children, John William (Bill), Fuller, and Elizabeth.