About Us

We Are New Leaf Society

Alamance County is a lot greener thanks to a local business leader, a dynamic board of directors, an expert technical committee, and the support of the community.

Formed in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, New Leaf Society is designed to work through partnerships to enhance quality of life and economic prosperity in Alamance County by planting trees and creating public landscaping projects. 

In its first year, NLS raised approximately $130,000 in private donations to meet the challenge set forth by Founder Allen E. Gant, Jr., who pledged to match contributions with $100,000 per year for three years. The funds were used to landscape highways and main thoroughfares in the Burlington area; now funds are invested throughout Alamance County. To date, NLS has leveraged more than $5.6 million of investment in local communities.

Modeled after the Noble Tree Foundation in Spartanburg, SC, NLS generates funding to support curb appeal projects across Alamance County. To date, NLS has installed more than 100 landscape enhancement projects in Burlington, Mebane, Graham, Elon, and Haw River.

NLS Founder Allen E. Gant, Jr.

NLS Founder Allen E. Gant, Jr.

Allen E. Gant, Jr.

Allen founded NLS because he understands that a community’s curb appeal is part of what makes it a great place to live and to do business. He is a Burlington native and the former CEO and current Chairman of Glen Raven, Inc., an innovative textile company founded by his grandfather in 1880. A true visionary, Allen actively seeks out new projects for NLS, driving the organization to make Alamance County the best it can be.

Founding Members & Dedicated Servants to NLS: Kelly G. May, Rett Davis, & Janice Burgess

Kelly G. May

Kelly serves as Board President and Technical Committee Co-Chair for NLS and has overseen many of the organization’s projects over the years. Before joining NLS, she once teamed up with Rett Davis to plant daylilies along the I-40/I-85 corridor in Alamance County. Many of those flowers can still be seen blooming each summer along the roadside. Kelly is originally from Graham and has worked as Executive Assistant & Manager of Community Relations at Glen Raven, Inc., for more than 15 years.

Rett Davis

Rett currently serves as NLS’s Horticultural Advisor and is an honorary member of the Board of Directors after serving as a longtime member and former Board President. He has also previously served on the Technical Committee and the City of Burlington’s Arboretum Advisory Board, where he served a three-year term as President. Along with Janice Burgess, Rett was the driving force behind the transformation of the Burlington Arboretum at Willowbrook Park. Before retiring in 2007, Rett served for 34 years with NC Cooperative Extension and taught many of us how to care for our trees and gardens via his local newspaper column.

Janice Burgess

Janice faithfully served NLS for 15 years before stepping down at the end of 2022. She is an Honorary Member of the NLS Board of Directors and held the position of Secretary for many years. Janice and Rett teamed up to oversee the multi-year transformation of Willowbrook Park into the Burlington Arboretum. Janice brings warmth, wisdom, and dedication to everything she does, and we are most grateful for her service to NLS.

Katie Snider, NLS Director

Katie Snider

Katie joined NLS as Director in January 2023 and manages projects and daily operations. She is an Alamance County native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication. In 2025, Katie will complete her Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. Katie currently serves as staff liaison to the Board of Directors and the Technical Committee and is President of the City of Burlington’s Arboretum Advisory Board.

 Board Of Directors

as of October 2024

Allen E. Gant, Jr. – Chairman,

Kelly May – President, Gade Lander – Vice-President

Lisa McDaniel – Secretary, Tom McGowen – Treasurer

Kelly Allen, Teresa Chandler, David Cheek, Mark Danieley, Julie Dixon-Green, Trip Durham, David Foy, Laine Francis, Denise Gant, Tracey Grayzer, Ellen Greeson, Elizabeth Hood, Sam Hunt IV, Janet Latham, Julie Myers, Jill Plunkett, Matt Roberts, Emily Robinson, Dick Shirley, Ronnie Wall, Ray Womack

Technical Advisory Committee

The Technical Advisory Committee is a group of municipal and horticultural professionals who meet regularly, through the oversight of the Board of Directors, to provide guidance on all matters relating to NLS projects and site development. The Committee handles the technical logistics for current and past projects and has a strategic process for site selection. A scoring system is one of the tools used to determine a potential site in addition to other factors like community need. The Committee is always open to suggestions for site locations.

Technical Advisory Committee Members

as of October 2024

Kyle Albright, Kelly Allen, Sandi Bagby (Co-Chair), Jason Barnhill, Mark Danieley, Aaron Holland, Alan Idol, Kelly May (Co-Chair), Lori Oakley, Gary Smith, Hanna Smith, Katie Snider (Staff Liaison), Grace VandeVisser, Cameron West

Below is a list of our standard site selection criteria:

  • Cost to Transform the Site

  • Ease of Project

  • High Traffic/Visibility of Site

  • Ownership/Property Control Issue

  • Level of Community Support

  • Marketing Appeal

  • Opportunity (NCDOT/City Priority/Property Transition, Etc.)

  • Neighborhood Impact and Demographics

  • Public Safety/Security

City of Burlington Arboretum Advisory Board

The Arboretum Advisory Board is a City Council-appointed board of specialists, City staffers, and citizens who oversee and make recommendations for the care and development of the Burlington Arboretum. For more information, visit: Boards & Commissions | Burlington, NC - Official Website (burlingtonnc.gov)

as of October 2024

Amy Barber, Jason Barnhill, Mark Danieley, Rhiannon Goodwin, Jennell Harris, Gerald Knight, Gade Lander, Janet Latham, Tony Laws, Helton Magueyal, Matt Roberts, Katie Snider (President), Liz Wells