Be Active North Carolina Says Farewell to Its Founder; Names Blankenship to Chief Executive Position

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK — Be Active North Carolina announced that Shellie Pfohl, the Vice President of Strategic Development, will leave the organization effective March 20. Taking over as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer is Ben Blankenship, an experienced financial officer and business operator.

Pfohl is a nationally recognized health promotion expert and has spent the past 18 years working in North Carolina to build awareness about the human and financial costs of sedentary lifestyles and implementing solutions to combat the obesity epidemic. Before co-founding Be Active North Carolina nearly ten years ago, she served as the Executive Director for the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health and was responsible for developing local fitness councils across the state.

Be Active North Carolina was named the top physical activity organization in the country last year by the National Association for Health & Fitness. Located just outside Research Triangle Park, it operates programs in each of the state’s 100 counties.

“I am proud of Be Active’s success and thankful for the many productive partnerships established over the years. Now is the right time for me to take my passion for this work to the national level,” Pfohl said. “Be Active is on solid ground, has a top notch team and new leadership that will continue to bring cutting edge programs to North Carolina.”

Under her leadership, Be Active North Carolina grew to a staff of 14 that includes a regional office in the western part of the state, on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone. It has raised more than $16 million in funds and is well known nationally for its award-winning, best-in-class programs.

Blankenship joins Be Active after serving as the Director of Operations and Chief Financial Officer for the Triangle Community Foundation. While there, he managed the accounting and financial transactions of more than $140 million in assets as well as the Foundation’s $2.10 million operating budget. He was also responsible for more than 20 investment accounts spread across more than 600 philanthropic funds and provided the strategic technology planning for the foundation.

“The addition of Ben Blankenship to the Be Active family is indicative of the enormous success the organization has achieved since its inception. His wealth of experience and knowledge in strategic planning and financial management will serve as a catalyst for even greater growth and will firmly establish Be Active as the state’s leading expert in healthy lifestyles,” said Carla Daniel, who chairs the Be Active Board of Trustees.

Blankenship expressed his excitement about joining the Be Active team.

“I’m delighted to join what already is the premier organization of its kind in North Carolina, and perhaps the nation,” Blankenship said. “Simply put, being active makes us happy. We are more confident, more energized and less stressed. I am deeply honored to work with the Be Active team to promote healthy, active lifestyles for all of North Carolina.”

Blankenship’s prior experience includes serving as the Business Manager and Controller at the Denver Foundation from 2001 to 2006. He also directed sales and operations for two wireless technology companies with a five-state presence. Utilizing his professional culinary training, Blankenship served as a founding manager and shareholder of Qdoba Fresh Mexican Grill, which he helped develop into a national restaurant franchise. Blankenship has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Denver and an A.A. from The Culinary Institute of America. In 2006, he was selected as a Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow.

He enjoys fly fishing, hiking and spending time with his wife and two children. A former executive chef, Blankenship can also whip up a fine crème brûlée.

To learn more about Be Active North Carolina and its programs, visit www.beactivenc.org

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