NEWTON — Catawba County Commissioner and Board Chair Randy Isenhower has been appointed to a fourth term on the Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors, the county said April 23, 2026.
Isenhower has served on the foundation board since 2013 and previously served as its board chair. Foundation board members are appointed by leaders in North Carolina’s legislative and executive branches, the county said.
Golden LEAF was established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. The foundation uses those funds to increase economic opportunity in rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities through grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, college scholarships, and stewardship. In fiscal year 2025, the county said, Golden LEAF helped create 1,665 jobs, more than $116 million in new payrolls, and more than 4,722 workers trained or retrained for higher wages.
“I have been fortunate to be part of many years of good work done by the Golden LEAF Foundation, and I have truly enjoyed my service,” Isenhower said. “I am looking forward to continuing to contribute my time and energy toward this outstanding organization and the communities we serve together.”
The county described Golden LEAF as a nonprofit governed by its Board of Directors.
Isenhower is a Newton resident and local attorney. He has served on the Catawba County Board of Commissioners since 2010. As board chair, a role he has held since 2014, the county said he has led strategic efforts to drive economic growth and job creation in collaboration with fellow commissioners and municipal leaders throughout the county.
A county photo caption states that Isenhower presented college scholarships to Hickory High School students on behalf of the Golden LEAF Foundation while serving this fourth term on its board.
The April 23 notice does not list the length of the new term, who made the appointment, or a local vote.
Official release from Catawba County Government, April 23, 2026. https://www.catawbacountync.gov/news/county-commissioner-randy-isenhower-appointed-to-fourth-term-on-golden-leaf-foundation-board-of-directors/
