Leslie Winner, currently a NC Justice center Board Member, is the former Executive Director of super-funder to Leftist causes, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, in 2006, formed Blueprint NC to help “progressive” advocacy groups coordinate activities and messaging. The NC Justice center housed Blueprint NC as a startup group.
Blueprint NC is infamous for a 2013 political strategy memo.Blueprint NC’s strategy memo recommendations:
* “Crippling their leaders ([Gov.] McCrory, [House Speaker] Tillis, [Senate President
Pro Tem] Berger etc.).”
* “Eviscerate the leadership and weaken their ability to govern.”
* “Pressure McCrory at every public event.”
* “Private investigators and investigative reporting, especially in the executive
branch.…”
* “Organizers focus on year round voter registration….”
Founding Board members of Blueprint NC
• Chris Estes – Former Director of NC Housing Coalition (Top two donors are Z. Smith Reynolds and A.J. Fletcher foundations), currently President of the National Housing Coalition.
• Gerda Stein – Director of Public Information at Center for Death Penalty Litigation
• Carrie Clark – Executive Director of NC League of Conservation Voters
• Brad Thompson – Progress NC Board, Democracy NC Board
• Melinda Lawrence- Executive Director at NC Justice Center
• Chris Fitzsimon – Former WRAL reporter, Currently Director at NC Justice Center’s “Policy Watch“
• Jennifer Frye- Associate Director at Democracy NC
• Paige Johnson – Planned Parenthood NC media contact and frequent writer at NC Justice Center’s Policy Watch.
Winner’s Spouse, Jerry Postema, a law professor at UNC and a statewide trailblazer for Lillian’s List.
