About New Leaf Society

Planter from Downtown Burlington Project

Alamance County is becoming a little greener thanks to a local business leader, a new organization, an expert technical committee, a dynamic board of directors, and the donations of many local citizens.

New Leaf Society was formed in 2007 as a private non-profit organization, designed to work through partnerships to enhance the quality of life and economic prosperity in Alamance County by planting trees and creating landscaping projects. Modeled after the Noble Tree Society in Spartanburg, SC, New Leaf Society’s purpose is to generate private funds to support city/community beautification programs. New Leaf Society was founded by Allen E. Gant, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Glen Raven, Inc., and is led by Rett Davis, former Cooperative Extension Director for Alamance County. The Technical Advisory Committee, chaired by Kelly May, Glen Raven, Inc., select transformational projects through a list of pre-established criteria and priorities ranging from maintenance ease to project cost.

In the first year, New Leaf Society raised approximately $130,000 from private donations to secure the challenge set forth by Allen E. Gant, Jr. to match the contributions with $100,000 for three years. The funds were invested to enhance highways and main thoroughfares in the Burlington area; now New Leaf Society funds are invested throughout Alamance County. We continue to generate partners and funds and have installed landscape enhancement projects in the Town of Elon, City of Graham, City of Mebane, and the Town of Haw River.