Now-Trustee Emeritus Hugh Durden Oversaw Nearly 30 Years of Asset Growth Benefitting Nemours Children’s Health and Patients in Delaware and Florida
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust, one of America’s largest and most generous supporters of pediatric healthcare, today announced the decision by long-time Chairman Hugh Durden to retire from his active Trustee role to an Emeritus position effective May 1, 2025.
Thomas G. Kuntz will step into the role of Chairman, following eight years of Trustee service. The sixth active Trustee position will be filled by Gwen M. MacKenzie, RN, MN, MHSA.
Thomas G. Kuntz
Durden has been a Trustee for nearly 30 years and Chairman for 20 years. He was previously President of Corporate Services at Wachovia Bank, holding several leadership positions in North Carolina and Georgia, and served five years as a Naval Aviator, including duty in Vietnam.
During Durden’s tenure, the duPont Trust’s assets more than doubled and its headquarters were permanently established in Mr. duPont’s adopted hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Durden said he is proudest, however, of the $3.2 billion distributed over those decades to the Nemours Foundation, helping Nemours Children’s Health become the only pediatric health system in the country with two freestanding children’s hospitals plus clinics serving 500,000 patients annually.
“It’s all about the children,” said Durden. “The duPont Trust’s long-term support covers more than world-class healthcare – it enables Nemours Children’s to improve the overall health and wellness of children in Delaware and Florida and employ thousands of people across both states.”
Newly appointed Chairman Kuntz has been a Trustee since 2017. He’s a retired Corporate Executive Vice President of SunTrust Banks, Inc., and was previously President and CEO of SunTrust Banks, Florida. Kuntz also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation and Florida Blue, and is a member of the Truist Bank, Central Florida Advisory Board.
“My fellow Trustees and I remain committed to continued asset growth that will fundamentally improve health outcomes of generations of children,” said Kuntz. “Whether restoring a child’s eyesight in a clinic or using a hospital’s 3D printer to prepare for heart surgery, the duPont Trust enables Nemours Children’s to realize the future of pediatric care.”
Incoming Trustee MacKenzie is already connected to the duPont Trust through her service on the Board of Directors of Nemours Children’s Health. She’s a senior advisor with McKinsey & Company, a consultant with Quick, Leonard, Kieffer and a professor at the University of Michigan. Previously, MacKenzie oversaw the Michigan market for Ascension, leading 15 hospitals, 130 delivery sites and 5,300 physicians. As an experienced healthcare CEO, she brings industry-leading knowledge of health service delivery to inform the next chapter for the duPont Trust.
About the Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust
The Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust is a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred Irénée duPont in 1935. The duPont Trust is devoted to supporting the trust’s sole charitable beneficiary, The Nemours Foundation, for the benefit of Nemours Children’s Health and the Nemours Estate. For more information, visit www.alfrediduponttrust.org.
About Nemours Children’s Health
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families, and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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SOURCE Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust
