The St. Louis American recently interviewed Dr. Dwayne Proctor, the president and CEO of Missouri Foundation for Health, an independent philanthropic foundation committed to changing systems and removing barriers to health for all Missourians, about the work the foundation is doing in St. Louis. Since he is new local leader – he assumed this statewide leadership position in 2021 after nearly 20 years with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest American philanthropic foundation focused solely on health – we thought a follow-up interview that delved more into his personal narrative would be of value.
Who is an important mentor for you?
Dwayne Proctor: Uncle Joe is a gentleman in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is working to suppress violence among young people in Tennessee. He and I met 30, 40 years ago, and he is still a very good friend and mentor to this day. But no one knows Uncle Joe, right? But people have heard of Julian Bond, and so I would hold up Julian Bond in that same way. Amos Brown, who was one of Dr. King’s students, I put on that list. But, you know, when I think about Uncle Joe – I’ve had more mentors that people don’t know than those that people have known.
How did Uncle Joe shape you?
Dwayne Proctor: It’s the idea that the show must go on. You’re gonna do whatever you can to make certain that you complete your job at the end of the day, to make certain that you can do it in a way that has integrity and dignity to the work, and to be compassionate and empathetic to those who are in bad situations, who are trying just to find a way to live and survive each and every day.
What was your connection to Mr. Bond?
Dwayne Proctor: We are both on the board of the National NAACP together. He was also one of the folks who started what is now known as the NAACP Foundation, and I am the NAACP Foundation’s first board chair. He was there to coach me and help me along the way, so that the lessons learned from the past could be applied today. One thing he did tell me was really important. I was a bit impatient one day, and I was also very eager to sit down and have some time with President Obama together, and Mr. Bond was there with me, and he saw me pacing back and forth from his seat, and he looked at me and says, “You know, Dwayne, sometimes if you just have a seat, you can change the world.” But I was anxious. I was eager. President Obama was running late. Hence the pacing and things like that. But it let me know that there are very simple things that you can do to make change in the world.
How about that meeting with Mr. Obama? What was your takeaway from that?
Dwayne Proctor: Conserve your energy and use it when you need it. He walked in, and he lit up the room by his presence, by his demeanor. He was focused, he was present, he was in good humor. And I’m thinking about this president of ours, who was probably solving some world problem. He had held me up by about 15 minutes, but he came in fresh, on point, and he inspired folks to want to do well and to go further with our mission.
Tell me about someone you mentored, and there must be many. Who’s someone that really told you that you really helped them on their way, and what was that relationship?
Dwayne Proctor: One of the first people who comes to mind is – I’m quite local, and he’s situated here in the Midwest, he’s the vice president of the Wyandotte Health Foundation in Kansas City, Kansas – Randy Lopez. I met him when he was a National Urban Fellow, which is a great program for mid-level professionals who are looking to up their game with a Masters of Public Administration from Georgetown University. They get assigned to a foundation, and Randy had been assigned to the nonprofit I worked. He was not directly reporting to me, which meant that we could actually have a mentor/mentee relationship and not a supervisor/employee relationship. We’ve stuck together for about 12 or 13 years. And now to know that he’s in a great leadership position at another health foundation just on the other end of the state. He’s someone I think about quite a bit.
So, board commitments – they’re on people’s bios. So many hours of work go into these things that get one sentence in a bio. What’s one of your board commitments that’s engrossing?
Dwayne Proctor: I am on two boards for the NAACP. I’m on the Board of Directors, and I also chair their foundation board. I enjoy that time so much because I’m in the room when big decisions are being made about the future of civil rights and social justice in the United States. I’m in the room when discussions are focused on: How do we preserve democracy? How do we make certain that there’s equity throughout the country? It’s a hard one to walk away from. The other that is closer to my professional work is I’m on the board of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. It is a group that is working to be certain that philanthropy can see a clear path forward, both ethically and with integrity, and also maybe to point out some of the areas where found philanthropy could have done better. A lot of the money that’s in many foundations come from corporations that may have discriminated or may have been prejudicial, maybe didn’t share its wealth in a way that could have benefited those who work for them or around them. And NCRP is a great place for dissecting and interrogating those things.
Starsky Wilson was someone who was here for a long time you’ve probably crossed paths with who worked hard on those issue and probably still is working hard. He’s at the Children’s Defense fund now.
Dwayne Proctor: Starsky was one of my first connections to Missouri. Back when Governor Nixon wanted to have a Ferguson Commission, Starsky and my predecessor here, Bob Hughes, both called my office and said, “Is there anything that your foundation can do to be helpful in that moment?” And we were able to make a contribution so that the commission had access to experts from across the nation. Starsky made that phone call. It’s first time I’d met him at that point. Here I am still in touch with Starsky. He’s on the board of NCRP – he’s the board chair. It’s an interesting circle that’s come back.
So, what part of our region have you made home since you came to Missouri? And why did you choose that town?
Dwayne Proctor: I live in the City of St. Louis. I live in a neighborhood call Shaw. It’s about a mile from where I work, which is great. I have multiple ways of commuting. And I like the neighborhood itself. I like the vibe it gives. It’s a great place. It was Michael Brown Jr. and his death and the uprising here, when so many folks were highlighted as being progressively minded that wanted to really solve the systemic problems that exist here, that made me want to be here in that mix, because I think there’s great potential for that type of thinking and that type of leadership here.
So, the kinds of people and networks you envisioned hearing about or seeing Ferguson from afar, did you find them more or less as you expected them? What have been your surprises or confirmations in those areas?
Dwayne Proctor: I would say I found them, and they were on their way up, right? And there’s several in the city who are leaders of different foundations, banks, nonprofit organizations, churches, who really have made a name for themselves within the city, within the state, but also in the nation. They are now touchstones for equity in so many different ways. And it’s good to put a face with a name and then to dis discuss how we can think about working together to advance good things, here in the city and outside the city.
You mentioned pastors. Now, this is a bit prying. But have you found a home church or place of worship here in St. Louis?
Dwayne Proctor: Yeah, it’s my back porch. My grandfather started what used to be called the Sylvannah Baptist Church in Rippon, West Virginia. Now it’s called the Sylvannah Praise, Worship and Healing Center. This church that I grew up in had been burned down twice – once with an 18-wheeler going through the church. My grandfather and our community rebuilt that space. So, I hold that as my church, my home church. I tune in via the Internet. Those were the pews I grew up on, those were the pews my mother grew up on and that my grandfather helped build by hand. I keep my loyalty right there.
Seen a good movie at the theater lately?
Dwayne Proctor: At the theater, the last thing I saw that I liked was Woman King. I do enjoy Africa and African studies and things like that quite a bit. You know, there’s an African proverb that says it is the lioness, not the lion, who hunts.
Comfort music?
Dwayne Proctor: Afrobeat.
Recent binge watch?
Dwayne Proctor: Whoo-whoo! It’s Bel-Air.
Any rabid sports fandoms?
Dwayne Proctor: I’m a fan of all DC sports teams. However, I had to take a break from our football team until they found an adequate name and ownership, and so now I’m falling back into that. My family, we’re from DC, and so for me not to be supportive of our football team, it caused a few family rifts that we’re still starting to repair at this point.
Recent vacation or adventure?
Dwayne Proctor: I was on Mogo Hill in Accra, Ghana. It’s a fascinating place to be. There’s a great history there. And, again, when it comes to women and women’s leadership and how women lead societies, being on Mogo Hill was fascinating. And then also going to Kumasi in Ghana. Kumasi is matriarchal, so instead of running to go see the chief right away, I start off with going to see the queen and making certain that I have her permission and blessings to be in that region. I’m fascinated by everything I find in Ghana.
What’s a guilty pleasure for you?
Dwayne Proctor: Playing my drum, my djembe drum. There’s no better way for me to spend my time.
Habit you’re trying to break?
Dwayne Proctor: Not riding my bike.
Biggest bragging rights in the kitchen?
Dwayne Proctor: I make some delicious Moroccan food, I make delicious Senegalese food, and I’m really good with lasagna.
Was there anything else you wanted to throw out here for the record?
Dwayne Proctor: There’s a lot of opportunity for a great change in this area, in this region. You know it can seem hopeless at times. But there’s a lot of good people here who are willing to work with others to do good things, and I think we need to take advantage of it. I think that our children deserve to see adults that are leaning into civic engagement. Our young people know that they can also work hard to improve their communities, improve their states, and that they have some examples of how to do so. We have an obligation to make certain that the young folks are safe, secure, protected, but also inspired and can see in their everyday life adults who are doing things that will make their society better. We need to act accordingly, so that our children can behave accordingly and lead us into a brighter situation. Then we might find our way.
