Michael Brown smiled as he recalled the dozen or so countries he’s visited during his 40-year career in corporate human resources and leadership consulting. India and Australia were incredible, he said, but Singapore remains his favorite.

A former human resources director for Fortune 500 companies, Michael credited his education at North Carolina State University for helping him travel the world and thrive in his professional life. Now, he and his wife, Denise, are returning the favor by creating an endowment to help future generations of Wolfpack students. 

The Denise and Michael Brown Student Enrichment Endowment will support leadership development and study abroad awards for College of Natural Resources students. Announced as part of NC State’s Day of Giving, the gift is inspired by Michael’s parents, who endowed the Charles “Jay” and Carole Brown Family Scholarship in 2022. 

“I get great joy and satisfaction in helping and empowering other people on their journey to find their way,” said Michael, who graduated from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1986. “I love investing in others and supporting their growth and development.”

Sitting next to her husband at their home in Raleigh, Denise teared up talking about the endowment and how NC State has impacted her family. “I’m just happy we can do it, really happy we can do it,” she said. 

Denise graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University and currently manages finances for charter schools. She previously worked in corporate relocation and real estate for 21 years before staying home with their three children — Daniel (UNCW ‘21) Zachary (NC State ’21) and Nola Grace (Meredith ‘20, Wingate ‘24) 

Despite growing up in Michigan, Denise became a Wolfpack fan after seeing Michael’s devotion to his alma mater. She recalled the early days of their marriage, watching Michael run around their neighborhood in Tennessee waving an NC State flag after a big football win. 

“It started to sink in, ‘OK, I root for the red and white,’” she said, laughing. 

Building Leadership Skills in a Global Society

A third-generation alumnus, Michael proudly followed in his father’s footsteps to attend NC State as an out-of-state student from New Hampshire. He still gets goosebumps when he thinks about being on campus for NC State’s 1983 men’s basketball national championship victory, which the Wolfpack won on a buzzer-beater.

Looking back, Michael remembered being a directionless college student with little interest in traveling overseas because of the language barrier. A visit to the NC State Career Development Center changed his path, leading to a cooperative education job with Nortel Networks and, eventually, an 18-year career with the company.

After leaving Nortel Networks in 2002, Michael continued his career in human resources leadership with global companies that provided opportunities to travel the world and expand his perspective.

He hopes the endowment will encourage future generations of NC State students to explore the world and learn leadership skills that have served him well. 

“I hope through experiences that we’re helping to sponsor, it opens their minds and opens their perspective on who they are and who they can be,” Michael said, adding that he wants students to be more loving, receptive and caring. “We’re in a global society now, and what I have found is that the best way to grow our openness is to get to know other people and other cultures.”

In 2015, Michael left corporate life and began a consulting business that led him back to NC State, where he hosts workshops and programs for the College of Natural Resources and the Shelton Leadership Center.

“Investing in leadership and growing leadership at an early age is all part of what we want to do and what we want to impact,” he said. 

Denise also wants the endowment to expose students to new experiences beyond the classroom. 

“My dream would be somebody gets exposed to something they had no idea they could do or get involved in, just stretching them and making them better,” she said. “We saw that really benefit our children, so we’re big advocates of ‘get out and do.’”

A Living Legacy of Four Generations

The Brown family has been rooting for the Wolfpack since 1937, when Michael’s great-uncle Alfred “Jake” Lowdermilk graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. Another great-uncle, Robert “Bob” Lowdermilk, graduated in 1949 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Michael’s father, Jay, followed in 1961, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in pulp and paper science and technology from the College of Natural Resources. In 1991, his brother, Keith, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management, followed by a master’s degree in management in 1995. His nephew, Will, is expected to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2028.

In 2021, Michael and Denise’s son Zachary graduated with a degree in education, a proud moment for the family. Zachary marks the fourth generation in their family to attend the university. At least one person from each generation is still living. 

The Browns said they hope their endowment sets an example for their children of how to be generous, just as Michael’s parents have done. Giving back to NC State was an easy decision because of the university’s impact on their family. 

“Look at how we’ve lived and thrived,” Denise said. 

“And been blessed,” Michael added. 

This article was written by Kelly Hinchcliffe for the College of Natural Resources.