NCBF Excellence Award
EXTRAORDINARY LEADER OF THE PACK
Mark Holt and Caryn Coppedge McNeill, 2025 Awardees
Mark Holt, Attorney
Co-Chair Open Door Fund
Past President (2020-21), North Carolina Bar Association
Past President (2020-21), North Carolina Bar Foundation
Caryn Coppedge McNeill
Co-Chair Open Door Fund
Past President (2017-18), North Carolina Bar Association
Past President (2017-18), North Carolina Bar Foundation
The National Conference of Bar Foundations (NCBF) is honored to present the 2025-2026 NCBF Excellence Award to Mark Holt and Caryn Coppedge McNeill for their exceptional leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession through their co-chairing of the North Carolina Bar Foundation's Open Door Fund campaign. Their visionary efforts have raised over $1 million to support the Open Door Fellowship, creating transformative opportunities for underrepresented law students in North Carolina.
As Past Presidents of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Foundation —Mark Holt (2020-21) and Caryn McNeill (2017-18)—they were tasked in 2023 with leading the NCBF’s most ambitious fundraising initiative since 1999: a $1 million campaign to establish the North Carolina Bar Foundation's Open Door Endowment Fund. This fund ensures the perpetuity of the Open Door Fellowship, a competitive 10-week paid summer program for first-year North Carolina law students from historically excluded or under-resourced backgrounds, including first-generation college students and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances. The Fellowship provides hands-on legal experience, professional networking, pro bono opportunities, and participation in the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Foundation Annual Meeting, fostering lasting connections for its participants.
OPEN DOOR FUND
Holt and McNeill’s strategic leadership secured $700,000 in lead gifts by June 2024 through personal outreach to law firms, legal organizations, and individuals across the state. They introduced the $100,000 North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Foundation Presidents’ Challenge, a first-of-its-kind pooled gift from past and current presidents, and mobilized Open Door Ambassadors to secure the final commitments. By April 2025, their efforts culminated in reaching the $1 million goal, a historic achievement for the North Carolina Bar Foundation. Since its inception, the Fellowship has supported six students, whose testimonials highlight its profound impact on their professional growth and integration into the legal community.
Holt & McNeill's Tireless Efforts
Caryn McNeill, a partner at Smith Anderson and a member of its Management Committee, has been recognized as a 2024 North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Icon for her 30+ years of leadership in employee benefits law. Her extensive North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Foundation service includes launching the 4ALL-Lawyers on Call Program, expanding the ABA’s Free Legal Answers, and serving as the first woman to chair the Ravenscroft School Board of Trustees. Mark Holt, a distinguished trial lawyer with over 35 years of experience, has been honored by Best Lawyers in America and received the 2025 Thorp Pro Bono Service Award. His commitment to mentorship and pro bono work, inspired by early mentors, drives his dedication to opening doors for aspiring lawyers.
Through their tireless efforts, Holt and McNeill have not only funded a transformative program but also inspired a broader commitment to access and opportunity, ensuring a more representative future for North Carolina’s legal profession.