What I Chose to Do With the Company
My father wanted to remove Gavin immediately, dissolve the company, and sever every financial tie between us.
But I chose a different path.
Hundreds of employees relied on that business. Drivers, office staff, warehouse workers, and their families did not deserve to lose their stability because Gavin had lost his judgment.
So I requested an independent board review.
Gavin was suspended from executive authority while the board investigated his spending, including the personal expenses he had charged to corporate accounts for Brielle.
Several weeks later, he was officially removed as chief executive.
I did not take his place.
Instead, I appointed an experienced operations director, Russell Dean, to lead the company while I remained in a nonexecutive role. I had no desire to build my future around controlling something tied to my broken marriage.
Instead, I redirected a portion of my annual dividends into the Wren Harbor Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting women and children rebuilding their lives after unstable homes and controlling relationships.
The foundation acquired a renovated apartment building near downtown Raleigh. Each unit provided temporary housing, childcare support, legal assistance, and employment counseling.
The first resident arrived with two young children and one suitcase.
The second was a retired teacher who had spent thirty-two years believing she had nowhere else to go.
I welcomed every woman personally.
For the first time in years, the wealth associated with my name felt purposeful.
