Community Service Award
Triangle Aquatic Center
CAPTRUST Financial Advisors
CapFinancial Partners LLC
“I’ve always had a passion for making a difference,” said Michael Curran, senior vice president of CAPTRUST Financial Advisors in Raleigh, NC. Mr. Curran is the guiding force behind the three-year-old Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) in Cary, NC, a $22.5 million nonprofit aquatic facility built using only private donations.
TAC serves some 420,000 visitors per year, providing critical programs such as Make a Splash, which provides free swim lessons to low-income children. Though Mr. Curran downplays his drive and influence, they are hard to overlook. Since founding TAC, he has served as its general contractor, primary fundraiser, board president, and, recently, executive director. ”
I had a good business background,” Mr. Curran said. “My strength was heading up the effort and helping staff understand business metrics and practices.” “What I enjoy the most now is watching the baby swim classes — seeing the moms holding the babies and the dads holding the video cameras,” he said. He is also gratified by the Make a Splash classes. “Every day across the country, children are drowning because they don’t know how to swim,” he said. “With this program, you know you are saving lives.”