Announcing the nominees for the 6th annual 40 Over 40 awards
Our hardworking judges are in the process of selecting 40 from this worthy group of 135
We’re excited to introduce you to an important and select group of Charlotte residents — the nominees of the Charlotte Ledger’s 2025 40 Over 40 Awards, Presented by U.S. Bank!
These 135 people, all ages 40 and up, are bringing a host of backgrounds, skills and passions to communities all across Charlotte. They were nominated last month by their friends or peers as people who are making a difference and deserve to be recognized.
Our panel of independent judges, who were chosen for their wisdom and thoughtfulness, are now undertaking the weighty task of identifying 40 winners from this impressive group. Once the winners are selected, we will announce them in a special edition of the Ledger on April 7, and we will honor them at a festive celebration on May 8 at Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts, 1030 Woodward Ave., near the exciting Camp North End part of town. It will be a fun celebration!
The Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Awards is in its sixth year, and it has become one of Charlotte’s most anticipated annual awards programs. We believe in celebrating those who are using the wisdom, strength and experience they gained in their 20s and 30s and beyond to change their communities for the better. Age, after all, is a superpower!
We could not put on the 40 Over 40 Awards without the incredible support of our roster of first-class sponsors: U.S. Bank, Ducie Stark of Dickens Mitchener Residential Real Estate, By George Communications and Charlotte ToolBank. Thank you to them! (If you or your company would like to be a sponsor of 40 Over 40, there’s still time! Click here and drop us a line.)
👏 And now, without further ado, here are our nominees:
Bryan Adams, Partner, Van Hoy, Reutlinger, Adams, Pierce & Tisdale
Montez Alford, CEO and Founder, CORT Collaboration of Resources & Technology LLC
Alexandra Arrington, Founder, Money Magnets Club
Rodrick Banks, Senior Vice President, Lead Community Relations Consultant, Wells Fargo
Suzanne Bereis, Senior Commercial Property Manager, Grubb Properties
Gilberto Bergman, Founder and CEO, Bergman Brothers Staffing
Angela Best, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Community, and Education, Truliant Federal Credit Union
Christopher Boe, Dean of the Graduate School, Pfeiffer University
Carla Boles, Honors Faculty, UNC Charlotte
Kurt Bouley, Executive Engineer, Messer Construction
Marcus Brimley, Senior Project Director, CAA ICON
Jessica Bronzert, Founder & CEO, The Sparks Group
Andy Bunn, Owner, Star Dog Charlotte
Amanda Burch, Constituent Services Division Manager, City of Charlotte
Kristy Busija, CEO and Founder, Next Conversation Consulting
Caroline Calouche, Executive and Artistic Director, Caroline Calouche & Company
Suzanne Canali, Chief Legal Officer, Safe Alliance
Shawn Carr, Managing Director/Partner, Technology, Products Industry, Accenture
Darci Carter, Owner and Educational Advocate and Consultant, Marvelous Minds
Bo Caudill, Co-Managing Partner, Villmer Caudill, PLLC
Jada Charley, CEO, Crittenton of NC
Sherri Chisholm, Executive Director, Leading on Opportunity
Tiara Cloud, Owner and Senior Marketing Consultant/Marketing Director; Anayah Graphics and Victory Christian Center
Steven Cole, Metrolina Market President, Veterans Bridge Home
Kathie Collins, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, Inc.
Johnny Conklin, Founder and Managing Partner, 16 South Capital Partners
Daniel Coston, Concert Photographer, Daniel Coston Photography
Whitney D'Allaird, Founder and Executive Director, For Students
Jeremy Davids, Senior Account Executive, VISA
Cary Davis, Shareholder, Robinson Bradshaw
Jennifer De La Jara, Director of Philanthropy, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
Adrienne Dellinger, Executive Director, Clayworks
Dr. Samantha DeLoache, Pharmacy Manager and Entrepreneur, Kintegra Health Pharmacy
Tayuanee Dewberry, CEO, Girl Scouts Hornets Nest Council
Frank Dominguez, General Manager, WDAV Classical Public Radio
Lewis Donald, Founder/Owner + Smoke Tender at Sweet Lew's BBQ and Carolina BBQ Festival
Marinn Esch, Executive Coach & Founder, Leading Beyond
Susan Evren, Executive Director, The Go Jen Go Foundation
Whitney Feld, President, Bissell Ballantyne Legacy Foundation
Alix Felsing, Coach and Entrepreneur, Self-Employed
Meg Fencil, Director of Engagement and Impact, Sustain Charlotte
Karen Gipson, Executive Director, Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte
Angela Gordon, Owner/Executive Director, Spotlight Performing Arts Academy
Lori Gougeon, President and CEO, InReach, Inc.
Mike Grippo, Owner & Principal, Playbook Management Company
Cherie Grisso, Chief Financial Officer, Aldersgate Retirement Community
Ruth Ann Grissom, Writer, UNC Charlotte Urban Institute; Co-Leader, Latta Park Project
Nicole Hanks, Co-Executive Director, Charlotte Angels
Carol Hardison, CEO, Crisis Assistance Ministry
Hannah Hasan, Writer & Producer, Epoch Tribe
Greg Hatcher, Managing Director, Hatcher Law Group
Sarah Henderson, Board Member, Next Step Clubhouse
José Hernández-Paris, CEO, Latin American Coalition
Brooke Hodge, Executive Director, Aldersgate Retirement Community
Charles Hollar, CEO, LA Hollar
Martha Honeycutt, Program Director, ANSWER Scholarship’s Mentors for Moms
Christen Hoover, Senior Director of Advancement, Lions Services, Inc.
Amy Horner, Founder and Principal Consultant, True Nine
Betty Howell-Gray, PhD, Retired Educator
Gregory Jackson, Founder/Executive Director, Heal Charlotte
Sallie Jarosz, Senior Investment Real Estate Banker, Retired
Nikki Jarrell, Tax Managing Director, KPMG LLP
Amy Johnson, Principal, Strata Project Management Group
Heather Johnson, Executive Director, Council for Children's Rights
Sharon Jones, Founder and CEO, the dot. Consulting and the Dottie Rose Foundation
Carlos Jorge, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Companion Health, PLLC
Nathalie Jorge, CEO and Co-Founder, Companion Health, PLLC
Kim Lanphear, CEO, Apparo
Wendy Laxton, Chief Financial Officer, Laxton CFO Services
Jeremy Letterman, Lead Singer, Even The Losers, a Tom Petty Cover Band
Kristen Lieber, Author and Co-Owner, Bark and Books, LLC
Kelly Little, Founder & CEO, The Urban Institute
Gary Little, MD, SVP, Region Chief Medical Officer, Atrium Health, part of Advocate Health
Allison Lucas, Global Communications Director, GlobalLogic
Keith Luedeman, Board Chair, Innovate Charlotte and Queens Entrepreneur Leadership Circle
Spencer Lueders, Owner & President, State Building Services
Jason Luker, Chief Operations Officer, Charlotte Museum of History
Camille Maara, Co-Executive Director, Charlotte Angels
Doug Madar, Founder, Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps
Kim Marks, Principal, Progressive Companies
David McGibbon, Partner, Baringa
Rodney McGill, President, Save Our Children Movement Inc.
Phillip McLamb, Co-Founder and COO, Resident Culture Brewing
Ayisha McMillan Cravotta, Academy Director, Charlotte Ballet Academy
William McNeely, Founder and CEO, Do Greater Charlotte Foundation
David Middleton, Interim CEO, Aldersgate Retirement Community
Jerry Morris, Founder and Director, Honor the Warriors Foundation
Cary Murphy, Chief Strategy Officer, Brandon
Nancy Nicholson, Yoga Instructor and Wellness Coach, Self-Employed
Eric Norman, Realtor, The McDevitt Agency
ShaVodka Nowacki, Social Worker/Therapist, Love Family Services
The Adult Staff of Evolutionary Aquatics, Swim Coaches, Evolutionary Aquatics
Michael Orzech, COO and Co-Founder, Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce
Kathy Pressley, Vice President of Asset Management, MECA Commercial Real Estate
Angela Pullom, Risk Management Principal, Duke Energy
Drew Quartapella, Business Strategist and Managing Member, FMQ Partners
Moira Quinn, SVP Communications, Charlotte Center City Partners
Tory Raether, Senior Vice President, Private Advisor, and Team Chief Investment Officer, Variant Path Group within the Rockefeller Global Family Office
Joan Randall, Co-Executive Director, Victorious You Press and The Boost Pad
Marcus Reddrick, Criminal Justice Re-Entry Supervisor, Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services
Allison Rhodes, Executive Director, TreesCharlotte
Jason Rhymer, Director of Youth Ministries, Myers Park United Methodist Church
Winston Robinson, Founder, The Applesauce Group
Hailey Rorie, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Isabella Santos Foundation
Shaheedah Ross, Program Director, City Startup Labs
Rodney S. Sadler Jr., Associate Professor of Bible and Director of Center for Social Justice & Reconciliation, Union Presbyterian Seminary
Steve Sawyer, Senior Vice President | Portfolio Management, U.S. Bank
Sean Seifert, Executive, Carolina Theatre
Cel Smart, Senior Project Manager, Ready Fitness, Inc.
Steve Smith, Executive Vice President, McKenney's, Inc.
Todd Smith, Executive Director, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Ron Sodoma, CEO And Founder, Doma Vida Capital
Ketan Soni, Partner, Soni Brendle PLLC
Keith Stanley, CEO and President, University City Partners
Gina Stewart, Executive Director, VisArt Video & Cafe
Erin Stone, Physician, Tryon Women’s Center
Kristi Straw, Founder and Chief Empathy Officer, Lighthouse Leadership Consultants
Trish Stukbauer, Owner, ie marketing; Editor, Catholic News Herald
Amy Sullivan, Director of Business Development, Brasfield & Gorrie Construction
Matt Susong, Senior Lead Program Manager, TIAA
Rachel Sutherland, Founder and CEO, Rachel Sutherland Communications
Danyae Thomas, Director of Programs, The Parks Community Development Corporation
Amanda Thompson, Math Specialist, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Blake Van Leer, Chief Strategy Officer and Board Member, SG Benefit Providers
Jill Vande Woude, CEO and Partner, Your Farms Your Table and Restaurant Constance
Hogan VanSickle, Attorney and Disability Advocate
Matt Villmer, Co-Managing Partner, Villmer Caudill, PLLC
Lisa Vogel, Senior Managing Director, Newmark Title Services
Cherise Walker, Chief of Staff, Mecklenburg County Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC) Board
Clint Watson, President & Co-Founder, Ember Group Consulting
Kate Weaver, Executive Director, NAMI Charlotte
Kristi Wells, CEO, Safe House Project
Emily Wheeler, Executive Director, Dress for Success Charlotte
Christopher White, Chief Operations Officer, LIFESPAN Services
June White, Beloved Neighbor, Retired
Venitra White-Dean, Founder and Executive Director, The Frankie Mae Foundation
Donja Williams, Executive Director, Freedom In Me Business Showers
➡️ More information on 40 Over 40 here.
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