How 'super' were you in high school?
Plus: Top news of the week — judges strike down state's voter ID law — Union County draws ire for rolling back Covid rules — Symphony and ballet require Covid tests or vaccines for shows
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Column: These Charlotteans earned ‘senior superlative’ titles back in the day; if you didn’t get one, maybe your time is coming
Janet LaBar, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, was voted “Most Popular” by her high school classmates in Pensacola, Fla., where she was also homecoming queen and prom queen. Other well-known Charlotte business and civic leaders, though, were either overlooked or were late bloomers. (Yearbook photo courtesy of Janet LaBar.)
By Colleen Brannan
Having a daughter who’s a senior in high school, I find myself telling a lot of stories — otherwise known as cautionary tales — from my years as a West Springfield Spartan in Springfield, Va.
With 600+ kids in my graduating class and a student body of about 2,500, it was difficult to stand out at a school that size, much less be super. Feeling nostalgic and forgetful, I pulled out the yearbook and flipped to the Senior Superlatives page to see who was voted what and to see if these labels had stood the test of time.
Some were spot on. In fact, the friendliest, flirtiest and most talkative folks would all earn the same titles today. I do, however, question our selection of “Most Likely to Succeed,” though, as I haven’t heard a peep about either of them since graduation. Maybe they are off together succeeding in secrecy?
All this reminiscing got me thinking about super people I know around Charlotte. Who were they in high school? Did their classmates recognize their greatness way back when?
There was only one way to find out. Over the past several weeks, Nancy Drew here has been all over town asking the uncomfortable question, “Did you receive a senior superlative in high school?” Interestingly, most said they couldn’t remember. Were they just being coy? Certainly, I would remember being voted “Most Popular” or “Best Dressed” (I was neither). While not the investigative journalism I once thought I would be doing, I decided to do some digging. Here’s what I uncovered on the titles won by several Charlotte personalities:
Most Likely to Succeed Duo
(Both of these I could have guessed without them reluctantly telling me)
Reminiscent of Elle Woods in “Legally Blond,” Dianne Bailey, a former attorney who led Robinson Bradshaw’s non-profit practice for 18 years before becoming National Philanthropy Exec at Bank of America, was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by her classmates in Sacramento, Calif.
Nancy McNelis, AVP and Managing Director of External Relations at Queens University of Charlotte, won the same accolade from her peers in Columbus, Ohio. Nancy was one of my Leadership Charlotte classmates some 13 years ago, and I believe we would have voted her the same.
Most Athletic
At 6’2’’, Charlotte Business Journal publisher T.J. McCullough played two varsity sports, football and basketball, at his high school in the Florida Panhandle. That earned him “Best Athlete.” T.J. went on to play Division I basketball at Gardner Webb.
Most Cheerful
The always smiling El Salvador native Irene Vogelsong, an Associate Principal and Corporate Interior Designer at Perkins + Will, was voted “Most Cheerful” by her classmates in San Salvador.
Most Spirited
Meg McElwain, founder of Mitchell’s Fund and a mental health advocate, was voted “Most Spirited” by her class in Grenada, Miss. She quickly pointed out that she was also yearbook editor, ensuring her pic was on almost every page.
Most Studious (and ‘Mathlete’?)
Turns out fellow PR professional Nikki Wolfe, who I would have pegged for “Miss Congeniality,” was actually voted “Most Studious” and Salutatorian by her classmates in Damascus, Va. With just 87 people in her graduating class, she was also a Jane of all trades, playing three sports (basketball, volleyball and softball), first chair of concert band (clarinet) and a mathlete.
Class Partier
Smokin’ Ed Currie, founder and CEO of PuckerButt Pepper Co., didn’t get his nickname from breeding the hottest pepper in the world but rather was dubbed this by a high school band teacher who thought he “cooked on the drums” during marching band tryouts. The name stuck and Ed will tell you it took on a different meaning as he “discovered other interests.” Voted “Class Partier” at his high school in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., this former drummer has cleaned up his act and been sober for 22 years, 6 months and 23 days.
Most Likely to Be on a Reality TV Show
As a big fan of “Survivor,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Amazing Race” and “Jersey Shore” back in the day, WSOC’s Joe Bruno was predicted early by his classmates in Pottstown, Pa., for a future in television. He still has time for that reality TV gig.
Best of Show
The Superlative of All Superlatives goes to Quadruple Threat Janet LaBar. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance CEO was both the brains and the beauty of her high school in Pensacola, Fla. In addition to making the Academic Top 25 List (#16), she was voted “Most Popular,” Homecoming Queen and Prom Queen. Were all these crowns in preparation for leading the Alliance in the Queen City?
Today’s super trends
Fast forward to 2021, and there are new entries into the superlative competition. “Best Smile” has given way to more specific features like “Best Eyes” and “Best Hair.” And “Most Likely to Succeed” has been replaced with “Most Likely to be Famous” or “TikTok Famous.”
Surprisingly, some of the people I checked in with who I thought would be shoo-ins say they didn’t make the cut back then, so I need to fix that. By the (unauthorized) power vested in me by The Charlotte Ledger, I offer the following Charlotte Superlatives:
Most Likely To Become a Caricature: County Manager Dena Diorio, who has one of the toughest jobs in town (IMO), was painted in an Observer editorial cartoon as the Grim Reaper when the county withheld funds from CMS.
Most Likely to Have the Highest Custom Tailor Bill: CBRE office broker and fashion trend setter Joe Franco:
Most Likely to Be a Hoodie Model: Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, whose recent photo shoot for 704 Shop went viral:
Most Likely to Brighten Your Day: CEO of the Oh Show, Ohavia Phillips was off competing in Ms. Black Teen Mecklenburg County the day the Myers Park Class of 2011 voted for superlatives. She said she was up for this one, so I’m giving it to her now because it’s 110% true.
Most Comfortable in His Job: Erik Spanberg has been a reporter (now managing editor) for the Charlotte Business Journal for 27 years, his first and only full-time reporting job. (He says he prefers “Most Paralyzed by Ambition.”)
My greatest takeaways from this hard-hitting field research? “Super” is in the eye of the beholder, and most want to forget high school — though I am proud to have sent so many hunting for their yearbooks. So, if you did win something, just smile for a minute thinking back on it, but you definitely don’t need to add it to your LinkedIn profile. All that counts is who you are today.
Colleen Brannan owns BRANSTORM PR and cracks herself up regularly. Evidently her high school class found her funny, too, as she was voted “Wittiest.” Reach her at colleen@branstorm.com to share your superlative and we’ll do a story follow-up.
Today’s supporting sponsors are Soni Brendle …
… and CLT Public Relations, a government affairs firm with a focus on advocacy for the Greater Charlotte Region — specializing in real estate advocacy, public policy and political networking:
This week in Charlotte: State’s voter ID law struck down; Hundreds of county employees suspended for not complying with Covid protocols; Truist gets new CEO
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Union County quarantine rules: (WFAE) Union County’s school board drew the ire of state health officials and their county health department this week, after voting to not require students or staff to quarantine unless they have Covid symptoms or a positive Covid test and ending contact tracing for exposures in schools. N.C. Health and human services secretary Mandy Cohen sent a letter to the school board chair after the vote, saying that if the board didn’t reinstate its quarantine rules it could face legal action from the state. On Friday afternoon, legal action sounded unlikely with a spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services saying in a statement: “Our attorneys have had productive conversations with attorneys for the Union County Board of Education, and we are hopeful that we can avoid further legal action.” The Union County school board scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday morning to address the issue.
Politics
Voter ID law struck down: (Carolina Public Press) A panel of North Carolina judges on Friday blocked the state from enforcing its law requiring voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, saying that the measure “was enacted in part for a discriminatory purpose” against Black voters.
Redistricting fight ahead: (WFAE) City Council member Malcolm Graham, a Democrat who heads the council’s redistricting committee, says the District 6 seat now held by Republican Tariq Bokhari will probably need to be altered to make it more competitive because of Charlotte’s shifting population. Democrats control 9 of the 11 council seats, and it’s possible that after redistricting that only one — District 7, held by Ed Driggs — will be considered a safe Republican seat. On the topic of redistricting, Bokhari wrote on Facebook last weekend: “Pretending Charlotte is not poised for gerrymandering and voter suppression is intellectually dishonest.”
Local news
Covid tests for shows: (Charlotte Symphony) (Charlotte Ballet) The Charlotte Symphony and the Charlotte Ballet will both require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within 72 hours of attendance. Both organizations said Friday that all patrons attending events at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center must show proof of vaccination (printed or digital) along with a photo ID. Those unable to be vaccinated — including those younger than 12 years old — must provide documentation of a negative PCR test within 72 hours or a negative Rapid Antigen test within 24 hours.
County employees suspended: (Observer) More than 350 Mecklenburg County government employees were suspended as of Friday afternoon for failing to comply with the county’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing protocols.
New light rail stop: (Observer) Charlotte City Council on Monday approved a $1.9M contract for a new light rail stop in South End. The new station for the LYNX Blue Line will be located between the New Bern and East/West Boulevard stations at one of two potential locations -- either across from Publix or at the Atherton Mill shopping center.
Business
New CEO at Truist: (Winston-Salem Journal) Truist Financial’s Kelly King retired as CEO this week and is being replaced by Bill Rogers. King will stay on as executive chairman until March. King, 73, was CEO of BB&T when it bought SunTrust Banks two years ago, which formed Truist.
New business boom: (N.C. Secretary of State, hat tip to Business North Carolina) With more than 3 months left in 2021, the number of new businesses created in North Carolina this year is already greater than in all of 2020. The 129,000 new business creation filings with the N.C. Secretary of State’s office between January and mid-September is 55% greater than the same period the previous year. And 2020’s numbers were greater than 2019’s. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall says we’re in a “new era of entrepreneurship.”
Good reads
Is Charlotte the next big Southern dining city? (Eater Carolinas) Longtime Charlotte food writer Kathleen Purvis explains in Eater Carolinas why a younger, more diverse population is driving “an edgier and definitely more diverse food scene.” Purvis writes: “One difference between Charlotte and destinations like Asheville and Charleston may be that this isn’t a place that’s focused on food tourism for the sake of media attention. Instead, the focus in Charlotte, by necessity, is on the local market.”
Tammy Faye on the big screen (Ledger Friday 🔒): Ken Garfield, who covered Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker as a reporter for 10 years, got a sneak peek of the new “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” movie — and says Jessica Chastain’s portrayal captures the colorful character he knew.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Long waits at urgent care: (Monday) Many patients are having to wait hours or days to see doctors at urgent care centers across Charlotte, because the demand for Covid testing and treatment is combining with an above-average number of people seeking treatment for illnesses and injuries. We provide tips for how to get care if you need it.
Don’t say UNCC: (Monday) UNC Charlotte officials are taking the school’s rebranding seriously, and have asked the media not to refer to the school as “UNCC,” but to call it simply “Charlotte.” An email the university sent to media was blunt: “Informally, please use Charlotte when referring to the University. UNCC is an incorrect reference and a moniker that UNC Charlotte has not used for many years.” (The directive came from an email address than ended with “@uncc.edu.”)
Cheap airfares: (Monday) Airlines are now offering some of the cheapest flights from Charlotte to Europe that you will probably ever see — in the $300 range round-trip to cities including Dublin, Paris and Rome. The low prices now probably reflect much weaker demand, since many people are reluctant to travel to other countries as U.S. Covid numbers remain high. Most of Europe is open to Americans, but traveling abroad can be more of a hassle than usual, as many European countries are open only to vaccinated travelers and still require a negative Covid test before entry.
Expect a longer debate on transit plan (Transit Time): More than a year since the effort started toward a $13.5B transit plan, Charlotte leaders say they have no timetable for making it happen. Officials had hoped that a sales tax referendum to help fund the plan could be on the ballot this November, but census delays postponed city elections until next spring. Now, they say they need more time to work with neighboring counties and make the case for a referendum to legislators, and the most optimistic scenario would be to have a referendum in November 2022.
Remembering the ‘King of the Beach’ (Ways of Life 🔒): This week’s obituaries newsletter tells the story of Randy Rowland, who was known as the heart, soul and voice of Carolinas beach music. Years ago, Rowland had a Charlotte radio show called “Saturday Night at the Beach” and starting in the early 1980s, Randy owned and operated Groucho’s at East Independence and Sharon Amity where “shaggers” would dance until dawn.
The return of fall festivals (Wednesday 🔒): While some big Charlotte-area festivals have been canceled this year because of Covid concerns, several others say they’re a go, including Festival in the Park, Speed Street, the Southern Christmas Show and the Carolina Renaissance Festival. Some will be smaller and have some changes.
Paint shortage (Wednesday 🔒): Do-it-yourselfers and contractors are scrambling because of a shortage of paint at some Charlotte-area Sherwin Williams stores.
Charlotte’s August rezonings (Tuesday 🔒): Whoa, Nelly, we’ve got August’s rezoning petitions, with developers unveiling plans for an 810-unit subdivision by the Catawba River, townhouses on Providence Road, a 300-unit neighborhood near the Cabarrus County line and much, much more.
Uptown library replacement: (Friday 🔒)The main library uptown is closing this fall, to be replaced by a new $100M building.
Country club hands over documents (Friday 🔒): Myers Park Country Club says it has complied with a judge’s order to turn over records related to its board’s decision to proceed with a $27M renovation. The club had been sued by a member seeking more information about the plans, which have been a source of controversy at the club because of the expansion of a men’s-only area.
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