Introducing the 2023 40 Over 40 award nominees
Introducing the 2023 40 Over 40 award nominees
Our hardworking judges are in the process of selecting 40 from this impressive group of 122
We are thrilled to introduce you to a very special group of Charlotte residents — the nominees for the fourth-annual Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40 Awards, presented by U.S. Bank.
These 122 people, all ages 40 and up, come from many different backgrounds, interests and corners of Charlotte, and are all working to make our city a better place in their own unique ways. They were nominated by friends or peers in a process that closed last month.
A panel of 13 wise under-40 judges has been toiling over the last several weeks to choose 40 of these impressive people as our fourth class of 40 Over 40 winners. It’s an independent panel judging the nominations on their merits, in a process designed to avoid the pay-to-play machinery and behind-the-scenes corporate influence that sometimes infect other awards programs.
Once the winners are selected, they will be recognized in a special edition of The Ledger, and we will honor them on April 27 at a fun 1980s-movie themed party, with food, drinks, music and some surprises. (If you attended last year’s celebration you know that this is no snoozy sit-down awards presentation.)
More on that soon, but a roster of first-class sponsors has stepped up to help us celebrate the winners: U.S. Bank, Catapult, Ducie Stark of Dickens Mitchener, and CLT Public Relations.
You can find out more about the 40 Over 40 awards at our dedicated website.
The contest is sponsored and run by The Charlotte Ledger, the locally owned e-newsletter that is becoming a must-read news publication for thousands across our region because of its responsible, original journalism and lively insights about Charlotte. If you need to sign up for The Ledger, which offers free and paid membership plans, you can do that here:
And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for — the 2023 nominees: 🥁
Vince and Judy Avalos, Volunteers, Cresswind Charlotte
Griselda (Gris) Bailey, President and CEO, Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte
Toya Bailey, Community Engagement Lead, Truliant Federal Credit Union
Rodrick Banks, Senior Vice President, Lead Community Relations Consultant, Wells Fargo
Kiesha Battles, Owner, I Am Yoga
Reginald Bean, Managing Director, White Label Management Group
Doug Benson, General Counsel & Senior Vice President, Foundation for the Carolinas
Tariq Bokhari, Executive Director, Carolina Fintech Hub and District 6 Representative, Charlotte City Council
Gale Bonnell , Vice President of Business Development, Adams Outdoor Advertising
Tonya Brandon, Senior Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield
Tony Brantley, Business and CTE Teacher, Sugar Creek Charter School
Maren Brisson-Kuester, Chief Operating Officer, Corcoran HM Properties
Adam Brooks, Founder, FreeShoes.org and VP of Technology and Information Systems, XINNIX Inc.
Andy Bunn, Owner, Star Dog Charlotte
Greg Busch, President, Bespoke Sports & Entertainment
Michael Byrd, Regional Vice President & Division Manager, Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC
Ivanna Garibaldi Campbell, VP/Global HR Manager, Bank of America
Carla Carlisle, Executive Director, The Compassionate Companion
Keven Casey, Podcast Host/Anchor/Reporter, iHeart Media
Alli Celebron-Brown, President + CEO, McColl Center
Chad Champion, Recruiting Manager, Wells Fargo
Bridget Cohen, Water Aerobics Instructor, Jewish Community Center
Sherri Commander, Senior Property Manager, Lincoln Harris
Shawn Cosner, CEO, Third Rock Events
Jose Costa, Chief Executive Officer, Magnolia Wash Holdings
Alyson Craig, Interim Planning Director, City of Charlotte
Steve Crump, Reporter, WBTV
Jennifer De La Jara, At-Large Representative, CMS Board of Education
Monique Douglas, Executive Director, Brooklyn Collective and Co-owner, Studio 229 on Brevard
Dana Draa, Chief Program Officer, Metrolina Association for the Blind, Inc.
Jason Dumas, Principal/Chief Creative, FLICK Studios
Louis Foreman, Founder and CEO, Enventys Partners
Meri Frazier, HR Manager, LIFESPAN Services
Heather Fuller, Attorney, Lincoln Derr
Teneika Funderburk, Owner, Loving In Home Care Services
Christian Gallardo, Owner, Carolina’s 1st Choice Agency
Nidiya Gaspar, Founder & President, Shakthi Corporation
Lauren Gomez, Director of Demand Generation, Foro
Joan Goode, Real Estate Broker, Dickens Mitchener
Jessica Graham, President/Founder, Fionix Consulting
Kareena Gray, Director of Operations, Alair Homes Charlotte
Tameka Gunn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Link
Denny Hammack, Chairman of the Board, Patterson Pope Storage
Shannon Harris, Managing Director Real Estate Development, Panorama Holdings
Emily Harry, Co-founder, Baby Bundles
Kevin T. Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Segra
Shamaiye Haynes, Co-Director, QC Family Tree
Zenita Henderson, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer, Segra
Ann Henegar, Executive Director, Project Life Movement
Renee Hode, Director, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, South Piedmont Community College
Caleb Holloway, Associate General Counsel, Atrium Health
Monica Carney Holmes, Executive Manager, Corridors of Opportunity, City of Charlotte
Darlene Ifill-Taylor, MD, Founder and Medical Director, Three Strand Wellness
Alvin C. Jacobs, Jr., CEO and Lead Photographer, ACJ Holdings LLC
Josh Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer, Next Stage
Helms Jarrell, Co-Director, QC Family Tree
Sarah Jernigan, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates
Amy Johnson, Principal, Strata Project Management Group
Bryan Johnson, Executive Managing Director and Market Leader, Colliers
Tamara Johnson, Director of Engaged Scholarship, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Victoria O. Johnson, Special Assistant to City Manager, City of Charlotte
Robert A. Johnson, III, DHA, LMHC-S, Senior Care Advocate/Program Manager, UnitedHealth Group
Josh Jones, Owner, JH Custom Homes
Brian Kahn, Charlotte Office Managing Partner, McGuireWoods and Co-Producer of Charlotte Squawks
Nikki Keith, Vice President of Partnerships and Development, Road to Hire
Krystyna Kielbon, Founder, KK Interior Design Group
Helen Hope Kimbrough, Senior Director of Community Voice, Next Stage
Bo King, Chief, Fourth Circuit Capital Habeas Unit, Federal Public Defender’s Office
Linda Kirby, Executive Vice President, Boingo Graphics
Sarah Kromer, Executive Director, In Christ Supporting Ministries
Alyson R. Kuroski-Mazzei, DO, MRO, DFAPA, FASAM, Founding CEO and Chief Medical Officer, HopeWay
David La Franque II, CEO, Cruzan Sports Unlimited, LLC and Former FBI-Safe Streets Federal Task Force Officer
Hilary Greenberg Larsen, President, Greenberg Development Services and Chair, SouthPark Association of Neighborhoods (SPAN)
Heather Leavitt, Co-founder, Baby Bundles
Jeremy Letterman, Photographer, WSOC-TV
Brian Li, Financial Education Coordinator and middle school math teacher, Providence Day School
Cat Long, Co-founder, Baby Bundles
DC Lucchesi, Owner, Well-Run Media + Marketing
Keith Luedeman, Founder, goodmortgage.com
Amy Macari, Director of Strategy and Teaming, The Pelora Group
Doug Madar, Co-founder, Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps
Brent Matthews, Chair, Department of Surgery, Atrium Health
Susan McDonough, Principal, Strategic Advisory Services
Shannon McKnight, Founder and CEO, Next Level NonProfits, LLC
Emily Meeker, CEO, WorkWell Consulting Group LLC
Rajan Merchant, Director, Grant Thornton
Tchernavia Montgomery, Chief Executive Officer, Care Ring
Tim Montz, Chief Financial Officer, Segra
Joe Mynatt, Program Manager, Common Wealth Charlotte
Michael Norman, Owner, International Electrical Solutions INC
ShaVodka Nowacki, LCSW, Operations Director, Thompson Child And Family Focus
Mike O'Sullivan, Chairperson, OneMECK Affordable Housing Committee
Rashaan Peek, Chief of Staff, Charlotte Center City Partners
David Pettine, Rezoning Program Manager, City of Charlotte
Glenn Proctor, Founder, Reddjobb
Cheryl Richards, President & CEO, Catapult
Jenny Robeson, Chief Sales Officer, HIFU Prostate Services
Jack Santaniello, Partner, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Ana Silva Rey, Executive Director, Latin Americans Working for Achievement
Mike Stolp, Investigative Producer, WSOC-TV
Gloria Styles, VP of HR & Talent Development, AvidXchange
Jennifer Szakaly, Founder & CEO, Caregiving Corner
Shane Tenny, Partner, Spaugh Dameron Tenny
Brent Torstrick, Partner, Robinson Bradshaw
Kim Trouten , Realtor, Allen Tate
Lina Varela-Gonzalez, Director of Nursing Operations, Novant Health
David E. Verrill, Lecturer and Exercise Physiology Laboratory Director, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Jay Ward, Charlotte’s Poet Laureate
Chris Warren, Principal, Beauxwright
Dan Watts, Chief Operating Officer, Segra
Christopher White, Chief Operations Officer, LIFESPAN Services
Shelley White, President and CEO, Children & Family Services Center, Inc.
April Whitlock, Head of Corporate Citizenship, Lending Tree
Marcie Williams, CEO, RKW Residential
Dr. Jerome Williams, Jr., SVP Consumer Engagement and Strategic Growth, Novant Health
Greg Willingham, Owner/Operator, JazzNSoul Productions
Stephanie Wilson, Owner/Director, Embody Dance Co.
Rev. Msgr. Patrick Winslow, Vicar General, Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
Mike Wirth, Associate Professor of Art, Queens University of Charlotte
Amanda Wise, Director of Nonprofit Partnerships, SHARE Charlotte
Rob Zabel, Research Lead, IBM Institute for Business Value
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Opt in or out of different newsletters on your “My Account” page.
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Social media: On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sponsorship information/customer service: email support@cltledger.com.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project