WilmingtonBiz Magazine Winter 2024

Wilmington B iz MAGAZINE

GAINS NET

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 MEMBER CARSON PORTER ON THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS

AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION FOR AN INNOVATIVE CITY

In 2023, the City of Wilmington acquired 929 N. Front Street, now named Skyline Center, for $43.3 million below its appraised market value of $111.3 million. City Council’s vision was to consolidate city operations, improve efficiency, provide a higher level of customer service, and solve long-term space needs once and for all.

The city is now selling its former office buildings to offset the purchase of Skyline Center and avoid expensive maintenance on aging facilities. By leasing out excess office space, tenants cover most of Skyline Center’s operating costs, creating unprecedented cost efficiency for city hall operations.

JACKSON AUTRY JEFF BOURK ERNIE BOVIO BILL CAMERON Brian

Clark BRIAN ECKEL Natalie English RUSS LOPATKA CHIP MAHAN

KELLY MCGINNIS TIM MILAM & DENISE KINNEY JIM MORTON Pierre

Naudé CRAIG RANSON NEIL UNDERWOOD Aswani Volety TREY & JIM

WALLACE DAN WINSLOW ACE & JAMIE ALFALLA BRETT BLOOMQUIST

CHRIS BONEY TONY CAUDLE & CHRIS COUDRIET KEN DULL & CHAD

HODGES ED ELLISON JIM HUNDLEY JR. DICK JONES MIKE KOZLOSKY

RYAN LEGG BJ Losch HARRISON MARKS BRIAN MINGIA DEAN NEFF

35 POWER PLAYERS

TYLER NEWMAN CHRIS NORVELL Aubrey Parsley SHITAL PATEL REBEKAH

ROTH BJ SINGH GENE SMITH LYNDA STANLEY BRYAN THOMAS

45 INFLUENCERS

KENNETH WALDROUP JOHN GILLESPIE, KATE GROAT & LISA LEATH JACK

61 INNOVATORS

WATSON ZACHARY WELCH Margaret Weller-Stargell WOODY WHITE

71 CONNECTORS

GWEN WHITLEY CHRIS BABCOCK MICHAEL BRADDOCK BRETT

91 RISING STARS

CAINES BEN CURRIN & DAVE SWEYER MEAGHAN DENNISON KIRK

ENGLEBRIGHT LUCY HOLMAN JEFF JAMES MORRIS NGUYEN Stephanie

Norris JOSEPH PINO CARSON PORTER TY ROWELL YOUSRY SAYED

DANIEL SUMMERS RHONDA BELLAMY LYDIA THOMAS LAURA BROGDONPRIMAVERA ROB BURRUS CHAKEMA CLINTON-QUINTANA BILL EARLY

DANA FISHER JIM FLOCK JOHNNY GRIFFIN CHRISTINA HALEY

KIM HUFHAM Alexis Hunter VELVA JENKINS Janet Kane KATRINA

KNIGHT SHERI LEAVENS HEATHER MCWHORTER CAMERON MOORE

Tracey & Girard Newkirk YOLANDA POLLARD SCOTT SATTERFIELD

BERNICE SANDERS JOHNSON SANDY SPIERS B ARNES SUTTON Linda

Thompson STEVE UNGER & GENE MERRITT CYNTHIA WALSH

CIERRA WASHINGTON HEATHER WILSON LANDON ZIMMER

CHRIS CAPONE JACK FLEMING SARAH GIBBS CHYANN KETCHUM

NICHOLAS NEWELL OLAF SANCHEZ-PARADA ISABELLE SHEPHERD

Photographer Logan Burke caught up with Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer’s Carson Porter and some practicing players at the new nCino Sports Park fields.

this year's 100 list

Welcome to our sixth annual WimingtonBiz 100 issue.

The list, which we launched in 2019, recognizes “the top 100 Power Players, Influencers, Innovators, Connectors and Rising Stars impacting Southeastern North Carolina’s business landscape.”

There’s a reason why we don’t just recognize just the top heavy hitters, those with the largest reach or representing the biggest companies. While acknowledging the role those Power Players have on the region’s economy, we also want to capture the work being done at early startups, charitable nonprofits, young professionals and others.

Together, they help paint a picture of the multifaceted community we live in – one in which people have big ideas to grow sports team attendance, film productions, new business ownership, tourism rates, affordable housing units, student enrollment, dining options and all the other things that make up a place.

Despite their varied industries and roles, one thing the members of this year’s group have in common is a drive to try and push things forward. Not everyone might agree about the direction, but impact is a key factor in deciding on the list.

Another is looking at projects accomplished or started this year. That’s why sometimes newly launched ideas might not appear until next December’s issue or why some previously highlighted works don’t show back up.

We also want to keep the list fresh each year, so while there are some names return each year, particularly in the Power Players

category because of the undeniable size of their roles, new contenders and projects cycle in and out.

Recommendations from readers leading up to the issue in the fall also play a part in helping highlight the work being around the area.

So, with all that in mind, turn to page 33 and find out who made this year’s 100 list and why.

Roughly 200 words per person is hardly enough to capture the work they’ve done in 2024. We could go on and on, but at some point, we do have to send this issue to the printer.

100 spots at 200 words on average – a big thanks to our writers for the 20,000 words they penned for this year’s section and our photographers who captured the portraits to put a face to parts of the list.

You can see the full list at WilmingtonBiz100.com.

VICKY JANOWSKI, EDITOR vjanowski@wilmingtonbiz.com

LOGAN BURKE

With a background in business, photography wasn’t always in LOGAN BURKE's background. It wasn’t until his father left him with some camera equipment and curiosity to understand it all. After a few times behind the camera, he developed a motivated interest to learn what made the picture. It is the “how” that interests him most. Burke photographed Wilmington Hammerheads FC executive director Carson Porter for the cover and Sharks team president Brett Bloomquist for a feature on sports business (PAGE 26), as well as Ben David (PAGE 22). loganburkephoto.com

MADELINE GRAY

MADELINE GRAY is a freelance documentary photographer based in Wilmington. Gray photographed several members of this year’s WilmingtonBiz 100 list: N.C. Ports’ Brian Clark, WDI’s Christina Haley, UNCW’s Lucy Holman, Coastal Land Trust’s Harrison Marks, affordable housing developer Stephanie Norris and New Hanover Community Endowment’s Dan Winslow. Turn to the WilmingtonBiz 100 section starting on PAGE 33 madelinegrayphoto.com and @madelinepgray on Instagram

RANDALL KIRKPATRICK

RANDALL KIRKPATRICK moved from New Jersey to Leland in March 2022 with his wife, a just-retired World History teacher. During his 20 years in the PR field, he also freelance wrote business stories for such outlets as The New York Times, Business Journal of New Jersey and NJ Biz. In 2006 he turned his serial volunteerism for nonprofits into a new career as a development director. Kirkpatrick talked with leaders of several sports organizations about their impact on the local economy (PAGE 26).

BETH A. KLAHRE

BETH A. KLAHRE retired from a major Pennsylvania chocolate manufacturer where she held leadership positions in engineering, IT and global business services. Now relocated to Southport, she spends her time writing and has been published locally and nationally. In this issue, Klahre wrote about former district attorney Ben David’s new project, the Community Justice Center on PAGE 22

P ublisher

Rob Kaiser

rkaiser@wilmingtonbiz.com

P resident

Robert Preville

rpreville@wilmingtonbiz.com e ditor

Vicky Janowski vjanowski@wilmingtonbiz.com

M anaging e ditor

Cece Nunn cnunn@wilmingtonbiz.com

r e P orter

Emma Dill

edill@wilmingtonbiz.com

V ice P resident of s ales & M arketing

Angela Conicelli aconicelli@wilmingtonbiz.com

s enior M arketing c onsultants

Maggi Apel

Craig Snow

M arketing c onsultants

Alexis Alphin

Jillian Hon

Jake Quilla

d igital c lient s uccess c oordinator

Jessie Vincoli

jessie@wb360marketing.com

e V ents d irector

Jamie Merrill

jmerrill@wilmingtonbiz.com

e V ents & M arketing c oordinator

Alec Hall

ahall@wilmingtonbiz.com

a rt d irector - e ditorial

Suzi Drake art@wilmingtonbiz.com

a rt d irector - M arketing

Tara Weymouth tweymouth@wilmingtonbiz.com

M edia c oordinator

Julia Jones

jjones@wilmingtonbiz.com

d irector of f east W il M ington

Jessica Maurer

jmaurer@wilmingtonbiz.com

c ontributing P hotogra P hers

Daria Amato, Logan Burke, Madeline Gray, Aris Harding, Terah Hoobler, Malcolm Little, Nate Smith

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Quality Service Quality Infrastructure

Quality of Life

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority is your source for quality water, sewer, and development services.

Each month, our team completes hundreds of inspections and permit reviews, making sure residents, businesses, and developments can tap in to CFPUA services.

Over the next 10 years, we’re planning more than half a billion dollars in capital improvements.

That’s an investment in the future of our community and the economic vitality of Wilmington and New Hanover County.

B iz B ITE s

BEHIND THE NUMBERS | SOUND OFF | THE DIGEST | C-SUITE CONVO

MUSIC CONTRIBUTIONS

A sold-out concert at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater raised nearly $100,000 for relief efforts in parts of Western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The “From Wilmington, With Love” concert, featuring Ben Folds and musicians from the North Carolina mountains region, took place Oct. 29 and was organized by the city of Wilmington with support from Live Nation, the Wilmington Arts Council, and the N.C. Music Office.

“We had a significant storm in 2018 called Florence, which at that time was the costliest storm in North Carolina history. Helene has bypassed that three times,” Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said in a video short about the concert.

Proceeds went to the N.C. Disaster Relief Fund, which city officials pointed people to for direct donations.

photo c/o CITY OF WILMINGTON

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

BY EMMA DILL

$1.5 BILLION

GOING TOWARD GATEWAY FOR LIFE SCIENCES MATERIALS

FRONTIER SCIENTIFIC SOLUTIONS,

a temperature-controlled storage and transportation company serving the life sciences industry, announced in November its plans to develop new state-of-the-art facilities at Wilmington International Airport (ILM) and Shannon Airport (SNN) in County Clare, Ireland.

The cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) projects, including a 500,000-square-foot facility at ILM’s business park and an initial 70,000-square-foot facility at SNN, are supported by a $1.5 billion commitment from GID, a real estate investor, owner, operator and developer.

The initial facility is expected to create more than 100 jobs. The company is also planning additional phases at ILM, which could add up to 500 local jobs as the company expands its services in the life sciences, officials said during a site tour Nov. 13.

The new facilities along with a direct flight between the two airports will help Frontier Scientific become a disruptor in the life sciences supply chain, said Frontier’s CEO Steve Uebele. The existing pharmaceutical supply chain involves an array of touchpoints, including the transfer from facilities to trucks and planes, all while keeping products under controlled temperatures. In 2023 alone, Uebele said, the industry lost $35 billion due to drug spoilage because of temperature excursions.

Building Frontier Scientific’s warehousing facility alongside an ILM runway means more efficiency in product transfers.

“Simply put, they come in like a truck, right out into our facilities,” Uebele said, “and we’ve just cut out all that time, potential waste, loss of product, and nobody does it today like this.”

The new facilities and connecting flight “will enable companies in life sciences to transport time and temperature-sensitive materials in significantly shorter timeframes, with fewer touchpoints, less risk, while operating more sustainably,” according to a news release from the company.

The ILM facility broke ground earlier this year and is expected to be up and running by August, Uebele said. Frontier Scientific expects to begin upfitting an existing 70,000-square-foot building at SNN in the coming weeks with another 120,000-square-foot building planned as a second phase.

The first flight between Wilmington and Shannon will begin during the second week of January, Uebele said, with products being trucked from the airport to Frontier Scientific’s existing 60,000-square-foot warehouse on North 23rd Street. Once the ILM facility opens, flights will operate daily.

SOUND OFF

HISTORY LESSON 1898

N

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, A PROJECT 126 YEARS IN THE MAKING IS UNDERWAY: A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO EXAMINING A CRITICAL YET OFTEN OVERLOOKED, MISINTERPRETED AND DEEPLY PAINFUL EVENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY, THE 1898 WILMINGTON MASSACRE AND COUP.

This project represents not just a revival and recognition of history but a bold step towards being a catalyst for healing, a supporter for education and a convenor for discussion and analysis of democracy.

Anyone who is paying attention to what is happening in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina and the United States of America should be able to agree that the Wilmington 1898 Museum for Healing, Education and Democracy is emerging at a crucial time.

As racial and social injustices along with opposition on how to heal from them continue to confront our society, and while there are challenges to why and how to engage in our democracy, understanding our past’s complexities becomes increasingly vital.

There is no disputing the events that began in early 1898, which then culminated in the coup d’état and massacre on Nov. 10, where a duly

WILLIAM

I BUSTER

elected government was overthrown and African American communities in the county and surrounding areas were decimated.

As astounding, earth-shattering and significant as the events are, it reflects a history that many do not know but all should understand.

The creation of the museum is, in part, being driven by the urgent need for a comprehensive dialogue on the political, racial and economic history of not only New Hanover County but also North Carolina and its ongoing impact.

It will serve as a response to the community’s and nation’s call for deeper historical insight and reconciliation. We are at a juncture where understanding our collective past is imperative to shaping a more just and equitable future. This history is not just for African Americans but every American who believes in the core values of democracy and who are curious about how something so egregious and unthinkable can happen. And then how it can be all but lost to the collective consciousness of a place but leave deep wounds and scars on a significant segment of the community.

Our mission with the Wilmington 1898 Museum is multi-faceted. We aim to provide a space for reflection and education, where the true story of the

1898 events is told unflinchingly. By focusing on narratives that have been silenced, the museum seeks to honor the memory of those who suffered and to challenge the misconceptions that persist in historical accounts.

Our brains are hardwired for stories and seek to create simple narratives. We hope to help tell stories that push us to not only understand the facts of the story but lead us to ask why this can happen in a community that was thriving for many across lines of race, and how do we make sure nothing like this happens again.

The museum will also serve as a dynamic hub for community engagement, offering educational programs that foster a critical understanding of how past injustices continue to affect present social and political landscapes. It is envisioned as a place where dialogues are launched and diverse community voices can converge to forge paths toward healing.

I have been asked why I am a part of this effort.

I must first say I am one of several community members who have taken this effort on. But my commitment is both professional and profoundly personal. When I arrived in Wilmington in March of 2022 I was told about, confided in, and warned about the community’s ongoing struggles with the legacies of 1898.

I came with a researcher’s understanding of the events and impact. But living here gave me an understanding that has both been painful but also hopeful. Painful because so much has been lost for many and many still feel the loss as if

it happened recently. And hopeful because there is a desire by many to heal this community for all.

I am proud to work alongside the founder and advisory board member Leigh Carter and the remaining outstanding advisory board members LaToia Brown, Inez Campbell Eason, John Monteith and Fawn Rhodes.

Personally, participating in the creation of the Wilmington 1898 Museum is a responsibility I embrace with solemnity and hope. It is about more than building a museum; it is about crafting a space that can potentially reshape community narratives and promote a deeper, actionable understanding of democracy.

All voices matter, and every contribution, no matter how small, plays a part in the healing process. This museum is a testament to the power of truth in paving the way for genuine reconciliation and lasting change. Let us come together to support this vital work.

Organizers last month announced plans for the Wilmington 1898 Museum for Healing, Education and Democracy at the intersection of Third and Davis streets, with an opening expected in the spring of 2028. William Buster, former president and CEO of the New Hanover Community Endowment, is the project’s lead consultant.

CROWD SOURCING

CONSERVATION GROUP SIGNS $8M DEAL TO BUY THE POINT ON TOPSAIL ISLAND

NEAR WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, CHAPEL HILL RESTAURANT OWNER TO SHOOT FOR SUCCESS WITH ANOTHER FOUR CORNERS

DEVELOPERS PAY $8M FOR SURF CITY PROPERTY

INDOCHINE FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

TUGBOAT TOWS EXCLUSIVE COMMODORE CLUB TO WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH

COLLEGE ROAD SHOPPING CENTER SELLS FOR $8.5M

P.T.’S GRILLE OWNER GEARS UP TO OPEN NEW LOCATION

MEMA’S CHICK’N & RIBS FINDS NEW HOME IN PORTERS NECK

INDOOR PICKLEBALL VENUE TO OPEN IN WILMINGTON

‘REALLY BAD’: CAROLINA BEACH BUSINESS OWNERS WADE THROUGH AFTERMATH OF RARE FLOOD

HOW MUCH DO YOU PLAN TO SPEND ON HOLIDAY GIFTS THIS YEAR?

SPARK IDEAS

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Greater Wilmington Business Journal publishes a regular series of op-eds, opinion columns about ideas for sparking economic growth in the region. If you have a column topic to be considered, email editor@ wilmingtonbiz.com.

THE HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARDS CEREMONY , hosted by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, was held Nov. 1 at Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center. Nine winners were announced, and the finalists all had a chance to celebrate. FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT, GO TO FACEBOOK.COM/WILMINGTONBIZ/PHOTOS.

SOUND OFF CAPE FEAR’S

COMINGS AND GOINGS

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE CAPE FEAR REGION HAS EXPERIENCED CONSIDERABLE GROWTH OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

That growth is reflected in the number of jobs in the area – 19,000 more than in 2019; wages, which are 50% higher; but perhaps there is no metric that reflects the significant changes occurring in the region more than migration.

While there have been several articles documenting the significant Sun Belt migration, very little attention has been paid to the changing sources of these inmigrants and the income differences between in-migrants and locals, and the implications on the communities experiencing this growth.

In 2011, the number of people who moved to New Hanover County totaled 12,946, which represents about 9% of the people who did not move from New Hanover County that year.

Fifty-four percent of these inmigrants moved from other counties within the state, and the rest moved from other states around the country.

Interestingly, the average household income for those moving from within and from outside the state was almost exactly the same and stood at about $43,000.

Fast forward to 2021-22, the latest

MOUHCINE

GUETTABI

year for which we have IRS data, and the number of movers exceeded 14,500, with more than 55% of them coming from out of state, and the rest coming from other counties around the state.

In just over a decade, the share of in-migrants coming from outside of the state increased by 10 percentage points.

Importantly, the average household income of out-of-state movers stands at $97,000, which exceeds that of in-state movers by $18,000.

So, not only has the balance of moves shifted from within to outside of the state, but the incomes have also changed considerably.

The story is even more pronounced for Brunswick County where the number of movers increased from 7,637 to 14,104 in the span of a decade, and the share of those moving from out of state increased from 51% to 55%.

Staggeringly, the average income of households coming to Brunswick County from out of the state increased to $130,000, from just over $80,000 a decade earlier.

Why should we care about these changes?

First, an area’s personal income consists of not only wages and

salaries but also investment dollars, retirement and transfers.

The migration patterns we describe above mean that the income pie is shifting from an expansion of nonwage dollars, as well as an increase in earnings of area residents employed in other parts of the country.

Therefore, to understand the area’s consumption and spending patterns, it will be important to not only to monitor the labor market but also the changes to wage income.

Second and perhaps more importantly, the policy preferences for these new residents coming from outside of the state might differ than those of the area’s current residents and will have implications for economic development choices and infrastructure decisions.

Where does this leave us?

The southeastern portion of North Carolina, due to its natural amenities, growing economic bases and burgeoning entrepreneurial scene, will continue growing and attracting people and businesses from outside the region.

Understanding this growth by monitoring not only the labor market but also migration patterns and changes in nonwage income will be crucial to shaping successful policies.

Mouhcine Guettabi is a regional economist with UNCW’s Swain Center and an associate professor of economics at UNCW’s Cameron School of Business.

DIGEST

NCINO TO ACQUIRE LONDON-BASED FIRM

Wilmington-based financial technology company nCino will acquire FullCircl, a London-based business-to-business, software as a service (SaaS) platform, for $135 million.

FullCircl helps financial institutions and other regulated companies “grow revenue, automate and accelerate onboarding, and improve client lifecycle management by removing regulatory and verification roadblocks,” according to the news release announcing the acquisition.

The two companies formally partnered in 2023. The companies have several mutual customers, according to the release, ranging from “some of the largest institutions in the UK to niche incumbents and neobanks serving the SME (small and medium enterprises) space.”

“The acquisition of FullCircl is a strategic move for nCino that will not only enhance our data and automation capabilities but also

enable us to expand our reach across the UK and more broadly in Europe with an end-to-end experience for full client lifecycle management,” Pierre Naudé, chairman and CEO at nCino, stated in the release.

nCino purchased FullCircl for $135 million in cash. The Wilmington-headquartered firm will retain $15 million of the purchase price for two years after the close of the transaction as security for the performance of certain warranties and covenants arising under the purchase agreement, according to the release.

The transaction is the latest in a series of acquisitions for the local company. In March, nCino announced its $75 million purchase of DocFox, a South Africa-based onboarding service provider for commercial and business banks. And in early 2022, nCino completed its acquisition of SimpleNexus, a provider of homeownership software.

A district court judge sentenced Wilmington entrepreneur George Taylor Jr. to a year and a day in prison for not paying millions in employment taxes and not filing employment tax returns related to his company National Speed.

Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II on Nov. 20 sentenced Taylor to three years of supervised release following his prison time, along with paying restitution of $2.6 million to the U.S. government, an amount that includes Taylor’s $2.3 million in unpaid taxes plus interest.

Taylor had pleaded guilty to the charges, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced in August.

Taylor owned and operated the automotive services business National Speed, which has a location in Wilmington. In recent years, Taylor gained attention for starting TRU Colors, a brewery that aimed to address gang violence. The brewery closed in 2022. His guilty plea in August related only to National Speed.

C - SUITE CONVO TAKING THE NEXT STEP

BY CECE NUNN

STEPUP WILMINGTON ANNOUNCED

IN NOVEMBER

THE HIRING OF TERESA WOLF AS THE ORGANIZATION’S NEXT CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

Wolf is the third director in the nonprofit’s 21-year history, succeeding Will Rikard, who had served as StepUp’s executive director since 2015. StepUp announced its search for a new leader this summer after Rikard told the board he intended to resign by the end of the year.

Wolf most recently served as executive director of the Bob Barker Company Foundation, where she demonstrated strong, strategic leadership and a commitment to impactful nonprofit work, according to a StepUp news release. Established in May 2009, the Bob Barker Company Foundation grants financial support to programs aimed at reducing recidivism.

To ensure a smooth leadership transition, Wolf and Rikard will work in close partnership over the coming months, according to the release.

In the release, Wolf highlighted her excitement about taking on the new role.

“I am honored to join StepUp Wilmington and to work alongside such a passionate team dedicated to empowering individuals through meaningful employment opportunities,” she stated. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Will and the board have established and expanding our

TERESA WOLF

STEPUP WILMINGTON, CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

reach to help more people to achieve their career and life aspirations.”

StepUp Wilmington board president Riley Stephenson stated in the release, “Teresa Wolf’s experience and energy are exactly what StepUp needs as we begin this next chapter. Her dedication to community-driven impact and her proven ability to lead and innovate align perfectly with our goals for the future. Teresa is ready to jump in, and we’re thrilled to have her at the helm.”

StepUp Wilmington serves about 400 individuals annually, helping youth and adults secure around 200 job placements each year. The organization offers a range of programs for all ages, including Jobs Week, CareerUp, NextUp, Future Leaders Restorative Opportunities Internships and a job placement division called Beyond Talent.

The Rev. Don Skinner founded StepUp as Phoenix Employment Ministry in 2003.

Wolf answered questions recently about her career and her interest in StepUp for WilmingtonBiz Magazine.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO APPLY FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO JOB WITH STEPUP WILMINGTON?

“I have been a fan of StepUp Wilmington for many years. In my former role as executive director of the Bob Barker Foundation, I conducted a site visit and sat in on their Jobs Week class. I was impressed by their program and leadership and through the years, we have remained in touch.”

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR AGENCIES LIKE STEPUP TO EXIST FOR JOB PLACEMENTS?

“StepUp not only helps people to get a job, but they provide guidance and training for them to be a great employee. The hallmark program focuses on helping people get a job.

Next, CareerUp, another one of our programs, helps people get a better job and grow in their career.

From programs for young people to helping teens get jobs, StepUp helps people find their path forward in life that will sustain them and their family.

Finally, from the employer perspective, StepUp builds good employees, and our Beyond Talent program places them in local jobs.

Allowing people the dignity of work and being self-sufficient not only helps the individual, but their family and the community benefits.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES STEPUP IS FACING IN THE CURRENT ECONOMY?

“Like every nonprofit, securing funding is always challenging.

This coming year StepUp has plans to grow so we not only need to sustain our current programs, but we need

Biz B

C - SUITE CONVO

s to raise funding to make our program available to other communities, as well. I encourage people to support StepUp with their contributions and ask that employers explore using our Beyond Talent job placement service, as well.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BRIGHT SPOTS IN THE ECONOMY THAT COULD HELP STEPUP’S EFFORTS?

The Wilmington area “is a growing region with what seems to be new companies moving to the area every month. More jobs that pay a living wage are vital for our community’s and StepUp’s success.”

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR STEPUP IN 2025?

“In 2025, we will first be crafting our new strategic plan, and I expect we will build in training for our staff and board as well as grow into new areas for StepUp.”

WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND HAS HELPED PREPARE YOU TO LEAD STEPUP?

“I’ve worked in various types of nonprofits in my career that have had management and fundraising responsibilities. However, my favorite thing is to build a cohesive, strong team that works together for an important mission. And the mission of StepUp resonates with me because of several of my past positions. From the YWCA in Silicon Valley to TROSA in Durham as well as the Bob Barker Foundation, I have seen the power and dignity of work firsthand. There is something redemptive about being able to support yourself and your family and it is a beautiful thing to witness.”

WHAT

WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?

“I grew up in rural North Carolina so my first job, at 11 years old, was working in tobacco. My first ‘official’ job was working the soda fountain in a drug store in New Bern.”

BY BETH A. KLAHRE | PHOTO BY LOGAN BURKE

BEN DAVID’S LATEST PROJECT BRINGS AGENCIES TOGETHER TO GET AHEAD OF CRIME MEETING CENTER IN THE

AFTER 20 YEARS AS THE ELECTED DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTIES, BEN DAVID RETIRED FROM THE ROLE THIS YEAR, BUT HE WON’T BE FAR FROM THE COURTROOM.

David is the chief executive officer and chief legal counsel for the newly formed Community Justice Center located in The Harrelson Center in downtown Wilmington.

“After 25 years of giving victims a voice at the courthouse and responding to crime, I felt called to move across the street from the courthouse to help victims find their voices and create a place for hope, healing and justice,” David said.

The Community Justice Center (CJC) assists survivors of trauma and adverse childhood experiences through wraparound services from law enforcement, prosecutors and counselors.

The center will co-locate police and prosecutors with representatives from five nonprofit and health organizations including the Open Gate Domestic Violence Shelter and Services Inc., Rape Crisis Center of Coastal Horizons Center, Carousel Child Advocacy Center, New Hanover County Department of Social Services and Novant Health.

David describes the center as a “cocoon of safety” for collecting testimonial and physical evidence, one-stop-shop for legal aid, emergency room for trauma victims and healing services provided by trained individuals from the groups.

Working in the district attorney’s office for decades revealed for David many of the challenges that Wilmington faces in issues such as poverty, food deserts, affordable public housing and public health and safety.

“All of these issues lead to high crime,” he said. “The idea behind the Community Justice Center is to go beyond responding to crime to proactively prevent it. We intend to change the community, making it more resilient for children and families in crisis. And if we increase public

health, we increase public safety. The CJC will be absolutely transformational.”

The center received $5 million in startup funding from the New Hanover Community Endowment.

David’s path to his latest project comes after a long and public career in law – a career that almost started on a vastly different path.

David grew up in Gainesville, Florida, and studied anthropology at the University of Florida, planning to go to medical school.

“At the last second, my identical twin brother, Jon (now the district attorney for Brunswick, Columbus and Bladen counties) convinced me to go to law school instead,” recalled Ben David, who chose Wake Forest University’s law school.

He began his law career by practicing corporate and trademark law at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, a multidisciplined, multinational law firm. After three years, Ben David left the private practice and went backpacking around the world for nine months.

Returning to the U.S. in April 1999, he received an invite from the DA in Wilmington to substitute for a senior prosecutor who was on a monthlong medical leave.

He said yes, and one month turned into two, two into three, and three into a permanent position. Ben David had ambitions to go into private practice and return to Florida to work with his brother, then a prosecutor in Miami. Instead, Ben convinced Jon to come north, and they worked together for 10 years as prosecutors.

“I loved being a voice for victims and helping victims find their own voices,” Ben David said. The people he met along the way – victims and family members, police officers, prosecutors, community members – have helped him put life in perspective, he said, to not sweat the small stuff.

“They increased my faith in humanity,” he said.

With his latest project, the CJC facility follows an outreach model that Ben David coined The Starfish Model.

The five arms – government, schools, business, nonprofits and faith organizations – are held together at the center

PROFILE

by physical and mental health, healthy relationships and healthy lifestyles. Ben David points out that when an arm breaks off, a starfish will regenerate the lost appendage. “Communities that are broken can still fix themselves. People who have been traumatized can be resilient and not let the crime define their lives,” he added.

His immediate goals for the CJC include drafting an operational agreement and memorandum of understanding among the constituents and making sure the community is aware that the center is a free resource to victims and witnesses.

While funding from the New Hanover Community Endowment will carry the center for the next three years, much of the funding has already been absorbed by construction and salaries.

“My No. 1 job is to make the center permanent for 100 years, working inside and outside the government, for permanent funding,” Ben David said.

The center’s location at The Harrelson Center was strategic as well.

“Our combination of available space, ideal location and community partners already on-site, make The Harrelson Center a perfect location for this integrated center to support public health and safety,” Meade Van Pelt, The Harrelson Center’s executive director, said when the CJC was first announced.

The Harrelson Center, once the site of the county’s jail tower, was renovated and repurposed into a nonprofit campus that houses about 20 nonprofits – now including the CJC.

“The Harrelson Center is a former place of incarnation. Now, it’s a place of hope and resilience. That’s a beautiful story,” Ben David said.

“Victims have constitutional rights in North Carolina, including the right to meet with prosecution, be represented in a criminal proceeding and to speak in front of a judge. Together the resources in this center will lift up these rights.”

MONEY BALL

BY RANDALL KIRKPATRICK | PHOTOS BY LOGAN BURKE

EVEN WITHOUT THE MAJORS, SPORTS IS A GROWING PART OF THE AREA’S ECONOMY

Sports and recreation represent one of Wilmington’s underestimated and fastest-growing catalysts of economic impact. The city has no major or minor league sports franchises – or an iconic baseball team, such as the Durham Bulls or Carolina Hurricanes.

What it does have is several growing sports entities that draw fans and players including the Wilmington Sharks (baseball), Wilmington Hammerheads (youth soccer), Port City FC (men’s and women’s soccer) and destination races such as the Battleship Half Marathon, Wilmington Marathon and Ironman 70.3.

“Sports tourism is among the fastest-growing tourism sectors, and Wilmington has the builtin attributes of good weather, beach access, a central Southeastern North Carolina location, the Riverwalk, great restaurants,” said Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Included in this year’s list are:

“If we look at just one example, the new nCino Sports Park is already developing as a major draw for a variety of sporting events,” she continued. “The CVB sales team recently booked a regional, all-girls soccer event with Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) that brought in 1,500-2,000 people for a tournament held from Oct. 12 to the 14th. With more than 2,500 hotel rooms booked, revenue was estimated to exceed $2 million during the area’s off-peak season.”

She added that the CVB sales staff is working with organizers to potentially bring USA Ultimate Frisbee and USA Archery events to nCino park, both with large national tournaments.

NEW PARK PITCH

The building and facilities gestation period for the park on U.S. 421 was unexpectedly long, due to the obstacles of Hurricane Florence in 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The city of Wilmington passed bond funding for the park in 2016. It officially opened in October.

Though the road to get to the near-completion phase of this $20 million park expansion was indeed rocky, the Hammerheads now have in place the organizational foundation to provide a professionalized experience geared to their young

• Brett Bloomquist, Team President, Wilmington Sharks (Influencer category)

• Carson Porter, Executive Director, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer (Innovator category)

• Kim Hufham, President & CEO, Wilmington & Beaches CVB (Connector category)

Learn more about them in the WilmingtonBiz 100 section that starts on page 33.

Port City FC women's team plays during their inaugural season on June 18.

photo by GEANINE JAMISON

Wilmington Sharks team president Brett Bloomquist joined the baseball team at the beginning of the year.

players.

It did not precisely start with the 2015 hiring of executive director Carson Porter, but he’s been instrumental in building the organization with the requisite long-term vision.

Porter, a Charlotte native who played soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, came to Wilmington after stints as the assistant men’s soccer coach at Wake Forest University and as a U.S. Youth National Team Coach.

He initially served as the head coach and technical director for the Wilmington Hammerheads professional team and transitioned into his role as executive director of the youth soccer club in 2015. As essentially a soccer lifer, Porter brings passion that combines an appreciation for both the business side and the learning and development side for their young players.

“The World Cup is coming here next year,” he said, “and although they’re not coming to Wilmington, the impact of seeing those teams on TV playing in Seattle or New York … That’s real.”

Porter adds that he has had conversations with the leadership of naming sponsor nCino and other supporters of the Hammerheads.

“They have kids of their own here who play sports, especially soccer,” he said, “and they’re mindful of what things will be like for their employees and top talent they want to attract. If those parents from outside of Wilmington see a great opportunity here for their kids, it can be a relocation differencemaker.”

Currently, the organization has 13 full-time staff and 40 part-time staff, with an overall concentration on coaches and skills development.

THE NEW NCINO SPORTS PARK IS ALREADY DEVELOPING AS A MAJOR DRAW FOR A VARIETY OF SPORTING EVENTS. THE CVB SALES TEAM RECENTLY BOOKED A REGIONAL, ALL-GIRLS SOCCER EVENT WITH ELITE CLUBS NATIONAL LEAGUE (ECNL) THAT BROUGHT IN 1,500-2,000 PEOPLE.

KIM HUFHAM PRESIDENT & CEO WILMINGTON AND BEACHES CVB

Youth soccer players practice at the nCino Sports Park.

The Hammerheads have five distinct age and competitive levels starting with age 6 to 19, and the nCino Sports Park has 11 fields, five that have lights. “Maintenance is an ongoing focus,” Porter said, “and we want to have nice fields, not passfail. The per field lighting cost is about $200,000, so to fully equip them we have to invest about $1.2 million.”

The Hammerheads season is about 10 months long, from the end of May to the end of August and focuses on creative programming –camps, instructional sessions and continued opportunities to just “feel the joy of playing.”

Also this year in local soccer, the relatively new grassroots, semiprofessional club Port City FC changed leagues and launched the first season of its affiliated women’s team – a Women’s Premier Soccer League expansion team.

The men’s team this year became part of the National Premier Soccer League, after being a part of the United Premier Soccer League.

“Most players are local. They have a love for Wilmington and the soccer culture we are building,” Haven Lewis, Port City FC’s general manager, said earlier this year.

BASEBALL FAN BASE

The Wilmington Sharks are one of 15 teams that are part of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer league featuring top-notch college baseball players. League alumni include current major leaguers Justin Verlander and Ryan Zimmerman and eventual NFL quarterback Russell Wilson.

They play a busy, compressed 48-game schedule beginning lateMay through early-August.

The league is also packed with a number of clever alliterative or rhymed teams, including The Greenville Yard Gnomes, Morehead City Marlins and (true) Macon

Bacon. Like the Hammerheads’ Porter, the Sharks’ team president Brett Bloomquist is an ex-player, having pitched for the team in 2008 until he blew out his elbow. Unlike Porter, Bloomquist is just getting started in his new role, having begun in January of this year.

Bloomquist had subsequently joined the Navy and embarked on 12 years as an intelligence officer. He segued into about five years as a consultant, advising companies on risk issues, when he got a call in 2023 from the league commissioner, a friend who mentioned that the Sharks were looking for a GM.

He decided he was ready for his full-circle moment.

“The old saying applies: Life happens when you’re busy making other plans,” he said. “I didn’t have much runway before start of the season, but together with tickets director Dawn Fowler, we brainstormed as much fan-friendly, offbeat stuff we could do to juice up the atmosphere.”

Those offbeat ideas – some carryovers – include mass crowd renditions of Baby Shark , the Shuckin’ Shack Strikeout tracker, the gift of a free smoothie to all when someone hit a triple.

“And it’s just the stuff that can happen,” Bloomquist said, “like when a foul ball is followed by the sound of a fake window shattering, and the glass company sponsor is there to give the owner a check for a total windshield replacement for one that was actually hit. There’s something about baseball that allows the old-school and the unexpected to happen simultaneously.”

Growing business support, such as the Sharks’ sponsorship from Excite Credit Union, GE Aerospace and Novant Health, for example, also is a key part of expanding the club’s operations. Attendance averaged about 1,000 per home

game in the gravitational pull of a stadium sell-out but not quite there.

“My goal,” Bloomquist said, “is to sell out every home game, and eventually expand our crowd capacity.”

DRAWING RUNNERS

Wilmington has earned a reputation as an ideal locale for a variety of running events, including a late October Ironman event, The Ironman 70.3 North Carolina triathlon race.

Two other prominent races, The Battleship Half Marathon held on Nov. 16, and the upcoming Feb. 22 Wilmington Marathon and Half Marathon, are organized and managed by Tom Clifford’s company, Without Limits. He and his team also manage six other races in North and South Carolina.

“We’ve seen the Wilmington Marathon grow into a destination race,” Clifford said. “If you’re a runner in the Northeast, February is a good time to head South for a break in the colder weather and a chance to compete in something you love.”

Managing races and running the booming coaching component of his business is something he loves, while his own running achievements include top finishes in the Boston and New York City marathons, as well as finishing first in 2017 in the Wilmington Ironman race.

“It’s really important to continually explore how to improve the course,” he said. “For the recent Battleship race, we reversed the course, so that runners had an improved experience. Sometimes the inconvenient becomes something better. Last year, the paving of the Greenfield Lake trail was not yet done. It is now, and it’s made for a better runner’s experience. It’s what this is all about.”

Carson Porter, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer’s executive director, played a key role in opening the 64-acre complex. The Hammerheads, a nonprofit, donated the land to the city of Wilmington under a management agreement.

DETERMINING THE 100

The WilmingtonBiz 100 is an annual Greater Wilmington Business Journal initiative to recognize the top 100 Power Players, Influencers, Innovators, Connectors and Rising Stars impacting Southeastern North Carolina’s business landscape.

Those included in this year’s group were announced in October, but on the following pages you can read a little more about why they were picked.

Readers sent in names to consider during a nomination process, and the Business Journal’s editorial team selected the WilmingtonBiz 100. We’ll do nominations again next year for the annual issue.

To be considered, individuals had to either work or live in the region. Elected officials aren’t considered for the list.

– Compiled by Jenny Callison, Emma Dill, David W. Frederiksen, Vicky Janowski and Cece Nunn

POWER THE PLAYERS

THE BUSINESSPEOPLE AND OFFICIALS HAVING THE GREATEST IMPACT ON THE REGION’S BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE

JACKSON AUTRY • JEFF BOURK • ERNIE BOVIO • BILL

CAMERON • BRIAN CLARK • BRIAN ECKEL • NATALIE

ENGLISH • RUSS LOPATKA • CHIP MAHAN • KELLY MCGINNIS

• TIM MILAM & DENISE KINNEY • JIM MORTON • PIERRE

NAUDÉ • CRAIG RANSON • NEIL UNDERWOOD • ASWANI

VOLETY • TREY & JIM WALLACE • DAN WINSLOW

JEFF BOURK

AIRPORT DIRECTOR, WILMINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

As the head of Wilmington International Airport, Jeff Bourk works with a team of about 50 employees. He has 30 years of experience in the aviation industry and started in the ILM role in 2022.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER:

Bourk manages the region’s airport – the fastest-growing airport in North Carolina last year and fourth-fastest growing in the country – as it continues to see more passengers and undergo more construction to expand its footprint.

This year, the airport saw nine new nonstop flights announced or initiated, bringing ILM’s destination count up to 20 cities through six airlines. The Utah-based low-cost carrier Breeze Airways also started service at the airport this year.

Airport officials are projecting 750,000 passenger boardings by the end of the year, which would be a 15% increase over 2023.

He also is leading the airport’s $185 million capital plan now in its second year.

Current major projects include realigning Airport Boulevard, expanding parking areas, making terminal curb improvements and planning for another terminal expansion with three additional gates.

Continuing to grow air service options as the area’s population increases is another focus. Bourk said the airport aims to land at least three new nonstop routes.

LOOKING AHEAD: “I expect,” Bourk said, “we will add at least three new nonstop flights in 2025 and see expanded service from our existing airlines to routes already serviced – at least that is the goal.”

ERNIE BOVIO

PRESIDENT, NOVANT HEALTH NHRMC AND COASTAL REGION

Ernie Bovio serves as the head of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and leads the health system’s coastal region, which also includes Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, Novant Health Pender Medical Center, Novant Health New Hanover Orthopedic Hospital and the future Novant Health Scotts Hill Medical Center.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: In his role, Bovio is in charge of the region’s largest employer, covering about 8,000 employees and the area’s primary medical provider through multiple facilities.

Near the new 66-bed, $84.9 million hospital under construction in the northern part of the county, a new medical office building in Scotts Hill is set to open this month.

In the works under Bovio is continuing to expand outpatient clinics, with future office spaces planned for Eastwood Road and midtown Wilmington, and developing capabilities at Pender Medical Center and Brunswick Medical Center while recruiting new physicians and health care providers.

This year locally, Novant opened Wilmington’s first

Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic on Greenfield Street and added Community Care Cruisers to reach underserved populations. Additionally. The health system also launched a mobile mammography unit.

WORKFORCE PIPELINE: “We continue to prioritize recruitment of new physicians and advanced practice providers to our region,” Bovio said about upcoming focuses, “and we’re partnering with area colleges and UNCW to support efforts to grow the health care workforce pipeline.”

BILL CAMERON

CHAIR, NEW HANOVER COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT

Bill Cameron has served as head of the endowment’s 13-member board since the beginning of 2023.

A Wilmington native, Cameron co-founded and is president of Cameron Management Inc., an investment management and real estate development firm. His background in finance also includes serving as a founding member and director of Port City Capital Bank and director of Crescent State Bank following its acquisition of Port City Capital Bank in 2006.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: The endowment board oversees the fund that now has a balance of nearly $1.6 billion, according to organization officials.

Along with having the leading board role the past

photo by MADELINE GRAY

BRIAN CLARK

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, N.C. STATE PORTS AUTHORITY

Since 2021, Brian Clark has led the organization that manages deep-water ports in Wilmington and Morehead City and an inland port in Charlotte.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Clark oversees port operations that contribute an estimated $16 billion annually to North Carolina’s economy.

The Port of Wilmington witnessed a record year of intermodal volume, moving 17,000 containers by rail. A new on-dock intermodal yard will add another 5,000 feet of track and container handling equipment, increasing the capacity to more than 50,000 intermodal rail moves annually.

N.C. Ports also invested $80 million statewide. In Wilmington, notable investments include the second phase of a refrigerated container yard, an expanded container yard and new gantry cranes.

Work continues on a morethan-$28 million effort to relocate the North Gate at Wilmington’s port. Officials are also expanding the port’s container yard with the target of doubling the annual throughput capacity to more than 1 million TEUs, a unit used to calculate the capacity of cargo ships.

In October, N.C. Ports saw the effects of a three-day strike from members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, which temporarily halted Wilmington port operations.

NEW PRODUCE: As Wilmington’s port grows its cold chain capabilities, grocery retailers and distributors have identified the port as an alternative to traditional gateways. That’s led to an increase in imported produce like bananas, pineapples and blueberries and trial programs that include apples, melons and other tropical fruits and vegetables.

couple of years, Cameron also has been the board’s voice on several key issues facing it this year including hiring the endowment’s second CEO. Board vice chair Shannon Winslow led the board’s CEO search committee. The board meets this month to elect new officers, and Cameron will remain on as a board member.

In February, the endowment’s first president and CEO, William Buster, resigned from the position. The board conducted a national search for his replacement, hiring Dan Winslow (not related to Shannon Winslow) from Massachusetts this summer.

On the funding side, the endowment this year continued funding a multiyear, $22 million project to train more health care workers. This fall, endowment officials announced $14 million in grants to more than a dozen local groups working on existing and future housing programs – the

JACKSON AUTRY

EXECUTIVE PLANT LEADER, GE AEROSPACE

Jackson Autry is in his second year leading the GE Aerospace plant in Castle Hayne. The plant manufactures aircraft engines and components and employs 540 people.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Autry oversees daily operations at the Wilmington-area plant with a focus on safety, delivery, quality and cost. This year, Autry also led the facility as General Electric Corp. completed its spinoff, establishing GE Aerospace and GE Vernova as independent companies.

GE Aerospace announced a more than $22 million investment earlier this year to increase capacity at the local plant. The funding aims to help modernize how the plant manufactures

first investments of the endowment’s Affordable Housing Investment Strategy, which also was announced this year.

The board’s other funding decisions this year addressed workforce development, education, disaster preparedness and storm recovery efforts after significant flooding events this fall.

BOARD WORK: Cameron also has served on the board of directors of the UNC Health Care System, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and Cape Fear Memorial Hospital.

BRIAN ECKEL

PARTNER, CAPE FEAR COMMERCIAL

Brian Eckel, a partner in Cape Fear Commercial, also serves as partner

complex engine hardware and puts a focus on new technologies.

At the Wilmington plant, Autry is working on a new manufacturing development cell and the introduction of commercial aircraft engine GE9X into production for Boeing 777X. The plant also has received a grant from NC Edge, in partnership with Cape Fear Community College, to support customized employee training over the next three years.

Looking ahead, Autry plans to lead the deployment of what he calls the “first modern rotating parts manufacturing line focused on delivering significant growth in the narrow body engine market.”

GIVING BACK: The Wilmington plant received the GE Aerospace Human Spirit award this year for volunteering more than 2,800 hours.

of the companies Cape Fear Development, Cape Fear Construction Group and Cape Fear Building Maintenance.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Eckel’s firms are involved in numerous high-profile development projects in the Wilmington area and beyond, including Project Grace, Proximity Carolina Beach, Proximity Watermark, Proximity New Bern, Proximity Blue Clay, Proximity Surf City and Autumn Hall.

Eckel is also a member of the Novant Health Board of Trustees, which oversees Novant Health, the owner of the hospitals in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.

Eckel co-founded Cape Fear Commercial with Vin Wells in 2001. Eckel, born in 1973 in Virginia, moved to Wilmington in 1974. His family lived in Echo Farms, and he met his wife, Carroll Trask, in Wilmington when he was 15 years old.

CURRENT COMPANY STATS: 48

employees; over $3.5 billion in brokerage volume; over $3.8 billion under property management; and over $1.25 billion developed totaling over 4.8 billion square feet and 3,735 residential units

NATALIE ENGLISH

PRESIDENT & CEO, WILMINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

As the head of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Natalie English serves as a top advocate for businesses across the Wilmington area.

WHY SHE’S A POWER PLAYER: English plays a key role in supporting the business community and economic growth in the Cape Fear region.

Alongside local school board members, English

successfully lobbied the N.C. General Assembly to secure nearly $3 million this year to fund an expansion of the chamber’s Career and Leadership Development Academy.

English also helped to bring one of NC Health Talent Alliance’s first regional talent collaboratives to the Cape Fear region. The collaborative regularly convenes 20-30 health care employers across the region.

She is also leading the evolution of the region’s Tech Talent Collaborate. The chamber plans to work directly with tech employers in the region to help fill talent needs.

In recent years, English has led a push to fund a replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. This summer, federal officials announced a $242 million grant to go toward funding a new bridge. The N.C. Department of Transportation also committed $85 million toward the project.

English has also headed up growth inside the chamber of commerce. The chamber’s staff increased from six in August 2023 to 15 in July of this year.

PROPERTY INVESTMENTS:

English is working with chamber volunteers to review options for future investments needed for the 30-year-old chamber building at 1 Estell Lee Place in downtown Wilmington.

RUSS LOPATKA

WILMINGTON OPTICAL FIBER PLANT MANAGER, CORNING INC.

With about 1,000 employees, Russ Lopatka serves as the plant manager for one of the largest employers in the Wilmington area.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Lopatka runs the day-today operations of Corning’s Wilmington plant, which makes optical fiber, an ultra-thin, durable and flexible thread of glass that can transmit information at high speeds.

This year, the Wilmington plant worked to meet a surge in demand for the optical fiber that’s needed for artificial intelligence. The large language models, which are foundational to generative AI, require dense neural networks inside data centers. Every pathway inside those neural networks is made of optical fiber – about 10 times more fiber than what’s needed in legacy data center architecture.

Because these new data centers require more fiber in the same amount of space, Corning has developed a fiber that’s 40% smaller, allowing for tighter bends and greater flexibility in deployments.

Corning is gearing up to provide continued support to its data center customers over the next year. The company will also support customers who are deploying fiber-to-thehome networks as part of the federal program known as BEAD or Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment. Lopatka sees both initiatives as major drivers of Corning’s Optical Communications business in the coming years.

STEM FOCUS: Corning regularly shares the importance and science of optical fiber with local students through STEM field trips. More than

200 students visited the plant in 2024 to see the manufacturing process firsthand.

CHIP MAHAN

CHAIRMAN & CEO, LIVE OAK BANCSHARES

Since its start in 2008 as an SBA small business lender, Live Oak Bank has branched out into other types of business lending as well as commercial and retail banking. James “Chip” Mahan has remained a driving force behind the bank and its parent company, Live Oak Bancshares.

WHY HE’S A POWER

PLAYER:

Since his early career with internet banking and banking software, Mahan has remained true to his vision of a financial institution with national online reach but no physical locations.

Mahan is relentless in his pursuit of software that can increase banking efficiency and improve customer experiences.

This year, Live Oak announced its first embedded banking partnership. It’s working with Anatomy Financial Inc., an AI-powered financial automation solution for medical, dental, digital health and health care billing companies to deliver Live Oak banking products and services directly to Anatomy customers.

This year, the company marked the opening of its fourth building on its midtown Wilmington campus that houses more than 700 employees.

The bank’s third quarter in 2024 was the company’s highest loan production quarter of all time outside the historical period during the Paycheck Protection Program era in the wake of the pandemic.

IN HIS SPARE TIME: Mahan serves on the boards of several financial institutions and fintechs, including Apiture, a joint venture between Live Oak and Firt Data Corp. He is also managing partner of venture capital firm Canapi Ventures.

KELLY MCGINNIS

CFO, PPD CLINICAL RESEARCH BUSINESS, THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC

Kelly McGinnis joined Thermo Fisher in 2019 as vice president of finance for the scientific analytical instruments business. After the company acquired PPD in December 2021, she moved into her current CFO role, overseeing financial strategy and operations. In December 2023, she assumed CFO responsibilities for the Patheon contract drug manufacturing business of Thermo Fisher.

WHY SHE’S A POWER PLAYER: McGinnis is the top local official for the more than 30,000 people who work in the PPD clinical research business – a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s overall workforce of over 120,000. McGinnis is focused on “helping pharma and biotech companies get therapies to market faster

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 POWER PLAYERS

in a more challenging macro environment,” she said. “Given my experience in the industry and with startups, I counsel our biotech clients on how to manage liquidity, exits and investors.”

She is responsible for full financial oversight of the PPD clinical research business as well as the Patheon drug manufacturing business within Thermo Fisher, which includes leading and developing 2,000 finance professionals.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: Before her time at Thermo Fisher, she was CFO of Uptake, a technology firm specializing in industrial AI systems. Her earlier career was spent at General Electric, where she held global finance leadership roles across the U.S.,

Europe and Asia over 14 years.

TIM MILAM & DENISE KINNEY

CEO/PRESIDENT, COLDWELL BANKER SEA COAST ADVANTAGE

Tim Milam and Denise Kinney lead one of the largest residential real estate firms in the region and state.

WHY THEY’RE POWER

PLAYERS: For the third year in a row, they led Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage and the Advantage Family of Companies to their rank

as the No. 1 Coldwell Banker affiliate company in the nation. In 2023, the company achieved over $3 billion in closed sales volume with over 8,200 transactions.

ROLES: They said they are “committed to identifying expansion and related projects to ensure Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage’s continued success and growth.”

“They’re also dedicated to agents’ success by developing cutting-edge technology, recognizing the benefits of automation and AI platforms and identifying how to best utilize them to contribute to agent success and helping them grow their business.”

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 850 agents and 70 staff members

JIM MORTON

PRESIDENT, CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Cape Fear Community College ranks as one of the region’s top economic juggernauts and the fifth-largest community college in North Carolina. At the head of it sits CFCC President Jim Morton, who was hired in 2018. Morton’s previous employment included a 15-year stint at Wilmington International Airport, where he served as finance director.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Morton’s tenure at CFCC

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has seen a significant rise in enrollment with a 6% increase from fall 2023 to fall 2024, bringing total enrollment today to more than 22,500 students over four different campuses.

Morton has helped shape CFCC’s many and varied health care and human services programs, including overseeing last January’s opening of the first phase of the Dan and Sheila Saklad Health and Human Services Center. New classrooms, laboratory simulation spaces and an expanded drop-in child care center were part of the build. In addition, CFCC’s Emergency Medical Services achieved Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program, the first accredited EMS program in southeastern North Carolina.

This year, the college also saw its highest-ever total fundraising year, raising $11.1 million.

LOOKING AHEAD: Morton’s plans include expanding CFCC’s Surf City campus to meet demand in Pender County and introducing two new health care programs.

PIERRE NAUDÉ

CEO & CHAIRMAN, NCINO

Pierre Naudé has led cloud banking fintech nCino since it spun off from Live Oak Bank in 2011, overseeing its growth, product development and geographic expansion.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Under Naudé’s leadership, nCino has made steady progress toward its goal of being a major player in the global banking industry.

Its cloud-based banking software now powers consumer and commercial banking all over the world; its products and services are supported by nine locations in addition to its Wilmington headquarters.

Currently, the company’s employees are in North America, Europe, South Africa, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, serving financial institutions in 16 countries.

The company scouts the financial technology landscape to identify software to strengthen and diversify its products. Its acquisition in 2022 of digital mortgage firm SimpleNexus added to nCino’s capabilities in mortgage lending.

In March of this year, it purchased DocFox, a South Africa-based onboarding service provider for commercial and business banks. This fall, it incorporated Lumos Technologies’ risk scoring model and entered into an acquisition agreement with UK fintech FullCircl, whose onboarding and lifecycle management software is already integrated into nCino’s banking solution.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION: Reflecting its growing international muscle, nCino was named Banking Technology of the Year by the 2024 Europe FinTech Awards and was included on CNBC’s and Statista’s 2024 World’s Top FinTech Companies list.

Craig Ranson took over the top role for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which is part of GE Vernova, in June, following the retirement of former top executive Jay Wileman.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Ranson leads a nuclear energy company that employs hundreds in the Wilmington area and seeing an expansion of GE Hitachi’s Castle Hayne campus.

He’s also leading the company’s efforts to deploy its small modular reactor (SMR) technology and respond to climbing energy demands and growth in the nuclear sector.

Construction of GE Hitachi’s first BWRX-300 SMR began this fall in Ontario. The technology, which underwent a multiyear development process, has been selected for potential deployment by customers in Canada, the U.S., Poland, Sweden and Estonia. GE Hitachi is also strengthening support for its customer-installed base by investing in its fuel manufacturing operation and services innovations.

Ranson sees big potential in the future of the nuclear energy sector. With increasingly positive public opinion and government support for nuclear energy combined with increasing energy demand, pressures to meet decarbonization and energy security goals, a global interest in nuclear technology and an expansion in clean technology financing, “it’s clear that nuclear energy has to be part of the solution,” according to Ranson.

SPINING OFF: GE Hitachi is part of GE Vernova, an independent company that launched in April, following its spinoff from

GE. The move to spin off divisions as independent entities began in 2021 and aimed to help General Electric improve its financial standing and attract investors.

NEIL UNDERWOOD

CO-FOUNDER & GENERAL PARTNER, CANAPI VENTURES

Neil Underwood helped found Canapi Ventures, which seeks to fund early- and growthstage fintech companies. In 2018, the venture capital firm launched with backing from Live Oak Bank, with its first fund topping $650 million. WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Underwood co-founded Canapi Ventures and fintech companies nCino, Apiture and Live Oak Bank. He previously served as president of Live Oak Bancshares, Live Oak Bank’s holding company. Underwood currently serves on the boards of Live Oak Bank, Greenlight, ModernFI, Island, Proof (formerly Notarize), Asset Class and Posh. He previously served on the boards of nCino, Apiture, DefenseStorm, Payrailz, Finxact and Blend. A native of Miami, FL, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Before working for Live Oak Bank, Underwood worked for S1 Corp., a software development company based in Georgia, where he led the S1 Enterprise division. The company specializes in payment processing and

CRAIG RANSON

PRESIDENT & CEO, GE HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY

financial technology.

In 2024, Canapi closed out its Fund II at $750 million.

FUTURE PROJECTS FOR 2025: “Invest $200M of the $750M in great companies!”

ASWANI VOLETY

CHANCELLOR, UNCW

Aswani Volety was hired as chancellor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2022, after serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Elon University. His appointment brings his career full circle, having once held leadership positions at UNCW as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the executive director of the Center for Marine Science. He was a Fulbright fellowship recipient and holds a doctorate degree in marine science.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Volety used his extensive higher education experience to work with UNCW’s Board of Trustees to unanimously approve the 2024 Campus Master plan, which included input from more than 1,700 students, faculty, staff, alumni and Wilmington community in an 18-month collaborative planning process.

The plan aims to maximize use of the university’s physical assets to meet academic, research and outreach missions.

Under Volety’s guidance, UNCW has seen record enrollment – more than 18,800 students in fall 2024, a climbing retention rate and 10 conference champions in two years for Seahawk Athletics.

In the past fiscal year,

UNCW faculty and student researchers brought in more than $33 million in sponsored research.

A recent economic development study showed UNCW has a $3.2 billion economic impact on the Tar Heel state.

FUTURE FOCUS: To expand regional partnerships, including supporting relationships with various community colleges, and increase relationships with partner institutions around the world.

TREY & JIM WALLACE

PRESIDENT/FOUNDER & CEO, INTRACOASTAL REALTY CORP.

Jim Wallace founded Intracoastal Realty Corp. after moving to Wilmington in 1976. Today, his son, Trey, serves as president and manages the company’s day-to-day operations.

WHY THEY’RE POWER PLAYERS:

The Wallaces head up the region’s largest independent residential real estate company. Two years ago, the firm grew into South Carolina markets such as Little River, North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove Beach. It also continued activity on Bald Head Island, where Intracoastal took over sales and rental operations after merging with Bald Head Island Limited real estate.

MILESTONES: Intracoastal Realty in 2021 surpassed $2 billion in sales for the first time in its company’s history on a 12-month basis. It now has more than 400 real estate agents and 100 staff members.

DAN WINSLOW

PRESIDENT & CEO, NEW HANOVER COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT

After a national search, Dan Winslow in August was named head of the New Hanover Community Endowment.

WHY HE’S A POWER PLAYER: Though new to the region having started his new job in October, Winslow is now head of the $1.6 billion fund that is intended to make ongoing grants to groups in New Hanover County.

The endowment, created from the 2021 sale of county-owned New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health, deployed its first grants in 2022. Since then, the organization has changed approaches for how it plans to award funds up to 4% of its market value annually.

Winslow said his initial goals after starting were to listen to board members and community groups.

Capacity building is another focus, Winslow said, so that organizations have the framework to handle future grants. He said he plans to raise the visibility of the endowment around the community and what it’s funding.

RESUME HIGHLIGHTS: Winslow has served as a former Massachusetts judge, legislator and chief legal counsel to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. His most recent role before moving to Wilmington was as head of the New England Legal Foundation in Boston.

photo by MADELINE GRAY

INFLUENCERS THE THE

CHANGEMAKERS, IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE SCENES

ACE & JAMIE ALFALLA • BRETT BLOOMQUIST • CHRIS BONEY • TONY CAUDLE & CHRIS COUDRIET • KEN DULL & CHAD HODGES • ED ELLISON • JIM HUNDLEY JR. • DICK JONES • MIKE KOZLOSKY • RYAN LEGG • BJ LOSCH • HARRISON MARKS • BRIAN MINGIA • DEAN NEFF

• TYLER NEWMAN • CHRIS NORVELL • AUBREY PARSLEY • SHITAL PATEL • REBEKAH ROTH • BJ SINGH • GENE SMITH • LYNDA STANLEY • BRYAN THOMAS • KENNETH WALDROUP

• JACK WATSON • ZACHARY WELCH • MARGARET WELLERSTARGELL • WOODY WHITE • GWEN WHITLEY

ACE & JAMIE ALFALLA

OWNERS, ALFALLA HOSPITALITY GROUP

Husband-and-wife team Ace and Jamie Alfalla have invested in hotel and restaurant properties in downtown Wilmington in the past couple of years.

WHY THEY’RE INFLUENCERS: The Alfallas have taken over several downtown properties, including some historical ones, to give them new life and create buzz around the new entities.

With a background in owning a marketing company that focused on hospitality businesses and then real estate businesses, the couple moved to Wilmington in 2021.

They bought into the Graystone Inn in 2021, Front Street Inn in 2022 and the Verandas Bed & Breakfast in 2022.

After renovations at Graystone Inn, Alfalla Hospitality Group opened a fine-dining restaurant named Preston there in the summer of 2023. But a kitchen fire soon after closed the restaurant and inn, both of which are slated to reopen soon after restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, Alfalla Hospitality opened Concorde Espresso Bar, a coffee and cocktail spot in the updated Front Street Inn, this year.

And most recently, in September they opened the upscale Sugo Italian Steakhouse inside Hotel Ballast, a downtown hotel not owned by the Alfallas. When the Alfallas discovered that the space at Hotel Ballast, which formerly housed Ruth’s Chris Steak House before it moved across the street, was available, they jumped at the opportunity, seeing it as the perfect space to launch their upscale Italian Renaissance-themed concept.

HISTORY LESSON: Originally called The Bridgers Mansion, the home on South Third Street that is now Graystone Inn was built by Elizabeth Haywood Bridgers. It was purchased in 2004 by Richard and Marcia Moore, and they sold it to Alfalla Hospitality in 2021 for nearly $2 million.

photo by MADELINE GRAY

BRETT BLOOMQUIST

TEAM PRESIDENT, WILMINGTON SHARKS

As the recently hired Wilmington Sharks Baseball team president, Brett Bloomquist is tasked with overseeing players, recruitment, host families and business partners critical to sustaining the Coastal Plain League team. He is no stranger to these waters, having played for the Sharks as a lefthanded pitcher in 2008, before earning degrees at Appalachian State University and the University of Florida and serving as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER:

This past season will go down in the record books as Bloomquist helped the Sharks capture the Coastal Plain League Championship, ending a 25year title drought.

Next year will be the 28th season in Coastal Plain, a collegiate summer baseball league.

Off the field, he helped reinforce the game as America’s favorite pastime by breaking attendance records at Buck Hardee Field, home of the Sharks, by creating a family-friendly environment for all ages.

Philanthropically, Bloomquist participates in two local nonprofit organizations – The Children’s Museum of Wilmington and Honor Flight of the Cape Fear Area, which offers veterans a daylong, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials and monuments built in their

honor.

DREAM JOB: If he wasn’t working in baseball, Bloomquist said he’d love to have a dive shop on a Caribbean island. “If I won the lottery I would travel the world with my family, showing my wife and children the places I’ve been fortunate to experience during my time in the Navy, in addition to exploring new ones with them,” he said.

“After returning from our travels, I’d build a state-ofthe-art baseball stadium in Wilmington, inspired by my love for Durham Bulls Athletic Park.”

CHRIS COUDRIET & TONY CAUDLE

NEW HANOVER COUNTY MANAGER/ WILMINGTON CITY MANAGER

As the respective managers of New Hanover County and the city of Wilmington, Chris Coudriet and Tony Caudle oversee organizations that employ more than 3,000 in the Wilmington region and are responsible for budgets totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

WHY THEY’RE INFLUENCERS:

Both Coudriet and Caudle help translate input from local elected leaders into action items for county and city staff. They also help plan for capital investments, guide budget development and oversee day-to-day operations along with longterm planning efforts.

This year, New Hanover County broke ground on Project Grace, a $56 million redevelopment of the downtown library and Cape

Fear Museum that had been in the works since 2017. The county also filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen manufacturers and sellers of products that use or contain polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The chemicals have contaminated air, groundwater and surface water across the region for years. County leaders also marked the opening of a new Board of Elections facility and Hanover Pines Nature Park.

Over the past year, the city of Wilmington finished moving employees into its new offices on the former Thermo Fisher Scientific campus, which city leaders have renamed Skyline Center. With the move complete, officials have focused on selling off the city’s former downtown offices, leasing unused Skyline Center space and planning Skyline Center upfits.

RETIREMENT PLAN: After a 44year career in government, Caudle recently announced that he plans to retire in May of next year.

KEN DULL & CHAD HODGES

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN/PRESIDENT, MCKINLEY BUILDING CORP.

In October, the company announced that Chad Hodges, formerly chief operating officer, had been promoted to the role of president. Meanwhile, Ken Dull will work on strategic direction and planning in an advisory role.

WHY THEY’RE INFLUENCERS: Their company is involved in significant construction projects with economic

development impacts. Current projects include Wilmington Trade Center 3, FedUp Foods, the expansion of Polyhose, IKA Works expansion, Kesseböehmer headquarters, Salvation Army Center of Hope, Porters Neck Crossing, One Place, Community Justice Center at The Harrelson Center, Manheim Auto and Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

The firm increased booked contracts by 24% from June 2023 to June 2024 and projected a revenue growth of 79% compared to the previous year. McKinley Building’s competitive winning percentage improved from 50 to 74.

E d Ellison heads up Cape Fear Academy, where he leads a team WILMINGTONBIZ 100

The company expanded its office staff by 27% and brought on four new superintendents.

A key area of focus was the improvement of its pre-construction process, including the development of a strategic marketing plan that leverages macroeconomic data, local economic trends, the credit environment, competitive analysis and the impact of local government actions. “Despite these achievements, we faced substantial challenges. Our growth occurred during a period of high interest rates and inflation, requiring us to work even harder to close deals,” company officials said.

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 68

ED ELLISON

HEAD OF SCHOOL, CAPE FEAR ACADEMY

of 150 faculty and staff, managing the school’s strategic growth and educational programs.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER:

As the preK-12th grade private school sees enrollment growth, the campus on South College Road continues to grow its physical footprint.

This year, Ellison oversaw implementation of the school’s recently completed strategic plan. Next year, Cape Fear Academy (CFA) will complete a long-term campus master plan to accommodate student growth. The campus last expanded after the school bought an 11.4-acre parcel of land in 2022.

Since Ellison started in the head of school role in July 2020, enrollment has increased 21%, prompting the need for physical growth.

The school also recently secured a $5 million endowed gift for need-based scholarships and completed a $3.1 million capital campaign.

CFA officials are planning to increase enrollment to 880 students – 100 more than currently enrolled – in the next five to seven years.

Ellison was appointed to the Community Boys & Girls Club’s board in 2021 and served on the unification committee that merged the Community and Brigade Clubs. He has remained on the board since that merging. He also was appointed to the board of the N.C. Association of Independent Schools, made up of 91 member schools.

SERVICE SIDE: Ellison served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he reached the rank of captain.

JIM HUNDLEY JR.

EXECUTIVE VP, THOMAS CONSTRUCTION GROUP & INCOMING CHAIR, WILMINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Jim Hundley Jr.

is a top leader at Thomas Construction Group, overseeing the company’s marketing, business development, preconstruction and contracting departments.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER:

Outside of his role with Thomas Construction, Hundley sits on the boards of several Wilmington-area organizations.

Earlier this year, Hundley was named vice chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, and he’s slated to chair the chamber’s board, starting next year. He also sits on the Novant Coastal Region Board of Directors and is a member of the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina Capital Campaign Committee.

Current projects for Thomas Construction Group include expanding Wilmington’s Midtown YMCA, constructing a new public safety and town hall facility in Topsail Beach and renovating New Hanover County’s Stabilization and Re-entry Center.

Looking to 2025, Hundley said goals include supporting the continued growth of Thomas Construction and helping local community organizations prosper.

He sees particular potential in the Wilmington

Chamber of Commerce’s Career and Leadership Development Academy to increase exposure to various industries for seventh-grade students across the region in the coming years.

Hundley expects Novant to continue to grow in the region by delivering new facilities and said the YMCA of Southeastern NC is in a position to expand services with its new facilities.

ROSTER COUNT: Thomas Construction Group employs 75 people in the Wilmington area.

DICK JONES

PRESIDENT & CEO, YMCA OF SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Since the early 2000s, Dick Jones has been at the helm of the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina, an organization that now employs 650. Jones has led efforts in recent years to lay the groundwork for the Y’s future growth in the Cape Fear region.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: In collaboration with YMCA staff and its board, Jones is responsible for implementing the organization’s strategic vision, which includes growing the YMCA’s footprint and services in the region.

Jones is working on capital development and planning for an expansion of the YMCA’s midtown campus. The YMCA purchased the building that houses the midtown gym earlier this year and envisions bringing a fullservice facility complete

with aquatics and child care to the site.

The organization is also eyeing growth in northern New Hanover County. Earlier this year, county leaders approved a rezoning request from the Y that could allow for the development of a fullservice facility with soccer fields and other recreational areas. In the coming year, the Y will begin identifying community needs on the county’s northern end to help guide its plans.

He’s also working to expand the YMCA’s child care services and youth development programs and form new collaborations and partnerships to serve local families.

SWIM LESSONS: The YMCA recently partnered with the YWCA and NSEA Swim to provide water safety to all second graders in New Hanover County.

MIKE KOZLOSKY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WMPO

Mike Kozlosky has played a key role in transportation in the Cape Fear region since 2004 when he became executive director of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO). In this role, he oversees and manages the day-to-day operations of the organization’s 14 staff to carry out the policy and vision of its board.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: The WMPO is a federally designated organization that provides transportation

by

planning services for nearly 500 square miles in Southeastern North Carolina.

As the organization’s head, Kozlosky leads local planning efforts and works with N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) officials to secure funding for local projects.

A big win came this year when the proposed Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement secured a $242 million federal grant and an $85 million commitment in state funding.

Kozlosky said he’s working with NCDOT to identify additional funding for the bridge. He’s also

CHRIS BONEY

CHIEF RELATIONSHIPS OFFICER, LS3P

It’s not often you get to join a century-old family business, but that’s exactly what Chris Boney did when he joined Wilmington-based Boney Architects after earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture. In 2022, the firm, which along the way merged with LS3P and became its Wilmington office, celebrated its 100th anniversary.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Boney continues to help shape Wilmington’s architectural landscape as his father and uncles once did through such projects as Live Oak Bank’s midtown headquarters, the Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College and NHRMC’s Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital and Surgical Pavilion (both now Novant Health). More recent projects include Project Grace, Novant Health’s hospital in Scotts Hill and nCino’s Mayfaire campus.

Boney serves as chair of the New Hanover Community Endowment’s grants committee, providing oversight for distribution of $50 million this year.

He also is the founding chair for the company’s new philanthropy, LS3P Foundation, a board that funds design research “that advances equity, sustainability and community in the built environment,” Boney said.

His work has been recognized with awards from AIA Wilmington, AIA North Carolina and AIA Southeastern, as well as the Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Coalition for exceptional design and sustainable building practices.

TEAM BUILDING: Having experienced considerable growth over the past four years, the firm will focus on growing and enhancing its teams across the region to better serve clients and their communities, Boney said.

overseeing the development of Cape Fear Navigating Change 2050, which will serve as the WMPO’s next metropolitan transportation plan.

In the next year, Kozlosky expects to start updating the WMPO’s strategic plan and support NCDOT’s efforts to bring passenger rail service back to Wilmington.

NEW DIGS: The WMPO recently moved into its new office at 525 N. Fourth St., following a decades-long preservation process. The building, which was built in 1894, once housed a neighborhood grocery store.

RYAN LEGG

CEO, MEGACORP LOGISTICS

Ryan Legg serves as the CEO of MegaCorp Logistics, a third-party logistics firm headquartered in Wilmington with 800 employees known for its community involvement and rapid growth.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: In 2024, under Legg’s leadership and with

MegaCorps national account manager Ross Rowan’s coordination, the company led a major relief initiative for Hurricane Helene victims in Western North Carolina, coordinating community and business support to fill 14 full-sized trucks and donating over $30,000 for multiple relief efforts.

This year, MegaCorp again landed on Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces list.

The company opened two new office locations, in Charlotte and Charleston, South Carolina, bringing its office locations to seven.

The company is

photo

TERAH HOOBLER

Tim Milam, CEO

Denise Kinney, President

focusing on expanding its air and ocean department to offer more services to clients.

OLYMPIAN SUPPORT:

MegaCorp sponsored American wrestler Mason Parris, who competed in the men’s wrestling freestyle divisions at the summer Olympics in Paris.

BJ LOSCH

PRESIDENT, LIVE OAK BANK

When BJ Losch joined Live Oak Bank three years ago as CFO of Live Oak Bancshares, he brought career experience that enabled him to strengthen Live Oak Bank’s operations and financial management during postpandemic uncertainties. Last year, he was promoted to president of both the bank and its parent company.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER:

Losch often faces outward, focusing on the Wilmington community as well as on customers throughout the country. Live Oak’s success as a small business lender is due, in part, to its continued supportive relationships with borrowers.

Understanding that, for many small businesses, a relatively small loan delivers a big impact, Losch led the bank in launching Live Oak Express, a quick and easy way for small business owners to gain access to capital.

Locally, Live Oak Bank takes aim at several of the community’s key needs. Through Channel, its small business center in downtown Wilmington, it provides resources to

empower and support minority entrepreneurs. The bank also announced an $8.4 million lowincome housing tax credit investment to support Estrella Landing, an affordable housing development in Wilmington.

WALKING THE WALK: Losch himself serves on the board for the new Community Justice Center, a joint effort by law enforcement agencies, health providers and local social service organizations to assist victims of trauma and abuse.

BRIAN MINGIA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE HEALING PLACE

Since 2022, Brian Mingia has led The Healing Place of New Hanover County. The campus offers low-cost detox and long-term recovery programs for those struggling with addiction along with an emergency overnight shelter, community kitchen and clothing closet.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Mingia has served as the facility’s top executive since it opened to patients in May 2023, playing a key role in launching its community services and programming. The 200-bed facility follows an abstinence-based treatment model established in Kentucky nearly 35 years ago. Since then, the model has been replicated more than 15 times nationwide.

A Greensboro native, Mingia earned an undergraduate degree in economics from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

and a master’s degree in health administration from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has nearly two decades of experience working in the mental health and human services fields.

Before joining The Healing Place, Mingia served as the director of behavioral health at RHA Health Services in Wilmington.

Recently, Mingia received a 2024 Impact award from Vistage, a CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for smalland mid-sized businesses. The award recognizes the “remarkable development and achievement of trailblazing leaders.”

BY THE NUMBERS: In its first year, The Healing Plan saw more than 2,200 admissions across all its programs, including 800 individuals admitted into detox and 814 admitted to the facility’s long-term residential program.

DEAN NEFF

CHEF & OWNER, SEABIRD

Dean Neff is the awardwinning chef and the owner of Seabird, which opened in downtown Wilmington in 2021.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: This year, Neff became the first Wilmington chef to be nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s coveted national Outstanding Chef award.

He previously has been highlighted by the James Beard Foundation, having been named a semifinalist in the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Southeast category in 2019

and 2023

While representing Wilmington’s culinary scene on the national stage this year, Neff also has used his visibility and menus to promote sustainable food and to highlight North Carolina’s food community.

This year, he also was invited to participate in James Beard Foundation’s Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change.

He serves as a regional council member of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and as a council member for the N.C. Fish Consumption Advisory at Duke University.

Neff is a strong advocate for local seafood and promotes North Carolina’s Oyster Trail.

ON CASTLE STREET: Neff and his wife, Lydia Clopton, recently bought Ronnie’s Crab Shack at Zora’s, one of Wilmington’s oldest seafood markets, after the retirement of former owners Ronnie and Revonda Williams. Neff said that the couple has kept on the original staff and doesn’t have changes planned. “As one of the oldest fish markets in Wilmington,” Neff said, “we recognize the unique value it provides to the community as a reliable source for affordable, fresh, local seafood.”

TYLER NEWMAN

PRESIDENT & CEO, BUSINESS ALLIANCE FOR A SOUND ECONOMY

Since 2016, Tyler Newman has been at the helm of the advocacy group Business

HARRISON MARKS

EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR, COASTAL LAND TRUST

Harrison Marks is head of the Coastal Land Trust, a nonprofit that serves the 31 counties in the coastal plain of North Carolina to conserve property with scenic, recreational, historic or ecological value.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Top projects for the organization include the preservation of the South End of Topsail Beach.

In March, group officials announced they had entered an agreement to purchase about 150 acres of undeveloped property on Topsail Island for nearly $8 million after more than a year of turmoil over the site by community members.

Serenity Point, or The Point, on the south end of Topsail Island in Pender County, is one of the largest and last remaining tracts of undeveloped beachfront land on North Carolina’s barrier islands, Marks said. The organization will have to come up with the purchase price of the property through a bridge loan, federal and state grants and private donations.

LAND COUNT: This year, Marks directed efforts to protect over 3,000 acres along the North Carolina coast.

Alliance for a Sound Economy, or BASE. Founded in 2003, the organization represents a network of business interests across the region and advocates for policy change at the local and state levels.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: As a voice for local business interests, Newman plays a leading role in pushing for policies that support the region’s economy.

For Newman, a recent highlight is his work with elected officials and advocacy partners to secure $242 million in federal grant funding to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. The federal funds marked a major milestone in efforts to replace the aging bridge. Newman continues to push for additional funding to support the full cost of the bridge replacement.

Newman is also working to tackle issues that impact the area’s ability to attract talented young professionals.

He also aims to support business growth while improving regional infrastructure and housing accessibility and to streamline regulatory processes to encourage business investment. Newman also acts as an information resource for local business leaders and associations on top regional issues.

In the coming year, Newman aims to grow BASE’s membership to expand the organization’s influence in the region along with prioritizing legislative initiatives in Raleigh and D.C. that benefit the region’s businesses and economy.

ONE AND ONLY: Newman is the sole staff member at BASE, leading the organization’s day-to-day advocacy efforts.

CHRIS NORVELL

FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, EDGEWATER VENTURES

Chris Norvell leads efforts to buy and develop industrial assets throughout the Carolinas and the Southeast for Edgewater Ventures, the firm behind the Wilmington Trade Center, a growing industrial park along U.S. 421.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER:

Norvell and his work with Edgewater Ventures is setting a new standard for Wilmington’s industrial sector.

Norvell’s Wilmington Trade Center project secured more than $3.3 million in incentives from New Hanover County officials earlier this year to support a buildout of the park’s infrastructure. Once complete, the masterplanned industrial park will have 13 buildings, ranging in size from 84,000 to 1 million square feet.

This year, Edgewater Ventures broke ground on the park’s third building and fully leased its second building. The park is now home to a range of companies, including Global Laser Enrichment, Trane U.S. Inc. and PaperFoam, among others.

Edgewater Ventures has also kicked off the permitting process for two more buildings in the industrial park, which Norvell said, will help the company stay ahead on the park’s development. Building out the rest of the industrial park is expected to require $82 million in direct investment and an estimated $8.8

photo by MADELINE GRAY

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 INFLUENCERS

million in infrastructure investment.

BIG IMPACTS: The industrial park’s planned buildings could add an estimated $300 million to $400 million to New Hanover County’s property tax base and generate more than 1,500 jobs for the area.

AUBREY PARSLEY

DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CITY OF WILMINGTON

Since the consolidation of city offices into the former Thermo Fisher Scientific building last year, Aubrey Parsley has overseen the sale of various city-owned properties downtown. He’s also led leasing efforts in the city’s new campus, which officials renamed Skyline Center earlier this year.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Parsley manages several major capital projects for the city, including its rail realignment project, the redevelopment of land on the northern end of downtown and proposed Skyline Center upfits. Each effort has the potential to shape the city’s landscape and operations for years to come.

A recent highlight is Parsley’s work with Wilmington Business Development to attract Protocase, a Canadian rapid manufacturing firm, to the area. The company plans to establish its U.S. headquarters in Wilmington, starting with offices inside the Skyline Center. Parsley has also managed the sale of various cityowned properties over the last year as the city works to divest from its former offices.

He’s also leading revitalization efforts on downtown’s north end. For years, the city has envisioned a mixed-use Northern Gateway development on a series of vacant tracts in the area.

This year also brought the development of a long-vacant property on Castle Street that was formerly owned by the city. Late last year Parsley led efforts to sell the former bus depot site to a private developer.

WORKING TOGETHER: Parsley regularly collaborates with local economic development partners, including Wilmington Downtown Inc., Wilmington Business Development and the Wilmington Regional Film Commission.

SHITAL PATEL

MEDICAL ADVOCATE

Wilmington resident Shital Patel is a passionate advocate for health care reform, especially in patient safety regarding dental sedation and general anesthesia. In 2020, her husband, cardiologist Henry Patel, died after dental surgery.

WHY SHE’S AN INFLUENCER:

As the founder of the Dr. Hemant M. Patel Ninja Legacy Foundation, Patel focuses on raising awareness, improving safety standards and honoring her late husband’s legacy through meaningful change.

In the wake of her husband’s death, Patel has collaborated with the N.C. State Board of Dental Examiners and state Sen. Michael Lee on “Henry’s Bill,” legislation to enforce stricter sedation laws and improve patient safety. She launched a social media campaign that reached over 3,000 people, inspiring hundreds of responses in favor new sedation regulations, and presented her advocacy work at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ national meeting this year.

The Dr. Hemant M. Patel Ninja Legacy Foundation, named in memory of her husband, has raised over $150,000, funding scholarships for health care students and providing awards to community members who exemplify his compassionate values, especially recognizing random acts of kindness. Through educational partnerships with dental

schools, Patel pushes to integrate safety training on sedation risks, enhancing the future of dental practice standards.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025: Patel plans to “continue to work on making meaningful changes to save lives,” she says. “My mission is simple, my husband saved lives during his life, and we will make sure he saves lives in death.”

REBEKAH ROTH

DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND LAND USE, NEW HANOVER COUNTY

As New Hanover County’s top planning official, Rebekah Roth leads efforts to develop plans and policies that outline a vision for development in the unincorporated county.

WHY SHE’S AN INFLUENCER: Under Roth’s leadership, the Planning and Land Use Department launched efforts to update the county’s Comprehensive Plan this year. Last updated in 2016, the long-range plan establishes guidelines for future growth and development.

Roth also led recent interim Comprehensive Plan updates that recommend a new land use vision for the western bank of the Cape Fear River and address bicycle and pedestrian priorities.

Other ongoing projects include Roth’s participation in a housing fund study group that will make recommendations to the New Hanover Community Endowment and coordination with Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to provide water and sewer infrastructure to parts of

the county without public utilities.

Roth’s focus in 2025 will be finalizing updates to the Comprehensive Plan, a document that will help guide county leaders for years to come. The plan also aims to address the community’s emerging challenges related to new development, housing affordability, infrastructure and long-term resiliency.

IN PRACTICE: In addition to leading the development of land use policies, Roth helps put them into action. She oversees administering programs, such as New Hanover County’s Housing Services Program, along with other county projects and regulations geared toward implementation.

GENE SMITH

PRESIDENT, BRUNSWICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Gene Smith has served as head of Brunswick Community College (BCC) since 2019. His career in education has included as a teacher, department head, dean and top administrator.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: BCC enrollment surpassed 2,000 students for the first time in the school’s history, with 2,083 curriculum students in fall 2024.

Smith also led the expansion of academic programs by partnering with other NCCCSArtificial Intelligence with Wayne Community College, Funeral Services with Fayetteville Tech Community College and 911 Communications with Richmond Community College. The BCC Baseball

Team won the NJCAA Region 10 Championship and NJCAA South Atlantic District Championship and finished second in the NJCAA World Series

Among the projects he’s involved in: Alan Holden Public Safety Training Center construction; N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) grant for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to assist students with educational, social and workplace opportunities; increasing enrollment in BCC’s nursing program through an NCCCS High Cost Workforce Expansion Grant; and increasing opportunities on BCC’s Southport campus with the Heritage Arts program by adding a metal fabrication studio.

IF YOU COULD START ANY KIND OF COMPANY WHAT WOULD IT BE? “Boat guide of the beautiful inland waters of Brunswick County,” he said.

LYNDA STANLEY

PRESIDENT & CEO, DOSHER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Lynda Stanley is the president and CEO of Dosher Memorial Hospital, a community hospital in Southport that includes 400 employees.

WHY SHE’S AN INFLUENCER: This year, Stanley continued to lead the hospital’s expansions.

In 2023, Dosher began the first phase of its master facility plan, which includes the construction of a new 8,000-square-foot emergency department expected to be completed by

BJ SINGH CEO, FILMWERKS

BJ Singh leads Rocky Point-based Filmwerks, a company that builds temporary and semipermanent structures for the broadcast, events and entertainment industries. It employs more than 100 people.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Before joining Filmwerks, Singh served as the president and a board member of ETP North America, which acquired EVENTEQ in 2015, a company Singh founded in 2007.

Michael Satrazemis, a longtime Wilmington resident, founded Filmwerks over two decades ago after recognizing “the need for whisper-quiet generators in the entertainment/broadcast industry,” Singh said in a Greater Wilmington Business Journal story this year.

Satrazemis, chairman and former CEO of Filmwerks, also identified the need for temporary broadcast structures for premier sporting events, which led to Filmwerks launching a structures division, Singh said.

Filmwerks continued to service the power and structures industry until its partial acquisition by Seaport Capital in 2018.

Filmwerks eventually spun off its power division, which Sunbelt acquired. It continues to operate in Wilmington as Sunbelt Filmwerks, while the structures division continues to operate as Filmwerks, with more than 70 employees.

“At Filmwerks, I focus on steering our visionary course in the dynamic event structures sector. With a robust background as president and board member of ETP North America and previously as founder and CEO of EVENTEQ, I’ve honed expertise in team motivation and strategic leadership, guiding our organization through innovative ventures and sustainable growth. Before Filmwerks, I was a board member and president of North America at ETP, one of North America’'s largest collective AV companies. I joined ETP as a result of its acquisition of EVENTEQ, a mid-Atlantic-based AV company I founded in 2007,” Singh said.

CURRENT FILMWERKS PROJECTS: F1 Miami, Superbowl, NFL, Amazon Thursday Night Football, Fox Big Noon Kickoff and the U.S. Open.

by DARIA

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AMATO

the end of next year.

The emergency department expansion will feature additional beds and vertical care chairs, intended to improve workflow and enhance care.

Other renovations in the master facility plan include expansion of Dosher’s hospital lab and pharmacy as well as renovations of its Oak Island and Long Beach Road primary care clinics, which have been finished.

The primary care clinics’ expansion includes additional exam rooms for providers to address the area’s growing population.

This year, Dosher’s therapy department members were certified in LSVT BIG and LOUD, physical and speech therapy services designed to support patients with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions to encourage greater independence and enhanced quality of life.

Looking ahead, the hospital is working to expand the BIG and LOUD program in 2025 through the certification of additional therapists.

INDUSTRY VOICE: Stanley was recently appointed to the American Hospital Association’s Rural Health Services Committee. This group represents the AHA’s small, rural and criticalaccess hospital members by participating in advocacy, policy and resource development, with a focus on strategic opportunities that help ensure access to high-quality health care in rural communities.

BRYAN THOMAS

CEO & PRESIDENT, MONTEITH CONSTRUCTION

ELECTED OFFICIALS UPDATE

hile elected government officials were not included in the WilmingtonBiz 100, they without a doubt have a large impact on the community. Here are some updates from activity in 2024.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY New Hanover County broke ground on Project Grace in February, marking a milestone for the $56 million redevelopment of the downtown library branch and the Cape Fear Museum. The library is expected to open next year while the Cape Fear Museum is slated to open in early 2026.

Bryan Thomas was appointed president and CEO of Monteith Construction in 2022. He’s worked for the company for over 25 years, rising from assistant superintendent to his current top role.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Thomas leads Monteith’s long-term strategic planning and oversees operations at the company’s five offices across the Carolinas and its self-perform companies Grey Interiors and Citadel Masonry.

Monteith is a leading design/build firm in the Wilmington area. Notable projects include the company’s work on Project Grace, an ongoing expansion and renovation at Wilmington International Airport along with work on Proximity Carolina Beach, a mixed-use project from Cape Fear Development. Other recently completed projects include Building 4 on the Live Oak

This year, the county also committed $3.3 million in economic incentives to fund the expansion of the Wilmington Trade Center, an industrial park on U.S. 421. Once complete, the master-planned park will have 13 buildings, ranging from 84,000 to 1 million square feet.

New Hanover County worked to extend water and sewer infrastructure into previously unserved parts of the county. This year also saw the completion of the county’s new Board of Elections facility and the launch

Bank campus, SPARK Academy’s Early Childhood Development Center and Commodore Club at Wrightsville Yacht Club. The company has witnessed strong year-overyear growth in 2024 with the firm projected to end the year with the highest annual volume and backlog in company history. Thomas attributes the firm’s growth to its pursuit of partnership opportunities and a diverse portfolio across industries and asset classes. The company’s expansion into new parts of the Carolinas has also helped fuel growth. Monteith, for example, opened a new office in the Triad earlier this year.

EMPLOYEE OWNED: Thomas helped guide Monteith into a new chapter this year as a 100% employee-owned firm with the adoption of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan and Trust. The company currently employs 165 people.

of efforts to update the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

CITY OF WILMINGTON This year, the city of Wilmington finished moving employees into Skyline Center, its new campus at 929 N. Front St. City officials sold off several surplus properties in and around downtown Wilmington and leased unused space in Skyline Center to various tenants, including Canadian rapid manufacturing and prototyping firm Protocase.

KENNETH WALDROUP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAPE FEAR PUBLIC UTILITY AUTHORITY

With 27 years of experience in the water industry, Kenneth Waldroup was named CFPUA’s executive director in 2021. Waldroup was previously employed as assistant director at the city of Raleigh Public Utilities Department. Waldroup oversees an operating budget of more than $100 million and leads a staff of roughly 300 employees.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: CFPUA and New Hanover County are investing tens of millions of dollars in water and sewer infrastructure

across the fast-growing northern part of the county.

Locally, Waldroup also touts the agreement finalized this past summer between CFPUA and the town of Wrightsville Beach to consolidate Wrightsville Beach’s water and sewer systems into CFPUA’s, providing $23.5 million in improvements to the town’s water and sewer infrastructure.

In 2025, CFPUA is preparing to undertake the largest capital project in the organization’s history with the replacement of the more than 50-year-old Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant located on River Road.

In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the first federal regulations for PFAS in drinking water. CFPUA was ahead of the new regulations, having addressed PFAS contamination in the Cape Fear River since 2016 and

The city solidified plans to upfit the new campus with a proposed customer service center, council chambers and upgrades to security and other building operations.

In addition, Wilmington leaders continued work on the city’s Greater Downtown Area Plan with a series of public outreach events. The plan will outline a vision for the 18 neighborhoods around downtown.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY In 2024, Brunswick County navigated the impacts of Potential Tropical Cyclone No. 8, issuing updates during the storm and coordinating with officials in its aftermath. The storm dropped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of the county, causing flooding that closed roads and damaged property.

Brunswick County leaders took actions earlier this year to absorb and

investing $46 million to add granular activated carbon filters to the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant.

NATIONAL BOARD: In September, Waldroup was elected to the board of directors of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, which works with the leadership of the nation’s largest public water systems to develop water policy recommendations.

Jack Watson joined the university’s College of Health and Human Services in June 2023 with 16 years of administrative experience. The college is the

rezone nearly 2,000 acres formerly part of Southport’s Exterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) that were relinquished into the county by the N.C. General Assembly.

County leaders also invested in the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park, approving the purchase of more land, a new water tank and water and sewer systems improvements. India-based manufacturer Epsilon Advanced Materials announced plans last fall to invest $650 million in a 1.5 millionsquare-foot facility in the industrial

largest at UNCW in terms of students.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Watson leads a growing school that is also one of the institutions at the forefront of a $22.3 million health care workforce initiative funded by the New Hanover Community Endowment focused on recruitment, training and retention of skilled health care professionals.

In December 2023, endowment officials announced that the grant would be split between the Health Care Talent Collaboration’s organizers, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Foundation. UNCW and CFCC will receive most of the sum with about $10 million slotted for each. The school is starting new graduate health

park.

PENDER COUNTY Pender County leaders broke ground this summer on a new K-8 school in Hampstead to address the area’s growth. The school is expected to accommodate up to 2,300 students and to open in fall 2027.

The county also broke ground on a new Law Enforcement Center, which includes an expanded detention center, an upgraded sheriff’s office and a modern 911 operations center. The facility is designed to meet the county’s current needs and provide flexibility for future expansion. It’s expected to be completed in fall 2026.

Pender County leaders launched efforts to update the county’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan this year. The plan called Imagine Pender 2050 is expected to be adopted in 2025.

JACK WATSON

DEAN, UNCW COLLEGE OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 INFLUENCERS

programs to meet health care needs, including for physician assistants and physical therapists.

At CHHS, current projects include creation of a new human anatomy lab at UNCW’s Veterans Hall as well as a major renovation of McNeill Hall to expand the size of its simulation learning lab and create learning labs for new doctor of physical therapy and master’s of physician assistant studies programs.

PERSONAL EDUCATION: Watson has a doctorate in educational psychology with a concentration in sport psychology and postdoctoral respecialization in counseling and school psychology from Florida State University. He received a master’s degree in sport behavior from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia.

ZACHARY WELCH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EMERGEORTHO COASTAL REGION

As executive director of EmergeOrtho’s Coastal Region, Zachary Welch manages a network of over 27 locations and more than 200 orthopedic, spine and therapy providers, along with over 600 employees.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: Welch focuses on service expansion and development for the orthopedic provider. Geographic expansion also has been a focus, including reaching into Carteret and Onslow counties. In addition, he emphasizes operational enhancements, particularly

in scheduling systems and resource allocation, to improve efficiency and accessibility.

Welch is overseeing the implementation and integration of new Open MRI facilities, after the practice obtained certificate-of-need approval from state regulators. Opening the facilities involves coordinating with equipment suppliers, staff training and looking at seamless service delivery. Supporting ongoing clinical research initiatives and educational programs is another focus.

Looking ahead to 2025, Welch plans to introduce advanced technologies. Expansion into underserved areas also remains a priority, with Welch considering new clinic locations to address growing demand.

He also aims to strengthen ties with academic partners, enhancing research and professional development opportunities.

EXPANSION PLANS: “We are considering potential expansion into underserved areas, with the goal of meeting the market’s growing demand for orthopedic services,” Welch said. “This could involve opening new clinics in strategic locations to improve accessibility and reach more patients.”

WOODY WHITE

BOARD MEMBER, UNC BOARD OF GOVERNORS & NEW HANOVER COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT

Woody White, an attorney who owns Woody White Law Firm PLLC,

has served as a New Hanover County commissioner and state Senator. He now sits on influential governing boards at the local and state level.

WHY HE’S AN INFLUENCER: White is a member of the UNC Board of Governors, the governing body for the 17-school system that covers more than 48,000 employees and more than 240,000 students.

Over the next three fiscal quarters, White said, the UNC system “will place a number of new leaders on campuses, and I look forward to being a part of the process in choosing the next generation of leaders that will help guide some major schools in the coming years.”

White also serves on the New Hanover Community Endowment’s board, which governs the approximately $1.6 billion community fund. This year the board hired a new executive director and continued to make changes to its strategy for funding fund grants in New Hanover County.

IF YOU COULD START ANY KIND OF COMPANY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “I would start a local publication that followed the principles of old-school journalism, similar to the Free Press, that focused on objective reporting of matters facing the community.”

GWEN WHITLEY

PRESIDENT & CEO, LOWER CAPE FEAR LIFECARE

Gwen Whitley has spent over 35 years in health care in the area, moving through the nursing ranks and becoming president and

CEO of Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (LCFL) in 2016. It is one of the area’s largest nonprofits and the secondlargest hospice providers in North Carolina.

WHY SHE’S AN INFLUENCER: Whitley heads up the organization that serves 1,200 patients daily across a nine-county service area. As CEO, Whitley is the face of community engagement and outreach. She actively collaborates with health care agencies within the broad region that LCFL serves, educating about services and opportunities to expand their reach. She also forms new partnerships with hospitals that need support in their hospice and palliative care services, such as LCFL’s recent expansion to serve UNC Health Southeastern hospital in Robeson County. This fall, LCFL opened the first free-standing palliative medicine clinic in Southeastern North Carolina. The LifeCare Center for Palliative Medicine, 2250 Shipyard Blvd., began seeing patients in October. Novant Health previously housed the clinic in its Zimmer Cancer Institute but outgrew that space, and LCFL saw increased demand for the care from other local providers for their patients.

DOWN THE ROAD: Another service of LCFL is Memory Partners, which provides care, resources and support for dementia patients and their loved ones. As a longterm goal, LCFL would like to build a freestanding Memory Partners building in New Hanover County to serve as a hub of education and support for dementia patients and their caregivers. Whitley hopes to achieve this goal within three to five years.

. MARGARET WELLERSTARGELL

PRESIDENT & CEO, COASTAL HORIZONS CENTER

Margaret Weller-Stargell oversees Coastal Horizons Center’s 55-county service area and a $85 million budget. Named director in 1995, Weller-Stargell began her work in counseling at Coastal Horizons in 1985.

WHY SHE’S AN INFLUENCER: The organization she leads has expanded its footprint in North Carolina, offering evidencebased substance use, mental health, crisis intervention, justice and wellness services.

This year, the organization secured a new and larger location on Medical Center Drive for its Wilmington Health Access for Teens program, allowing it to expand its reach in providing medical and mental health services to children and adolescents.

Weller-Stargell leads all operations for behavioral and mental health services of Coastal Horizons, which has over 700 employees. She also manages an 11-member management team that oversees over 150 programs.

GOALS: To build a facility for administration to allow Coastal Horizons to expand its treatment operations in the Willie Stargell Office Park and expand its footprint to other parts of North Carolina and beyond.

Weller-Stargell also is the founder and president of the Willie Stargell Foundation. Her goal next year for the organization is to reach a milestone of providing resources for the Willie “Pops” Stargell Dialysis Unit at Novant Health, including continued purchases of state-of-the-art dialysis machines for patients.

photo by MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER

THE

INNOVATORS

THE DISRUPTORS SHAKING THINGS UP AND GETTING THE REGION TO SEE THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY

CHRIS BABCOCK • MICHAEL BRADDOCK II • BRETT CAINES • BEN CURRIN & DAVE SWEYER • MEAGHAN DENNISON • KIRK ENGLEBRIGHT • LUCY HOLMAN • JEFF JAMES • MORRIS NGUYEN • STEPHANIE NORRIS • JOSEPH PINO • CARSON PORTER • TY ROWELL • YOUSRY SAYED • DANIEL SUMMERS

MICHAEL BRADDOCK II

CEO, THE BRADDOCK GROUP & CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER, FRONTIER SCIENTIFIC SOLUTIONS

Michael Braddock II cofounded The Braddock Group, a residential and commercial real estate group. He also has a leading role with Frontier Scientific Solutions, a global cGMP temperature-controlled storage and logistic solutions provider for the life sciences and pharmaceutical industry.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Frontier Scientific Solutions in recent years has announced plans to build several temperature-controlled storage facilities catering to the life science industry.

The most recent announcement came in November when company officials said they plan to develop state-ofthe-art facilities at Wilmington International Airport (ILM) and Shannon Airport (SNN) in County Clare, Ireland.

The cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) projects, including a 500,000-square-foot facility at ILM’s business park and an initial 70,000-square-foot facility at SNN, are supported by a $1.5 billion commitment from GID, a vertically integrated real estate investor, owner, operator and developer.

The new facilities along with a direct flight between the two airports is expected to help Frontier Scientific become a disruptor in the life sciences supply chain.

Frontier Scientific Solutions’ other cold storage facility in Wilmington is on North 23rd Street.

Earlier this year, Frontier’s existing warehouse secured a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) designation to help facilitate the import of goods from customers in foreign countries.

HIRING MODE: Braddock said that Frontier Scientific Solutions officials expect to hire 75-100 people in early- to mid-2025, growing to several hundred over the multiple-phase project.

photo by MALCOLM LITTLE

CHRIS BABCOCK

CEO, APITURE

Since joining Apiture in 2019, Chris Babcock has drawn on his experience and knowledge of technology, sales and product management in guiding the young joint venture of Live Oak Bancshares and Atlantabased First Data Corp. The firm’s digital banking products aim to help smaller banks and credit unions compete with larger national financial institutions.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: In addition to refining its Digital Banking Platform’s core features for both consumer and business banking, Apiture has enhanced the platform through integrations with more than 200 other fintechs. Recently, the firm developed and introduced Data Portal, a data analysis tool that enables financial institutions to offer a more personalized digital banking experience to their customers.

Apiture uses generative AI internally to improve its employees’ efficiency and externally to enhance the solutions it provides to its clients and their end users.

AWARDS ARRAY: Apiture continues to add to its roster of recognitions. It was named a 2024 winner in Best Places to Work in Fintech by American Banker. The FinTech Futures Banking Tech Awards USA recognized Apiture as a winner in its 2024 Best Digital Banking System category and a finalist in its Best Business

Banking Solution category. The firm is also a finalist in the 2024 US Fintech Awards’ Data Initiative of the Year category.

BRETT CAINES

CEO, LUMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC.

As the co-founder and CEO of Lumos Technologies, which does business as Lumos Data, Brett Caines leads a 15-member team to accomplish the company’s mission of expanding financing for small businesses.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Caines left Live Oak Bank in 2021 to start Lumos. The company’s focus is creating more efficient, accurate and fair predictive credit risk models for small-business lenders.

Historically, financial institutions have struggled to provide small-dollar loans to small businesses while maintaining a financial return. Lumos aims to improve the efficiency of the lending process and an institution’s understanding of risk, according to Caines.

For example, the company’s flagship product, the Lumos PRIME+ scoring model, improves underwriting efficiency and provides a more accurate and fairer risk assessment for small business loans of less than $500,000.

Lumos completed a pre-seed funding round in 2022 and closed on a $2 million seed round earlier this year. The capital infusion will allow the company to expand its market presence and accelerate product

development. Today, the company has at least one Lumos product offering in approximately 100 financial institutions nationwide.

The company recently completed its predictive risk model for scoring outstanding loan portfolios of financial institutions, allowing credit teams to identify and quantify risk in a portfolio of small business loans. Lumos will fully deploy this tool to market in 2025.

PAST JOB: Before Lumos, Caines served as Live Oak Bank’s chief financial officer for 11 years.

BEN CURRIN & DAVE SWEYER

CEO/FOUNDER & COO, VANTACA

Vantaca, a cloud-based community association management software company based in Wilmington, reached major milestones this year under the leadership of CEO Ben Currin and founder and COO Dave Sweyer.

WHY THEY’RE INNOVATORS: Vantaca offers community association management companies new software tools to manage and grow their businesses. The company recently onboarded its 5 millionth “door” and launched a suite of financial services products, including Vantaca Pay, which processes hundreds of millions of electronic payment dollars. For the fourth consecutive year, Vantaca made Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing private companies.

Company leaders are working to develop the tools that will shape the future of

community management. Vantaca, for example, is focused on employing AI-enabled initiatives to increase efficiency within the industry, including the development of AI Agent capabilities.

“By leveraging cuttingedge technology, we strive to provide innovative solutions that streamline operations and enhance the value we offer to our clients,” Currin said.

In 2025, Vantaca plans to launch new products that will improve customers’ ability to capture revenue on existing services through automated billing. The company’s focus will be on expanding its capabilities, driving innovation and exploring new ways to enhance efficiency and value in the industry.

ROSTER COUNT: Vantaca currently employs 180 people.

KIRK ENGLEBRIGHT

PRESIDENT & CEO, DARK HORSE STAGES

Businessman Kirk Englebright launched Dark Horse Studios (now Dark Horse Stages) in 2020, introducing a new soundstage space to the Wilmington market in time for use by movie and TV productions.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Dark Horse Studios rebranded to Dark Horse Stages in 2024 and in November celebrated the grand opening of the third and fourth stages at its Harley Road facility. The two new stages offer a total of 40,750 square feet, doubling the facility’s

MEAGHAN DENNISON

CEO, THE FORWARD FUND

This year, Meaghan Dennison launched the Forward Fund, an organization working to empower individuals in Southeastern North Carolina to achieve upward mobility through financial support and coaching. The Forward Fund aims to pave the way for high-wage careers and inclusive economic growth across the region.

WHY SHE’S AN INNOVATOR: Last summer, while still serving as CEO of Cape Fear Collective (CFC), Dennison brought the idea of creating North Carolina’s

first-ever pay-it-forward fund to CFC’s board of directors. With the board’s support, Dennison started The Forward Fund and spun out the organization from CFC. The launch was supported by $7 million in philanthropy and impact investments, including a $3 million grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment.

Through the organization, Dennison said she hopes to meaningfully impact the trajectory of people’s lives by removing financial barriers to high-wage employment. She’s also interested in piloting opportunities for economic advancement to break generational cycles of poverty.

In the next year, The Forward Fund aims to launch its first cohort

of student-centered loans for those enrolled in electrical linework and commercial driver’s license programs at Cape Fear Community College. The organization also plans to analyze baseline data on program outcomes, iterating and scaling them to reach individuals who can’t enroll in advanced training programs due to financial barriers.

HIRING DYNAMICS: Dennison participates in local employerled collaboratives, including the Tech Talent Collaborative, Health Talent Initiative and Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership, to understand employer hiring demands and high-value, shortterm education and training programs.

footprint.

Englebright initially purchased the Harley Road property for a health care-related purpose, but after he received calls from studio executives eager to find space in the post-pandemic film boom the region was experiencing, he decided to switch gears. Through the existing soundstage and office space, Dark Horse has been the setting for a variety of filmmakers. Its inaugural client was a Hallmark Channel original holiday film, followed by projects from Paramount, according to the company’s website.

OUTSIDE PROJECTS:

Englebright owns other businesses, including Englebright & Long Holdings LLC, Mattress Capital Inc., A Goodnight Sleepstore Inc. and KME Properties LLC.

JEFF JAMES

CEO, WILMINGTON HEALTH

Jeff James has served as head of Wilmington Health, the largest independent multi-specialty physician practice in the region, since 2008.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Beyond direct patient care, James also has been involved in several corporate turnaround strategies in the health care industry.

Those include creating the first commercial Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in North Carolina, which has grown to over 130,000 members across three

states.

Innovo Research, the nation’s first clinically integrated research network, which uses clinical research as a population health tool, also now includes over 2,000 physicians and nearly 5 million patients with operations in eight states.

“We are in the process of creating a new type of health care organization we are calling a Strategic Services Organization,” James said. “This organization will be multifaceted and include several elements of a traditional health care Management Services Organization, but will expand beyond that to also include implementing population health strategically, as a competitive advantage for health systems. It will also include aligning independent physicians across the country in ACOs that maximizes the savings to the health care payor, while improving outcomes and patient engagement.”

They also are working on a national direct-toemployer strategy to “align employers with the highest performing physicians in a geography, in order to assist the employers in reducing the cost of care,” he said.

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 1,100

MORRIS

NGUYEN

FOUNDER & CEO, PREDICATE

Morris Nguyen, who graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School

and with an MBA from the university’s Ross School of Business, started Predicate in 2020.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Nguyen’s company uses its AI software platform, OpenDX, to help health care providers diagnose sepsis, a deadly infection that can often go undetected due to its array of symptoms. Nguyen said Predicate’s most significant achievement in 2024 was securing commitments for global clinical trials across seven countries and five continents ahead of schedule. “By testing our OpenDx algorithm across diverse subpopulations and clinical environments, we aim to develop a highly accurate early-warning system for sepsis,” he said. His firm is also building “the world’s first Bio-Lingual database, combining physiological data with natural language processing (NLP) to improve early detection and treatment.”

His current focus is completing the OpenDx beta, a clinical surveillance platform that combines data from a wearable vital sign sensor and an NLP engine that analyzes real-time, patient-reported symptoms to predict the onset of sepsis.

DIAGNOSING THE FUTURE: 2025 will be a transformative year for Predicate, Nguyen predicts. “We expect to complete our clinical trials, secure regulatory approvals and launch OpenDx internationally,” he said. “We will simultaneously file for FDA De Novo classification, positioning OpenDx for the U.S. market. We also have multiple adjacent patent filings in the works, further solidifying our intellectual property portfolio.”

JOSEPH PINO

SVP OF MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, NOVANT HEALTH

Joseph Pino, whose physician background is in internal medicine, is responsible in his role with Novant Health for oversight of the growth and development of clinical research; expanding training opportunities for medical students and residents; and helping to establish Novant Health as a teaching health system.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR:

This summer, Novant Health officials announced a million dollars in research grant funding to help launch two clinical trials led by Wilmingtonand Chapel Hill-based doctors.

The two $500,000 grants come from a collaborative of Novant Health, UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine. The grants will fund two studies – one focused on building a research network to address health disparities for children with asthma and another that aims to incorporate advanced imaging and radiation to improve prostate cancer survival rates.

As part of his focus on medical training, Pino helped establish a psychiatry residency program in partnership with Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune and UNC School of Medicine as well as supported the development of an orthopedic physical therapy residency in

by

partnership with the UNC School of Medicine.

He helped to plan and develop a simulation lab that opened this fall at Novant Health NHRMC to allow for training in mock operating rooms.

Current projects include developing a rural track in Burgaw for the local family medicine residency program in partnership with the UNC School of Medicine; helping to develop a PA/ NP fellowship program in partnership with the UNC School of Medicine; and developing fellowship training programs at Novant Health NHRMC.

STATEWIDE: Projects outside Southeastern North Carolina for Pino include

planning and developing residency programs at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte and expanding clinical research throughout Novant Health.

CARSON PORTER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS YOUTH SOCCER

Carson Porter, a former college championship soccer coach and player, also championed the establishment of the city of Wilmington’s nCino Sports

STEPHANIE NORRIS

OWNER, NORCO MANAGEMENT HOLDING & TERROIR DEVELOPMENT

Stephanie Norris develops affordable housing in the Wilmington area. This year, two projects developed by Norris’s firm marked major milestones.

WHY SHE’S AN INNOVATOR:

Estrella Landing, an 84-unit complex off Gordon Road, opened to residents this summer. The property is home to a range of low-income seniors, families and others earning 30%-60% of the area’s median income.

Norris submitted a tax credit application for Estrella Landing in early 2021. At the time, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic created additional obstacles to financing an affordable housing project. Eventually, Norris secured

Park, for which officials celebrated the grand opening in October.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR:

The nCino Sports Park was at least eight years in the making. “Our organization owned private land that we gave to the city of Wilmington to be developed into the nCino Sports Park. This was a $20 million project, and the end product is 11 fields, stadium lighting, artificial turf and a 3,000-square-foot building. The end result is a top-tier sports complex for the city,” Porter said.

He said officials project more than 140,000 visitors will come to the sports park each year and spend $30 million to $40 million dollars. In addition

to helping negotiate the naming rights, Porter also worked on a deal to bring EmergeOrtho on board as an official health care partner of the park.

EVEN MORE SOCCER: In 2024, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer expanded into Jacksonville. “The Jacksonville Hammerheads have 400-plus soccer players playing,” Porter said. “We have a full-time staff member dedicated to the Jacksonville project and work with staff and families to improve the playing experience throughout.” Porter oversees a staff of 13 full-time coaches and more than 20 part-time coaches. Porter said the Hammerheads organization has a partnership with the

photo

MADELINE GRAY

$8.4 million from Live Oak Bank, among other funding, to kickstart the project.

Construction also started this year on Sterling Reserve, a 56-unit complex off Carolina Beach Road. The project is geared toward low-income seniors making 30%-60% of the area’s median income. Construction of Sterling is expected to wrap up next fall. Norris aims to have the complex fully leased by May 2026.

In the meantime, Norris said she’s looking for a New Hanover County site to develop another affordable housing complex. Norris oversees virtually all aspects of developing affordable housing from site selection and funding procurement to selecting a general contractor, closing on loans and complying with all funding and financial reporting regulations.

COST BURDENED: A 2024 report from the N.C. Housing Coalition found that 35% or more than 33,000 households in New Hanover County are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

YMCA that includes nearly 4,500 youth soccer players playing soccer in the community (3,000 YMCA, 1,500 Hammerheads).

TY ROWELL

CHAIRMAN, FRIENDS OF FORT FISHER

As chairman of the Friends of Fort Fisher, Ty Rowell leads the nonprofit organization on its mission to preserve and enhance the Fort Fisher State Historic Site.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Rowell, who retired from UNCW as senior associate vice chancellor for university advancement, gives credit

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 INNOVATORS

to the state and the members of the Friends of Fort Fisher for working on the campaign for Fort Fisher’s new visitors center and reconstructed earthworks.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced in October the opening of the new $25.5 million, two-story visitors center, which had been in the works since 2010.

At 20,000 square feet, the center at 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd. South in Kure Beach is nearly three times the size of its 1965 predecessor. The center’s exhibit space encompasses centuries of regional history, from pre-colonial times through Fort Fisher’s role in World War II. Other features of the new center include a 100seat orientation theater, an expanded gift shop and a multipurpose room suitable for rentals such as banquets, wedding receptions and educational activities.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Fort Fisher protected the port of Wilmington during the Civil War until it fell to U.S. forces in January 1865.

YOUSRY SAYED

PRESIDENT & CEO, QUALITY CHEMICAL LABORATORIES

Yousry Sayed has led his team at Quality Chemical Laboratories to multiple drug development projects and the start of an injectable manufacturing facility in Wilmington.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: Quality Chemical works with the biopharmaceutical industry, providing cGMP-compliant scientific testing services. This year the Wilmington company continued to move into its 110,000-square-foot in the Northchase Industrial Park.

That expansion includes space for biotech and mass spectrometry laboratories as well as other testing areas. Its microbiology lab, to use with the company’s manufacturing and formulation services, is slated to take over remaining space in the building by next summer.

This year, Quality Chemical agreed to a development partnership with Unravel Biosciences to make clinical

trial material for use in upcoming Rett syndrome clinical trials.

“Our capabilities will allow Unravel to efficiently initiate their clinical trial programs in the US and overseas with a rapid scale-up as needed of clinical and commercial supply as the program advances,” Sayed said in the announcement.

SPREADING OUT: The expansion roughly doubled Quality Chemical’s footprint, which previously included 90,000 square feet across six buildings.

DANIEL SUMMERS

CEO, ELECTRONIC LAB LOGS

With about 20 years of experience in software engineering, Daniel Summers, along with Jeremy Sikorski, became a co-founder of Electronic Lab Logs, a company that started software development in 2017. The Wilmington startup provides a cloud-based platform for laboratory maintenance and compliance in clinical laboratory settings, replacing the use of paper logs.

WHY HE’S AN INNOVATOR: This summer, Electronic Lab Logs announced it secured a $2 million lead investment from venture capital firm Rockmont Partners.

That funding is part of a larger $3 million Series A round, which will allow the startup to grow its staff and invest in new and existing products. Lab Logs this year also closed on another $650,000 in combined funding from Greenville, South Carolina-based VentureSouth, Atlanta-based Gray Ventures and several angel investors.

Summers said that Lab Logs would use the funding to grow the company’s sales team and invest in current products along with a new product line to expand into tracking the accreditation and compliance for users.

PITCH PERFECT: Lab Logs was one of two Wilmington-area startups selected to present at CED Venture Connect in Raleigh earlier this year.

photo by MADELINE GRAY

LUCY HOLMAN

DEAN, UNCW LIBRARY

At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Lucy Holman serves as associate provost for teaching, learning and library services as well as dean of the library.

WHY SHE’S AN INNOVATOR: As libraries around the nation modernize, and uses for them change, Holman has been a leading voice for how library services are used on campus as well as their connections to the broader Wilmington community.

This year, she saw completion of a more than 80,000-square-foot library expansion. The former Randall Library – now Randall Hall – was renovated and now joins the new Discovery Hall.

The new building grew the university’s library to nearly 266,000 square feet. Discovery Hall includes an events space; a data visualization and analysis lab; a larger makerspace, recording studio and virtual reality space; a research room for the collections of the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History; and student studying and meeting areas.

Holman is currently working on development of a UNCW Scholarship portal for external researchers and the media as well as implementing a new integrated library system.

“We hope to engage the greater Wilmington community with library programming, exhibits and partnerships with local organizations and schools,” she said about future projects.

REFERENCE MATERIAL: Holman joined UNCW in 2018 after most recently serving as dean of Langsdale Library at the University of Baltimore.

THE CONNECTORS

THE REAL-WORLD NETWORKERS WHO BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TO GET THINGS DONE

RHONDA BELLAMY • LAURA BROGDON-PRIMAVERA • ROB

BURRUS • CHAKEMA CLINTON-QUINTANA • BILL EARLY • DANA FISHER • JIM FLOCK • JOHN GILLESPIE, KATE GROAT & LISA LEATH • JOHNNY GRIFFIN • CHRISTINA HALEY • KIM

HUFHAM • ALEXIS HUNTER • VELVA JENKINS • JANET KANE • KATRINA KNIGHT • SHERI LEAVENS • HEATHER MCWHORTER

• CAMERON MOORE • TRACEY & GIRARD NEWKIRK • YOLANDA POLLARD • BERNICE SANDERS JOHNSON • SCOTT

SATTERFIELD • SANDY SPIERS • BARNES SUTTON • LYDIA

THOMAS • LINDA THOMPSON • STEVE UNGER & GENE MERRITT • CYNTHIA WALSH • CIERRA WASHINGTON • HEATHER WILSON • LANDON ZIMMER

RHONDA BELLAMY

PRESIDENT & CEO, ARTS COUNCIL OF WILMINGTON & NEW HANOVER COUNTY

As its founding executive director, Rhonda Bellamy has led the arts council since 2012.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: In 2024, Bellamy completed a two-year term as chair of Arts NC, a statewide arts advocacy organization. The council administers two grants on behalf of the N.C. Arts Council, including the Grassroots Arts Program Grant (for New Hanover County organizations) and Artist Support Grants (for artists in New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, Columbus and Bladen counties). In addition, the council received a $200,000 grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment to pass on through subgrants to New Hanover County arts organizations.

This year, the council also rebranded the Wilmington Arts Summit to the Southeast Arts Summit, a two-day conference for arts leaders that was expanded to include the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia. The local organization also oversaw the commissioning of exterior artwork for the Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic on Greenfield Street.

REASON FOR APPLAUSE: The council presented the 11th Wilmington Theater Awards on March 20. The awards program featured nominations in 21 categories

from more than a dozen production companies in Southeastern North Carolina.

LAURA BROGDONPRIMAVERA

VP OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, WILMINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Laura BrogdonPrimavera developed the chamber’s Career and Leadership Development Academy for local seventh-grade students.

WHY SHE’S A

CONNECTOR:

The program served 1,800 children in 2024, and one of Brogdon-Primavera’s future projects is to scale the Career and Leadership Development Academy (CLDA) so it can also be offered to older students.

The program started a couple of years ago with 43 seventh-graders and then 88 students, before expanding to its current size with the help of $2.8 million in state funding. The 10-month program allows kids to explore local career clusters at no cost to the students.

The chamber and the CLDA were awarded the 2024 Association in Leadership Programs Excellence in Innovation Award. The recognition “celebrates outstanding creativity, uniqueness, and impact within community leadership programs. The Career and Leadership Development Academy was selected for its groundbreaking approach to bridging the gap between traditional education and real-world career preparation, directly addressing the critical need

for a skilled workforce in the Wilmington, North Carolina area,” according to a news release.

Also because of her work with the CLDA, Brogdon-Primavera was chosen to participate in the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s prestigious Education and Workforce Fellowship Program. “This program is designed to equip leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and trade associations with the resources and networks necessary to tackle critical education and workforce challenges,” a release stated.

OTHER CHAMBER PROJECTS INVOLVING BROGDONPRIMAVERA: Leadership Wilmington and Work on Wilmington

ROB BURRUS

DEAN, UNCW CAMERON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Rob Burrus is responsible for all matters related to the Cameron School of Business budget, programs, personnel, fundraising and curriculum.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR: Burrus leads an institution that has an all-time enrollment high of nearly 3,200 students, and the school recently completed a five-year strategic plan.

Burrus became dean in 2015, having joined UNCW’s faculty in 1998. Prior to taking on the dean role, Burrus was interim dean, associate dean of undergraduate studies and the chair of the department of economics

and finance. Burrus earned a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics from Wake Forest University. This year, he was named Dean of the Year by the University Sales Center Alliance.

GOALS AND PLANS: “The Cameron School plans to greatly expand student involvement in business consultancy over the next three years,” Burrus said. He also said the CSB is working on plans to expand the home of the business school, Cameron Hall, in the near future.

CHAKEMA CLINTONQUINTANA

DIRECTOR, CHANNEL

Chakema ClintonQuintana has been leading Live Oak Bank’s small business center, Channel, since its founding in 2021.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR:

Channel promotes inclusive business, supporting entrepreneurs with an emphasis on minorityowned businesses. ClintonQuintana counts among her responsibilities: providing guidance and execution in the development of comprehensive incentive and engagement programs to diversify the city’s economy; focusing on strengthening and supporting inclusive small business growth in the community through research, job creation programs, capital

CHRISTINA HALEY

PRESIDENT & CEO, WILMINGTON DOWNTOWN INC.

Christina Haley earned a promotion to lead the economic development agency Wilmington Downtown Inc. in June.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Haley has a hand in many aspects of downtown Wilmington’s economic health. In 2024, she led the creation and release of a request for proposals to select a contractor for an economic impact study of city-owned venues Live Oak Bank Pavilion, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater and the Wilmington Convention Center. The second portion of the study will assess hotel needs in the Central Business District and evaluate a cityowned site for redevelopment as a hotel, Haley said. She also serves on the city of Wilmington’s strategic planning committee to support development and initiatives within the greater downtown area and on the Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau’s strategic planning committee, contributing to the long-term vision for the county through its 10-year master planning effort. She is also leading the expansion of the downtown holiday lighting display, with long-term planning for the continuation and growth of the initiative through 2026.

LOOKING AT THE FUTURE: A goal is to “finalize our comprehensive overview of downtown development progress, ongoing projects and opportunities for future growth,” she said.

photo by MADELINE GRAY

JOHN GILLESPIE , KATE GROAT & LISA LEATH

CO-CHAIRS, TECH TALENT

COLLABORATIVE

John Gillespie is chief technology officer for MegaCorp Logistics. Kate Groat is director of corporate philanthropy for Live Oak Bank. And Lisa Leath is chief people officer for Vantaca. Together they served as co-chairs of the local Tech Talent Collaborative, a consortium of about two dozen employers.

WHY THEY’RE CONNECTORS: The Tech Talent Collaborative launched to build a pipeline of skilled technology professionals, a necessity if the area is to continue to attract technology and other businesses, Leath said. The group identified the most-needed technology jobs locally: front-end and back-end software engineers,

allocation, mentorship and programming; supporting economic development programs and partnering with local business, academic, government and nonprofit community development activities; and designing programs to support minority-owned small businesses in the area.

RECOGNITION AND TRAINING:

In January, ClintonQuintana completed the certification for NC IDEA’s Certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator designation and Leadership for Inclusive Communities in partnership with the YWCA USA. She received the 2022 New Hanover County Equity Award for

Business and the 2022 JC Community Award.

BILL EARLY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRUNSWICK BUSINESS & INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

With more than three decades of economic development experience, Bill Early is at the helm of Brunswick Business & Industry Development (BID), an organization that aims to recruit new businesses

data engineers and Salesforce administrators. It also pinpointed the skills tech employees need to perform those jobs.

The collaborative is using both traditional and nontraditional educational paths to grow Wilmington’s tech talent pool and ensure its future tech personnel needs are met.

One program the collaborative has brought to the area is Stiegler EdTech’s Careers in Technology Apprenticeship Cohort (CTAC). CTAC provides expedited, high-quality tech training.

OFFERINGS: Stiegler EdTech launched its first Wilmington-based CTAC in May, according to collaborative officials.

The 24-week paid training initiative received over 800 applications for just 35 seats, providing participants with a $17,000 stipend and a curriculum tailored to local employer needs.

and keep existing ones in Brunswick County.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR : Last year, Brunswick County witnessed one of the largest economic development announcements in the region’s history when India-based firm Epsilon Advanced Materials announced its plans to invest $650 million in a 1.5-million-square-foot facility that would produce graphite for lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries. Early played a leading role in bringing Epsilon to the area. The project planned for the county’s Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park is expected to create 500 new jobs in Brunswick

County.

Over this past year, Early has worked with Epsilon to finalize its site plans and engineering and to submit permit applications needed for the project. Brunswick County has taken steps to ensure the site meets Epsilon’s infrastructure needs, including the expansion of the industrial park’s water tower and the extension of water and sewer service.

Brunswick BID is also working with a private developer to expand industrial space within the International Logistics Park, a megasite in Brunswick and Columbus counties. The organization has

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 CONNECTORS

long advocated for the construction of speculative buildings to help meet industry needs in Brunswick County.

ROOM TO GROW: Even with the planned Epsilon facility, roughly 950 acres remain available for development in the county’s Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park.

DANA FISHER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORTH BRUNSWICK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

As the top executive and only employee of the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, Dana Fisher supports

the business community across northern Brunswick County. The chamber’s primary service area includes Belville, Leland, Navassa, Northwest, Sandy Creek, Town Creek and Winnabow.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: In her role, Fisher organizes ribbon cuttings, business networking and other events that give Brunswick County residents and business owners the chance to make connections.

Fisher runs all of the chamber’s day-today operations, doing everything from billing chamber members and preparing tax forms to putting on events. She also leads the chamber’s member recruitment efforts and helps facilitate sessions for Leadership Brunswick County.

The organization’s mission is to lead and advance the economic development of the area and promote business activity that enhances the quality of life for all residents. The chamber also has a 15-member board of directors.

Fisher plays an active role in promoting Brunswick County as a member of tourism boards for both Brunswick County and the town of Leland. She also sits on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern North Carolina and volunteers with several other organizations.

Fisher is already looking ahead to 2025 as she works to plan chamber events and budget for the organization.

HOUSING HELP: If Fisher

could start any business or organization, she would provide housing for the less fortunate in the Cape Fear region.

JIM FLOCK

GENERAL MANAGER, HSM MACHINE WORKS

Jim Flock oversees the daily operations of HSM Machine Works at its Leland factory. The company manufactures highly complex, closetolerance components for fighter jet and military helicopter landing gear. Flock also plays an active role in convening the area’s manufacturing sector and promoting workforce

development.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR:

In 2020, Flock served as a founding member of the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership and, since then, has chaired the organization’s steering committee.

The partnership was formed to address industry-wide challenges in improving and growing the manufacturing workforce in Southeastern North Carolina. Flock led efforts to launch the partnership and has helped grow its membership to about 70 companies. Because of his work with the manufacturing partnership, Flock was elected chairman of the Cape Fear Workforce Development Board in 2021, a position he still holds today.

Earlier this year, Flock was invited to attend the annual National Association of Workforce Boards conference in Washington, D.C. There, he informed a national audience about the manufacturing partnership’s work in the Cape Fear region. He also has advised other workforce organizations in several states about how to form their own partnerships.

At HSM Machine Works, Flock is working to integrate several new products into the company’s work scope along with developing several new experimental prototypes for one of the company’s leading defense contractors.

FUTURE GROWTH: Flock wants to see the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership expand its influence in the coming years, growing into a statewide or even national organization.

SANDY SPIERS

SVP & MARKET PRESIDENT, FIRST NATIONAL BANK

In her banking role, Sandy Spiers leads the commercial team in Southeastern North Carolina and serves as market president for First National Bank (FNB). The bank employs more than 60 people locally.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Spiers also has worked with and led many volunteer organizations in the community, often serving as board chair. She was the first female chair for the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation and the Cameron School of Business advisory board.

She also has chaired events for other local nonprofits, including the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball and Heart Walk as well as hospice, JDRF, and The Children’s Museum of Wilmington events.

Spiers currently is involved with Beacon Education/ GLOW Academy, StepUp Wilmington, Meals on Wheels and the UNCW Foundation.

MENTORING MAVEN: Spiers has spent countless hours mentoring in the area. She has volunteered with both the Cameron Executive Network and WILMA in their mentoring programs since 2001. “I love guiding young students and business professionals as they begin to work on leaving their footprint in their career of choice,” she said, “while helping them navigate challenges they may face, and to offer guidance to maintain a manageable work/life balance.”

JOHNNY GRIFFIN

DIRECTOR, WILMINGTON REGIONAL FILM COMMISSION

Johnny Griffin may be a one-person operation at the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, but that doesn’t diminish the effectiveness of his organization. His efforts over the past 25 years have ensured that film activity continues to have a major impact on the local economy.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR: While success in the film industry has often been attributed to a “Who you know, not what you know” culture, Griffin has both.

A Certified Film Commissioner, he has helped make Wilmington a film destination because of his deep knowledge of the industry, his familiarity with Southeastern North Carolina and his extensive contacts at film studios, the state legislature and film hubs throughout the state. Working from his office on the Cinespace Studios lot, Griffin connects producers with opportunities and resources, including the N.C. Film Grant Program.

ON THE UPSWING: After strikes halted many film projects in 2023, Griffin helped attract several to the area once activity resumed.

Among the productions this past year: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Merv, The Waterfront and The Runarounds . Total local spending by film projects as of this fall was about $200 million.

KIM HUFHAM

PRESIDENT & CEO, WILMINGTON AND BEACHES CVB

Kim Hufham has worked for the CVB for more than 30 years and this year is working on the first-ever 10-year Tourism Master Plan (TMP) for New Hanover County. The TMP “will align the direction and responsible development of tourism with the community’s needs. The process will include individual community tourism plans for our island beaches,” Hufham said.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Hufham acts as a liaison between visitors and

businesses that provide goods and services to the tourism industry, a spokesperson for the impact and importance of tourism in New Hanover County and an advocate for local and state tourism.

She is currently focused on Wilmington Riverwalk holiday lighting and events promotion; a Wilmington Riverwalk wayfinding/ signage study; new strategies to increase meetings and sports events; and the continuation of the CVB’s out-of-state awareness campaign.

Hufham sits on the N.C. Travel Industry Association Board of Directors.

TOURISM STATS: Visitor spending in New Hanover County topped $1.1 billion in 2023, Hufham noted. Room occupancy tax collections also saw another recordbreaking fiscal year at nearly

$25 million, and tourism employment was up 3% for 2023 (6,790 jobs).

ALEXIS HUNTER

COMMUNITY LIAISON, WILMINGTON HEALTH

In her role at Wilmington Health, Alexis Hunter fosters connections between the independent physician group and the public, focusing on business development and community outreach.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: She has played a role in Wilmington Health’s growth, particularly through projects such as expanding

the Wilmington Health Direct Service Line, a program helping regional employers find direct access to care for employees.

Hunter also focuses on community events, such as the Ironman 70.3 North Carolina, of which Wilmington Health is the race’s official medical partner, and Hunter leads efforts for three medical tents throughout the course. In addition to her work at Wilmington Health, Hunter is involved in leadership roles in the community. She is president-elect for the Lower Cape Fear Human Resources Association, is a Wilmington Chamber of Commerce board member, sits on the WILMA Leadership Advisory Board and serves as the celebrations committee chair for the Leadership Wilmington class of 2024.

EARLY ROLE: Hunter joined Wilmington Health two weeks after the pandemic started in 2020, and her first project in her role was to bring COVID testing to the area’s film industry.

VELVA

JENKINS

PRESIDENT & CEO, YWCA LOWER CAPE FEAR

Velva Jenkins leads an organization that’s evolving with the addition of new programs and the expansion of its reach to more members of the community.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: In her role, she oversees all YWCA sustainable

programs and community outreach programs that empower and advocate for women and people of color. Those programs include the Grandparent Support Network, New Choices Economic Empowerment, Early Parenthood Program and What’s Wrong with Different, Early Childcare Development and Aquatics. She is responsible for grants and identifying long-term financial security for the YWCA. Currently, she manages a $2.2 million budget, and the YWCA has 3,500 members.

The YWCA partnered with New Hanover County Schools and the YMCA for the Schools in Pools Initiative, which teaches swimming and water safety to second graders. The program successfully served 13 schools in 2024, Jenkins said. “In the next year, the partnership plans to expand

SHERI LEAVENS

ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STUDENT SUCCESS AND ACADEMIC ADVISING, UNCW CHHS

Sheri Leavens is part of the leadership team at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s College of Health and Human Services.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Leavens implements programs and services for about 5,000 students in the School of Nursing; School of Social Work; and School of Health and Applied Human Sciences. She oversees two Student Advising Success Centers and Pre-Health Programs while supporting college recruitment efforts, campus orientation, student advising and instruction. She also leads a team of 27.

Her key contributions include mentoring entry-level advisers, teaching 200 students annually and securing annual grant funding of over

to all elementary schools,” she said.

The YWCA also graduated its first class of Leadership for Inclusive Communities, a program for senior leaders in the nonprofit, public and business sectors.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN: The YWCA has secured over $4.1 million towards a $9.8 million goal. The funding will be used to enhance the organization’s Health and Wellness Aquatic Center and to sustain outreach programs, Jenkins said.

JANET KANE CEO, CAPE FEAR REALTORS

Janet Kane began leading the region’s largest Realtors’ association, Wilmingtonbased Cape Fear Realtors (CFR), in 2024.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Kane and CFR have helped association members navigate multiple changes introduced to the real estate industry this year as a result of lawsuit settlements over commissions and other practices, providing free training to help them understand the new policies.

She said she’s also fostered strong relationships with CFR association alliances, including the Business Alliance for a Sound Economy, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association. CURRENT PROJECTS: CFR is collaborating with nonprofit

$200,000 for the CHHS to promote recruitment, exposure, retention and community engagement in health care careers through workshops and resources.

She also co-authored a $2.5 million scholarship program for nursing students and oversees six health care pipeline/pathway initiatives for the CHHS and

Southeastern North Carolina.

COMMUNITY TIES: Off campus, Leavens is co-founder of 3LW, Three Ladies in Wilmington, to create casual but meaningful opportunities for Black professionals in the area. She also serves in local board roles for the WILMA Leadership Advisory Board and the Willie Stargell Foundation.

BERNICE SANDERS JOHNSON

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, CFPUA

Bernice Sanders Johnson has worked at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority since the agency opened in 2008. Before joining CFPUA, she served as a project manager for New Hanover County.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR:

As a senior project manager in CFPUA’s engineering department, her primary role is to review commercial and residential subdivision plans submitted by engineers on behalf of developers. She also works with internal and external customers, developers and engineers to determine whether CFPUA water and sewer services are available to their property. Her tasks often includes working with New Hanover County and various CFPUA departments daily to research and answer water and sewer questions.

This year, she helped implement the Rockhill Residential Connection Pilot Program to extend water service to many of the residents in the Rockhill Road neighborhood.

COMMUNITY TIES: Sanders Johnson graduated from the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Wilmington program.

She also was appointed to the N.C. Azalea Festival’s board and is involved with groups such as Beta Sigma Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and the Wilmington chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc.

Cape Fear Collective on an updated housing affordability study to help elected officials make “sound decisions on housing assistance and ways to improve housing attainability.” Additionally, Kane serves as the corporate secretary for Wilmington Realtors Foundation, which was recently awarded $1.2 million from the New Hanover Community Endowment to develop a workforce housing project, Pierson Pointe.

KATRINA KNIGHT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER

For the past 20 years, Katrina Knight has led the evolution of Wilmington’s Good Shepherd Center. The organization serves as a safety net for those in crisis, providing food, housing and medical care to hundreds facing homelessness each year.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Knight oversees Good Shepherd’s efforts across three sites to link homeless individuals and families with the needed resources.

She’s also led the creation of SECU Lakeside Reserve, a supportive housing community geared toward chronically homeless individuals with significant disabilities. In late 2024, the Good Shepherd Center breaks ground on another 32 units of supportive housing on the site of a former fire station on Carolina Beach Road.

Knight heads up the organization’s multimillion-dollar Home for Good Campaign, which will help fund a family shelter, expanded homeless services campus and up to 30 new housing units planned for 812 Martin St. Knight also sits on the City/County Workforce Housing Advisory Committee, which recommends strategies to ensure housing access for those earning up to 120% of the Area Median Income.

HOUSING TRUST: Since 2004, Knight has advocated for the creation of a local housing trust fund. The fund allows communities to leverage private and public support to preserve and develop affordable housing. Wilmington is the only “sizable community” in North Carolina without a housing trust, according to Knight.

HEATHER

MCWHORTER

DIRECTOR, UNCW CIE

Heather McWhorter served as interim director for a year before being named to the permanent Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) director position in July 2022.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: McWhorter strives to connect entrepreneurs with resources and ideas and help make Wilmington an innovation hub. Her primary director responsibilities include entrepreneur services development and capacity building; entrepreneur

advising and consulting; community and team leadership; strategic planning and sustainability; and funding strategy.

UNCW won a University Economic Development Association Award of Excellence after McWhorter submitted “Climate Change and Coastal Resiliency –Turning Knowledge to Action.”

McWhorter’s submission showcased UNCW’s impact through initiatives such as the Alliance for the Blue Economy, the Ocean Innovation Conference, Idea Test Lab and NC EcoTech, the release stated.

This summer, McWhorter earned the highest level of certification for those in her field: Entrepreneurship Center Management, or ECM, from the International Business Innovation Association.

YEAR OF OUTREACH: The CIE worked with more than 175 entrepreneurs this year through programs, events and mentoring.

CAMERON MOORE

EXECUTIVE OFFICER, WILMINGTONCAPE FEAR HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

Cameron Moore has been the executive officer for the WCFHBA since 2014.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR: Moore manages the notfor-profit trade group and is responsible for day-today association leadership and governance, member services, finance, staff supervision, association

community event planning, marketing and legislative and regulatory affairs. With just four employees, the organization is the fourth-largest HBA in the United States. WCFHBA is also the second-largest group of its kind in North Carolina and the largest in Southeastern North Carolina.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Moore helped shape the state’s first stormwater permit transfer process and is currently a New Hanover County Planning Board member. He has been an American Institute Certified Planner since 2008 and is a certified continuing education teacher for the N.C. Licensing Board for General Contractors.

GIRARD & TRACEY NEWKIRK

CO-FOUNDERS, GENESIS BLOCK

Girard and Tracey Newkirk lead the day-to-day operations of Genesis Block Labs, a business incubator they cofounded in 2019. Genesis Block supports small business owners, entrepreneurs and startups with a focus on ventures led by minorities and women.

WHY THEY’RE CONNECTORS: Through Genesis Block, the Newkirks help create pathways for underrepresented entrepreneurs to realize their dreams of small business ownership.

Current programs include the Block Academy and its Jumpstart Academy Cohorts, the Block Eatz food incubator on Cape

“Most of my time and effort during the year focused on connecting with UNCW WILMINGTONBIZ 100 CONNECTORS

Fear Community College’s north campus and Conversations to Contracts, an event that gives small and diverse-owned businesses opportunities to commercialize their products and services.

Tracey Newkirk oversees the operations of Genesis Block Foundation, a nonprofit advancing entrepreneurship in underprivileged communities. In the next year, the foundation will help stand-up programming for the Block Eatz food incubator in partnership with Genesis Block and CFCC. In 2025, Genesis Block also plans to establish pop-up shops for microbusinesses in downtown Wilmington.

In addition to their leadership at Genesis Block, the Newkirks sit on various community boards, including the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Alliance. Tracey Newkirk is also a founding member of the N.C. Network of Incubator Kitchens.

BUILDING A PIPELINE: Genesis Block has secured a contract with the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights to build a pipeline of diverse contractors for the department’s District 3, an area encompassing much of Southeastern North Carolina.

YOLANDA POLLARD

DIRECTOR, UNCW SWAIN CENTER

In 2024, Yolanda Pollard completed her first year as a leader in a higher education setting with UNCW, following more than 25 years in power industry roles with GE and Entergy Corp.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Pollard leads a team of professionals and expert facilitators who design and deliver leadership development programs and consulting services for businesses and organizations in the region.

CIERRA WASHINGTON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORTHSIDE FOOD CO-OP

Cierra Washington leads efforts to bring a grocery store to the longtime food desert on Wilmington’s Northside. Washington worked with the co-op as a volunteer before joining the organization full time in 2021. The next year, she was appointed to its top role.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Washington’s work revolves around fostering connections across the Northside community in an effort to promote food access in the area. The co-op holds regular events on the Northside, including Frankie’s Outdoor Market and Northside Community Dinners.

Washington has also worked directly with local government leaders to secure the funding and land needed to make the food co-op a reality. Earlier this year, New Hanover County leaders approved an agreement outlining the county’s commitment to financially supporting the food co-op’s launch and early years of operation. The co-op also secured a $6.8 million grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment this year, and the city of Wilmington donated land for the future grocery store in 2022.

Food co-op leaders recently partnered with seven roots, a consulting team that will provide design and operational expertise as the grocery store develops. The co-op kicked off the development process this summer with a series of community listening sessions.

IN THE WORKS: The Northside Food Co-op aims to complete designs for its grocery store by the end of the year and break ground on the project next spring with completion scheduled for 2026.

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 CONNECTORS

stakeholders and Swain Center’s current and potential client base,” Pollard said. “I’ve enjoyed site tours to learn about local business operations and time well spent simply getting to know community leaders through conversations over coffee. Many of these leaders attended the annual Economic Outlook Conference organized and hosted by Swain Center in October to hear from regional, national and international economists.”

FUTURE PROJECT: “For 2025, I’m excited about the opportunity to build on the foundation of leadership programming offered at Swain Center, to include additional strategic planning, executive coaching and operational effectiveness projects that support businesses and organizations across the region,” Pollard said.

SCOTT SATTERFIELD

CEO, WILMINGTON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Since 1995, Scott Satterfield has been at the helm of Wilmington Business Development, an organization that leads the recruitment of new businesses to the greater Wilmington area and works to retain and grow existing employers.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR:

Satterfield helps guide prospective companies through the site selection process, provides industrial expansion and relocation services and acts as a liaison between businesses and local government leaders. This year, Satterfield helped bring Protocase, a Canadian rapid manufacturing and prototyping firm, to the area. The firm selected Wilmington for its U.S. headquarters and its first-ever expansion. Protocase officials are working to establish

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 CONNECTORS

offices downtown, and within five years, the company plans to build a manufacturing facility that could employ about 400 people.

Wilmington Trade Center, a master-planned industrial park from Edgewater Ventures, also secured $3.3 million in incentives from New Hanover County this year to support its continued expansion along U.S. 421. The growing industrial park will serve as a recruitment tool for Wilmington Business Development, helping the group attract new companies and grow others with an existing presence in the Cape Fear region.

SITE SPOTLIGHT: This year, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina identified Holly Shelter Business Park in Castle Hayne as one of the state’s top 15 industrial sites under 1,000 acres. Sites identified in the Selectsite Readiness Program Report could receive increased development and marketing support from the state and the economic development partnership.

LYDIA THOMAS PROGRAM MANAGER, UNCW CIE

As program manager at UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Lydia Thomas focuses on connecting businesspeople with each other and the public.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: This year, Thomas worked on the Ocean Innovation Conference, which drew over 300 attendees and focused on fostering innovation in sustainable ocean technology. It featured keynote speakers, panel talks, an innovation fair and networking events. Next year, she plans to work on the Ocean Innovation Conference’s expansion to increased national and international attendance to

BARNES SUTTON

ECONOMIC

& COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, TOWN OF LELAND

Barnes Sutton leads efforts to plan and implement initiatives that promote economic, community and tourism development in the town of Leland.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR: Sutton’s role involves forging relationships with business leaders, industrial developers and community organizations. He serves as the point of contact for businesses and industries looking to establish themselves or grow in the Leland area.

This year, the town of Leland put a particular focus on attracting businesses in the life science and medical technology sectors. The town’s strategic plan identifies both sectors as opportunities to bring high-paying, quality jobs to the area. Sutton organized and hosted the town’s inaugural Life Science and Medical Technology Summit in April. The industry-specific focus appears to be paying off. Sutton said he recently helped a manufacturer in the marine biology sector expand into Leland.

Sutton is also overseeing efforts from the Leland Tourism Development Authority to update the town’s Tourism Development Strategic Plan, which will help guide future investments in placemaking and marketing to promote Leland. Those efforts aim to help the town attract and retain visitors and businesses alike.

Looking ahead, Sutton wants to expand the town’s capabilities to support entrepreneurs and business development.

LELAND CALL OUT: Sutton said people should know Trish Farnham, the community organizer behind the nonprofit We Live Here Leland. The group aims to improve the area through neighborhood clean-ups, tree plantings and promoting neighborhood connectivity.

highlight the state’s Blue Economy hub.

She also created EcoInnovate Weekend, a startup weekend for a range of groups – students, retirees and startup owners – interested in sustainability and entrepreneurship to foster creative solutions to climate issues.

Thomas launched and ran two cohorts of an earlystage accelerator called Idea Test Lab to push forward ideas and help founders. One cohort included 10 female founders/women-intech, and the other cohort included nine bluetech/ climatetech founders.

$10,000 was awarded to six of the entrepreneurs across the cohorts.

IN THE ROUND: Thomas implemented and facilitated the Wilmington Founders Roundtable for later-stage startups to have a space to discuss challenges of being a founder.

LINDA THOMPSON

CHIEF DIVERSITY & EQUITY OFFICER, NEW HANOVER COUNTY

In 2020, Linda Thompson became chief diversity and equity officer at the thennewly formed NHC Office of Diversity and Equity, after a long stint working in community and media relations for the Wilmington Police Department.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: The mission of Thompson’s office is “to promote an inclusive and fair work environment and build a culture and community where employees and residents are respected, valued, and understood

for their own identities,” according to the county’s website as of November.

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS: The office continued its Equity Awards event in 2024 to highlight and honor individuals in the region for their efforts in expanding and elevating equity and diversity. Additionally, New Hanover County hosted Cape Fear MED Week, the local program of the national initiative, Minority Enterprise Development Week. In November, the office’s web page highlighted events marking the 126th anniversary of Wilmington’s 1898 Massacre.

STEVE UNGER & GENE MERRITT

CO-FOUNDERS, EASTERN CAROLINA RAIL

Steve Unger and Gene Merritt are Wilmington entrepreneurs who are working together to promote the return of passenger rail service to the Port City through Eastern Carolina Rail, a nonprofit organization.

WHY THEY’RE CONNECTORS: Unger and Merritt want to connect Wilmington to Raleigh via passenger rail as a way to not only provide public transportation but also boost the economies of the cities and towns on the route. Eastern Carolina Rail has hosted a series of public events on the topic in Eastern North Carolina as Unger and Merritt work to help secure additional federal and state funding.

Unger is an athletics management professional with fundraising and journalism experience. He

photo by TERAH HOOBLER

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 CONNECTORS

runs TopAds advertising agency and is active in the local soccer community as a referee, coach and clinician. He is also a yoga and wellness instructor with a variety of local organizations, including O2 Fitness and YMCA. Merritt, who owns GMC Real Estate, is a developer, appraiser, broker and economic development consultant. His past accomplishments include leading efforts to extend Interstate 40 to Wilmington in the 1980s.

MAKING PROGRESS: The project for which Unger and Merritt are advocating has some financial backing already. A proposed route that would follow the N.C. Railroad Company lines, running between Raleigh and Goldsboro then continuing to Wilmington, received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in December 2023.

CYNTHIA WALSH

CEO, BRUNSWICK COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Cynthia Walsh has been CEO of the Brunswick County Association of Realtors since 2005.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Walsh’s organization advocates for Realtors and the industry in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state and nation. Her responsibilities include ensuring BCAR is “the model for advancing the real estate industry and providing members with tools and services to support their success.”

She has the Certified Association Executive and Realtor Certified Executive designations and is a recognized speaker on association management. She is also a stateand national-level committee member.

Walsh has facilitated more than 25 volunteer opportunities for association members to give back to the community, including a major partnership with Fran’s Fans

resulting in collecting more than 3,100 fans, a record-breaking amount.

CURRENT PROJECTS: As of November, Walsh was working to grow and promote BCAR’s new real estate education licensing school and holiday giving drives and stay current with constant changes to the real estate industry in the market.

HEATHER WILSON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAMERON ART MUSEUM

Heather Wilson led the Cameron Art Museum (CAM) through one of its most successful years to date. This year, the museum saw an 11% increase in attendance and its highest membership level since 1962.

WHY SHE’S A CONNECTOR: Wilson helps curate the art museum’s exhibitions, programs and educational opportunities, linking Wilmington residents with unique cultural and artistic experiences. She recently received the 2024 Southeastern Museums Conference Museum Leadership Award.

Wilson is leading work on an accessibility plan to ensure CAM is open and accessible to all. The museum has expanded access by offering American Sign Language tours and sensory bags. It’s also extending access to vulnerable populations through grant-funded programs for cancer patients and those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

CAM also shares its exhibitions with other U.S. art museums. The museum, for example, recently loaned a work of art to an exhibition at New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art, and CAM officials are working on a traveling exhibition featuring work by Wilmington artist Minnie Evans.

Wilson is currently working on a book that documents CAM’s history and collection. She’s also preparing for “We Belong Here,” an exhibition from the Gutierrez Collection that features an array of significant artworks from wellknown artists. The exhibition will open in April.

CREATIVE ECONOMY: In its past fiscal year, the museum had an economic impact of more than $6.9 million in New Hanover County.

LANDON ZIMMER

MANAGING PARTNER, ZIMMER DEVELOPMENT CO.

Landon Zimmer is the managing partner at Zimmer Development Co. (ZDC), a member of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s board and an N.C. Wildlife Resources commissioner.

At ZDC, he oversees a company with 40 employees and has contributed to significant infrastructure and development projects, including mixed-use and student housing in Florida and Ohio.

WHY HE’S A CONNECTOR: This year, Zimmer worked with previous NCDOT Division 3 Division Engineer Chad Kimes in securing $242 million in federal grants for the project to rebuild the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, the largest road infrastructure grant in the state’s history.

He is also focused on key infrastructure projects with NCDOT, such as construction of the Hampstead Bypass and the widening of NC 211. That widening is currently the most expensive project in NCDOT’s Division 3 history at $215 million, as of press time.

At Zimmer Development, he is working on projects in Tallahassee, Florida, and Huntsville, Alabama. The company this year moved its headquarters office from downtown to the Mayfaire area.

ROAD AHEAD: NCDOT Division 3 priorities for Zimmer include working with the division’s new engineer, Trevor Carroll, and working with the WMPO board to finalize plans for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. Next year, construction on the widening of Gordon Road from Interstate 40 to Market Street is slated to begin.

RISING THE STARS

THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS WHO ARE ALREADY MAKING WAVES (LIMITED TO THOSE 35 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER)

CHRIS

SARAH GIBBS

VP OF DEVELOPMENT, YMCA OF SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Sarah Gibbs plays a key role in securing financial support for the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina that funds the organization’s growing footprint and programming in the Cape Fear region.

WHY SHE’S A RISING STAR: Late last year, Gibbs was appointed as the local YMCA’s vice president of development, a role that involves managing the organization’s charitable support, community relations and brand awareness. She oversees a team of eight and an annual budget of $1.2 million.

The YMCA is looking to grow with investments at its midtown Wilmington facility and initial plans for a new YMCA in northern New Hanover County. Gibbs helped secure a $4 million matching grant late last year from the New Hanover Community Endowment to fund the Midtown YMCA expansion. She’s also working to identify partners and early supporters to help fund additional growth in the Wilmington area.

Over the past year, Gibbs worked with the YMCA’s board and leadership staff to develop a comprehensive plan to help the organization meet its strategic goals in the next five years. She also helped establish a strategic partnership with Novant Health to elevate and expand the YMCA’s community health programs throughout the region.

RAISING FUNDS: Gibbs is responsible for securing $1 million in charitable support, grants and special event revenue each year. That money makes up about 10% of the local YMCA’s annual operating budget.

WILMINGTONBIZ 100 RISING STARS

photo by ARIS HARDING

CHRIS CAPONE

FOUNDER & CEO, CAPONE & ASSOCIATES

Chris Capone started Capone & Associates, a Wilmingtonbased company that provides bookkeeping and CFO services, in 2022. It has grown to include 10 employees.

WHY HE’S A RISING STAR: Besides growing Capone & Associates, Capone this year launched a podcast called

Fractional, showcasing other local business leaders and entrepreneurs. He also started a redevelopment project to house his business and others. Called 717 Mkt, the 13,000-square-foot building was built in 1960 and is located at 717 and 715 Market St.

“We are completely redeveloping an old, unutilized building, and turning it into a brand-new office space for Capone & Associates, as well as offering 16 memberships for executive suites,” Capone said.

The $3.6 million project will have a gym, podcast studio, four conference rooms, a collaborative work environment and a roof-top terrace.

ON THE MIC: Capone is aiming for 50 podcast shows in 2025.

OLAF SANCHEZPARADA

SENIOR PARALEGAL & COMMUNITY LIAISON, HELEN TAROKIC LAW

Olaf Sanchez-Parada works at the immigration law firm Helen Tarokic Law.

WHY HE’S A RISING STAR: SanchezParada assists immigrants who were victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation and domestic violence in

CHYANN KETCHUM

PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, CITY OF SOUTHPORT

ChyAnn Ketchum wears many hats for the city of Southport. She manages the city’s website and social media pages, streams city meetings, issues news releases and responds to media requests – all with a goal of getting the right information to the right people at the right time.

WHY SHE’S A RISING STAR: Ketchum led Southport’s communications during Hurricane Debby and Potential Tropical Storm 8, recent storms that brought heavy rain and flooding to the area. Her proactive storm response included regular social media updates, text alerts and news releases. This year, Ketchum also earned her Advanced Public Information Officer certification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She recently initiated an overhaul of Southport’s meeting audio/visual system to make it easier for remote presenters to participate and for at-home viewers to access streamed meetings. Ketchum has also established a partnership with the messaging system TextMyGov, which has helped grow the city’s text alert subscribers from less than 100 to more than 900.

In 2025, Ketchum aims to launch a new city website. She also wants to enroll in FEMA’s Executive Public Information Officer program and work towards earning her N.C. Emergency Management Associate certification.

WORKING TOGETHER: I f Ketchum could start a new company, she would open a coworking space to serve small businesses and entrepreneurs in the southern part of the Cape Fear Region. She envisions an “inspiring, safe, pet-friendly space” for locals to work.

Water is Our Business

LCFWASA provides wholesale, regional raw water from the Cape Fear River at the Kings Bluff Raw Water Pump Station behind Lock and Dam #1 within our five-county service area comprised of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender Counties. Additionally, the Authority has the capability to supply a treated water supply from the Cape Fear River at the Bladen Bluffs Regional Surface Water System near Tar Heel, North Carolina. The Lower Cape Fear Water & Sewer Authority is a self-supporting agency that depends on customer rates and fees to support its operations. Our purpose is to provide a reliable and dependable surface water supply as cost-effective as possible through economy of scale while operating on sound fiscal and utility principles.

NICHOLAS NEWELL

OWNER, THE CAPSTONE GROUP & FOUNDER, SAINT NICHOLAS CHRISTMAS FOUNDATION

In addition to owning a real estate company, Nicholas Newell started the Saint Nicholas Christmas Foundation.

WHY HE’S A RISING STAR:

While working as a real estate agent juggling multiple transactions at a time and serving on city committees, Newell also works on providing holiday cheer to those without throughout the region and beyond. His Christmas nonprofit started out as a small-scale fundraiser among friends and family in 2014, becoming a registered 501(c)(3) in November 2018. “Today, we cover over 5,000 square miles serving residents in Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, Carteret, Jones and Craven counties in Coastal North Carolina,” according to the organization’s website. Newell’s tasks for the foundation include “a lot of networking and public speaking, appearing on newscasts, organizing and soliciting donations, lists of those in need and facilitating the distribution of donations.”

ANOTHER LEADERSHIP ROLE:

As president of the Mallory Creek Plantation HOA Inc., he leads a board that is currently managing $1 million in annual revenue and planning construction of a new amenity site. They’re also working with the town of Leland to create additional crosswalks and sidewalks within Mallory Creek.

JACK FLEMING

LEAD ORGANIZER, 1 MILLION CUPS

Entrepreneur Jack Fleming, a 2019 UNCW Cameron School of Business graduate, serves as lead organizer of 1 Million Cups Wilmington, a weekly entrepreneurship platform.

WHY HE’S A RISING STAR: Fleming brings other entrepreneurs and local startups together through his 1 Million Cups leadership. 1 Million Cups is a free, national program established by the Kauffman Foundation. With meetings every Wednesday at UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the program is based on the idea that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over coffee. Fleming is also CEO and founder of Socialry, a social media management company he started in 2020, and owner of Phrayz, a marketing content software. Additionally, he is part of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Council.

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES: Fleming vounteers for Young Life and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

the process of applying for and obtaining humanitarian visas.

He is a community liaison for the immigrant community in the Wilmington area, encouraging individuals to seek immigration relief through humanitarian visas.

He also helped establish St. Vincent de Paul Our Lady of the Rosary Cape Fear Conference, which was founded in July. The nonprofit assists those in need with emergency financial assistance. Sanchez-Parada serves as the group’s vice president.

2025 GOAL: Sanchez-Parada wants to get accepted to law school next year.

ISABELLE SHEPHERD

REALTOR, DRAM TREE REALTY

Besides working in real estate, Isabelle Shepherd’s background in Wilmington has included working in local media and historic preservation.

WHY SHE’S A RISING STAR: Earlier this year, Shepherd served as interim Executive Director for the Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF). During that time, she led advocacy efforts on the issues of development of the Cape Fear River’s west bank and the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

On the west bank issue this year, she worked with a coalition of nonprofit leaders to draft a position statement advocating for a conservation place-type designation in recent updates to New Hanover County’s Comprehensive Plan.

With federal funding announced for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement, HWF also took a position about what they support design-wise for the new bridge, advocating for a design of 100 feet or lower as a way to preserve Wilmington’s downtown historic district and maintaining the pre-existing right of way of the current bridge.

FUNDRAISING CHOPS: In Shepherd’s previous role as HWF’s development director, she secured over $100,000 in grants for HWF’s Preservation Equity Fund this year.

Advocacy

KATE NOONER LEADS PROJECT TO PROMOTE UNCW FACULTY Academia in

BY LYNDA VAN KUREN | PHOTO BY ARIS HARDING

K

ate Brody Nooner, senior associate dean of the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s College of Science and Engineering and psychology professor, is a force in higher education – a force she uses to help people.

“It is exciting to be a leader in higher education,” Nooner said. “I get to do more good, to help more people reach their dreams.”

Most recently, Nooner led the effort to obtain a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for the UNC-by-the-S.E.A. (STEM Equity Access) project. The project is intended to promote the success and advancement of UNCW’s women faculty in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), particularly those who are affiliated with the military or are the first generation in their families to have attended college.

“The goal is to ensure women faculty in STEM can rise to full professorship, apply for grants at the same level, and seek leadership opportunities at the same level as men,” Nooner said.

To reach that objective, Nooner, who is also the study’s lead principal investigator, and her team are conducting an in-depth, comprehensive analysis of the university’s policies and practices regarding the advancement of its female STEM faculty.

During the research and discovery process, Nooner’s team will identify areas in which the university excels and areas that could be improved. This will be achieved by studying best practices from other universities and collecting data from surveys, focus groups and individual interviews.

Getting the individual views of female STEM faculty is essential if the team is to learn what themes occur at the UNCW that enable them to advance as well as barriers they encounter, according to Nooner.

“We often get information from talking to people in groups and interviews that you can’t get from bubbles in a survey,” Nooner said.

Her team is also meeting regularly with an advisory board composed of university leaders, other campus constituents, UNCW’s Director of Military Affairs and the Gender Studies

and Research Center to discuss issues and findings.

The study will culminate with a five-year, data-driven action plan to support and enable UNCW’s women faculty in STEM to advance professionally.

However, Nooner expects the study’s impact to go much further. The first and most obvious beneficiaries are other UNCW women faculty.

She adds that UNCW’s students will benefit as well.

“The goal is to make UNCW the best place possible for faculty, which in turn will make it the best place for students,” Nooner said. “We can model for kids what success looks like.

Having women faculty in STEM succeed at the highest levels will help students see themselves at those levels.”

Her current work at UNCW is only part of a long progression of positions she has held in higher education, including chair of the UNCW Department of Psychology, past vice president of UNCW’s faculty senate, member of UNCW’s Million Dollar Club for her substantial external grant activity and faculty member of Duke University’s School of Medicine.

“I want to help as many people as possible reach their definition of success,” Nooner said. “It’s a wonderful reason to want to go to work.”

This article originally appeared in WILMA magazine’s weekly WILMA Leadership email newsletter. To sign up for that and the WILMA Lifestyle email, go to wilmamag.com/email-newsletter.

harksSwimming with the

BY

MEGHAN CORBETT | PHOTO BY DARIA AMATO

As the weather turns colder, we often hear others longing for warm summer days spent relaxing with family on the coast.

Though the weather may change, traditions that go hand in hand with summertime celebrations can be enjoyed year-round. Danielle Mahon felt the same way and wanted to bring seafood boils to anyone, coast to coast.

She is the founder and CEO of Topsail Steamer, a family-run company that specializes in ready-to-cook seafood boils shipped nationwide in single-use steam pots.

On Oct. 25, Mahon took her business on ABC’s Shark Tank to build on her success with the help of some well-known experts.

“I have heard from so many customers over the years, ‘You should go on Shark Tank,’” Mahon said. “Last January, I thought well, why not? It would be a great opportunity to both gain national exposure for Topsail Steamer and also have the possibility of partnering with one of the sharks to help scale our business.”

She said that the process started with an online application and video submissions at the beginning of the year.

“We were fortunate enough to keep making it to the next step in the selection process and got the chance to ‘get in the tank’ this past summer in California,” she said. “Even after you film your episode, you only find out if you will actually appear on an episode three weeks before the air date. We were so excited to learn that we would be on the second episode of the season in October.”

Founded on Topsail Island in 2017, Topsail Steamer currently has locations in North Carolina, New Jersey, Alabama, Delaware and Florida offering local pick-up. Nationwide

shipping is available through Goldbelly.

Customers have options that include premade and customizable pots as well as cornbread, pies, cakes, tools such as shellers and oyster knives, clam broth, hot sauces, and seasonings as well as merchandise including hats, shirts and coolers.

Mahon received bites from the potential investors on the episode.

Responding to questions about company performance, Mahon said that Topsail Steamer did $4.5 million in sales last year and is expected to reach $5.7 million in 2024. The company averages 28% on food costs and 17% on labor.

Currently, seven of the eight Topsail Steamer locations are company-owned, and one is franchised. Mahon said on air that she believes the total addressable market for the company is 400 brickand-mortar locations and was seeking investment to expand the company’s footprint.

“I was hoping they would love it, and they did,” she said. “We actually did not have any shark say they ‘were out.’ There were months of preparation before the taping that involved deciding what we would send out to the set and what we would serve the sharks.”

“Most of the preparation was creating and practicing my pitch,” Mahon added. “You only get one chance to deliver your pitch; there are no do-overs, so you want to make sure you do your best with this once-in-alifetime chance.”

Mahon received offers from two sharks: Lori Greiner, entrepreneur and self-professed foodie sometimes referred to as the QVC queen, and guest investor Todd Graves, founder of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.

Mahon went into the show asking for a $350,000 investment for an 8% stake in the company.

Through the on-air negotiations, Graves and Greiner agreed to 18% equity for the $350,000 investment. Through the joint deal, which

was under due diligence as of late November, Topsail Steamer is now officially in business with two sharks, and customers are already taking notice.

“We have seen over a 400% increase in our e-commerce sales and increased traffic in all our stores,” Mahon said. “Our mission is to provide an unforgettable seafood experience to share with friends and family. There are several parts to that mission that have made this model successful.”

She said those include attention to ingredients.

“Our stores source local seafood that is available in their markets, and all of the buckets we ship out come directly from our Topsail Island store where we have access to fresh seafood year-round,” she said. “We also provide the convenience of packaging it all together while still providing the opportunity for our customers to participate in the preparation. In the immediate future, we will continue to focus both on the support and growth of our franchise system and our e-commerce.”

Mahon said she doesn’t expect any major changes to Topsail Steamer’s business model post-Shark investment.

“Customers can expect to enjoy the same product they have come to love – but maybe a little closer to home as we add locations,” she said.

The holiday season has become a busy time for direct shipments.

“We consistently hear from our customers that we are their new holiday tradition and that they love to send (Topsail Steamer) as gifts,” Mahon said. “In December, we will send out thousands of buckets from our Surf City location as holiday gifts.”

-Feast Wilmington director Jessica Maurer contributed to this article.

For more restaurant news, sign up for the weekly Feast Unwrapped email newsletter by going to FeastWilmington.com.

Three coats and 240 gallons of paint later, the Bellamy Mansion Museum has a fresh exterior. In conjunction with the site’s 30th anniversary of becoming a public museum, officials spent the year fundraising $120,000 to paint the main house’s exterior.

Physician John Bellamy had the 10,000-square-foot, 22-room home built between 1859 and 1861. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Preservation North Carolina worked with Bellamy Mansion Inc.’s board to raise funds for site restoration, and April 1994 marked the official opening of the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts.

“In our 30th year as a museum, we decided to celebrate the museum site and fundraise to preserve the main house,” executive director Gareth Evans said. “The house and slave quarters are the artifacts that allow us to tell our social history story. In recent years, we have preserved the site with a repaired roof, masonry, columns and now with much-needed coats of paint on the repaired exterior. We hope it will protect the site for many years to come.”

TOUCHING UP

PHOTO BY NATE SMITH