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| Meet the Board of Directors |
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| Rick Kasnick CPA, Langford de Kock LLP,
Managing Partner, Board President |
| Rick Kasnick is a managing
partner at Langford de Kock LLP where his responsibilities include firm
development, quality control and developing the professional staff.
During the summer of 1994 he relocated to Charlotte after spending 8
years in Atlanta with Rödl Langford de Kock LLP. Langford de Kock LLP
is part of Rödl Langford de Kock LLP which is jointly owned by a group
of American CPAs and Rödl & Partner, a German professional services firm
based in Nuremberg, Germany. Rödl & Partner has more than 69 offices and
2,350 employees worldwide. Langford de Kock LLP focuses on providing
audit and tax services to small and mid-sized German owned or German
speaking companies with US operations. Rick is studying German to improve
his cross border communication as he frequently travels to Germany to visit
the parent companies of his foreign owned clients. He earned his BBA in
Accounting from the University of Georgia. Born in Chicago, Rick has also
lived in Atlanta, Athens, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. In addition
to his public accounting experiences he has worked in non-public accounting,
retail management and outside sales in various industries. |
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| Nicole Simmons-Atzor,
Wachovia, Vice President |
| Nicole Simmons-Atzor currently
works in Wachovia's Global Cash Management Division on the Internet
Solutions Team. Her role is to assess the opportunities of the B2B
marketplaces and other Internet related joint ventures and joint
development alliances. She also contributes to a larger Cash Management
project that will integrate the bank's commercial web products and
services utilizing the latest development methodologies and Internet
technologies. Prior to joining Cash Management 2 years ago, Nicole
worked in First Union's Hong Kong office and was manager of their
Trade Services operation. She has been with Wachovia ( formerly
First Union ) for the last 7 years and has more than 11 years of
Global Trade Services, Foreign Exchange and Cash Management banking
experience. Nicole is a candidate for a Masters in Business Administration
at Wake Forest University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree
with a major in Marketing and International Business from The University
of Tulsa. |
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| Lee S. Bierer, College Admissions Strategies, Vice President |
| Lee is an independent college coach helping students and families navigate the college admissions process. She specializes in college search and selection – finding the right “fit”; application strategy – identifying a student’s competitive edge with Brag Sheet preparation and essay editing and scholarship search for needs-based and merit-based opportunities. Prior to starting College Admissions Strategies, Lee served as a marketing consultant for over 18 years with non-profit organizations and corporate clients. She holds a Masters in Education with a focus in Career Education and a certificate of advanced study in International Marketing. She traveled extensively in Peru, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Greece. She speaks Spanish and contributes to local civic and educational activities. Lee and her husband Jeffrey and two children moved to Charlotte from Boston 12 years ago. |
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Rhonda Crawford, KPMG, Treasurer |
| Rhonda Crawford is a Certified
Public Accountant working in the local Charlotte office of KPMG
LLP, a member firm of KPMG International with more than 103,000
accounting professionals in 159 countries. She is a Senior Manager
in the Federal Tax Group, where she has over 14 years of experience
rendering tax consulting services to KPMG's multinational manufacturing
and consumer markets clients. She earned her BA degree in Accounting
from Belmont Abbey College. Born and raised in the Charlotte area
with roots firmly planted here, she and her husband Jim and daughter,
Victoria, call Charlotte home. |
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| Ned Sergew, Wachovia
Corporation |
| Ned is a native of
Ethiopia. He is a financial services professional and is employed by
Wachovia Corporation, where he is a Senior Vice President in the
Risk Management Division of the firm. Prior to Wachovia, Ned worked
for GE Capital Corporation and Bank of America. He was also a Senior
Manager in Deloitte Consulting Financial Services practice. Ned was
a James B. Duke Scholar at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte,
where he earned a BS, Accounting as Valedictorian, summa cum laude.
Ned is an avid supporter of community and grass-roots organizations.
Some of his local community service includes, Chair of his church
Parish Council; Habitat for Humanity; Hearts & Hammers Construction
Mission; Reading First; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; the Arts &
Science Council; and The House of Mercy. Ned and his wife have three
daughters. |
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| Moira Alair, Tuscan Development |
Moira Alair is the director of sales and marketing at Tuscan Development, a Charlotte based real estate development firm. Mrs. Alair received her BBA from the University of Hawaii and her MBA from the University of Southern California. She is a successful manager with years of experience in marketing and communications, specialized in marketing strategy development and implementation. A resident of Matthews since 1992, Mrs. Alair lives with her husband Doug and daughter Adrienne. |
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| Karim Azar, Globe
Express Services-Board Member |
| Karim Azar is the
Director of sales administration & planning for Globe Express
Services, an international transportation and logistics company with
over 30 corporate offices worldwide. Prior to relocating to
Charlotte in 2001, Karim resided in London, England for 15 years,
working in similar jobs in the transportation and logistics
industry. He has also held various senior positions in the all-cargo
airline industry, and resided for several years in each of the
assignments in Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan. Those overseas
postings in various countries, gave him a deep understanding of
various cultures. Karim is originally a native of Lebanon, where he
earned a BA in Political Science & Public Administration from the
American University of Beirut. Since his relocation to Charlotte
Karim has been active in such organizations asa The Metrolina
Phoenician Club, The Middle East Council of the Carolinas, and The
Mayor's International Cabinet. He and his wife Leena have a daughter
named Sofia. |
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| Tyyawdi M. Baker, Baker & Blake, LLP |
| Ms. Tyyawdi M. Baker is a trial attorney
and partner at Baker & Blake LLP, a Charlotte law firm. After graduating from
Winston-Salem State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Ms. Baker graduated
from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School Of Law with her Juris Doctor.
She then clerked on the North Carolina Supreme Court and the Nevada Supreme Court.
Ms. Baker’s areas of practice include immigration, personal injury and public finance.
Ms. Baker is professionally affiliated with the Mecklenburg County Bar, the North Carolina
Bar Association and she is the Vice Chair of the John S. Leary, Jr. Bar Association. Ms
Baker is an active member in our community volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Greater Charlotte and the Council for Children. She is also a board member of the
Fellowship Home of Winston-Salem. Having studied in Costa Rica, Ms. Baker speaks
Spanish fluently. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. |
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| Bill Belk, Belk Group |
| Bill Belk is an attorney
and Vice President for Monroe Hardware Company. He has a B.S. in
Business Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill, an MBA & Masters
in Law and Taxation from Emory University, and a J.D. from Wake
Forest. He is involved in many civic and educational activities,
including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Cystic Fibrosis, N.C.
Aquarium Society, & Charlotte-South Rotary. He has three children. |
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| Krista R Bowen, Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson |
| Krista Bowen is an attorney with Robinson,
Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. Ms. Bowen joined Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson in 1998,
following a one-year clerkship with a federal appellate judge in Virginia. Ms. Bowen’s
practice at Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson covers a wide range of corporate transactions,
with concentrations in securities and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to representing
financial and strategic buyers and sellers, Ms. Bowen also advises private and public companies
on various corporate and securities matters, including corporate governance and securities
compliance issues. Ms. Bowen received her J.D. from Washington & Lee University after
graduating from West Virginia University with a B.S.B.Ad. in Finance. |
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Brita O. Formato, Duke Energy |
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Mrs. Brita Formato is a senior consultant at Duke Energy where her responsibilities include strategic planning, market research and portfolio analysis. Mrs. Formato is a resulted-oriented professional with strong consulting, operations, financial and merger and acquisition experience in large multinational organizations. She is experienced in senior level organizational initiatives including working with investment banks on the divestiture of US based operations, large-scale strategic planning, financial analysis, trading and global operation work. She relocated to Charlotte, NC in 2005 from Alexandria, VA where she worked for ExxonMobil. Her previous employers include Mercer Management Consulting and Statoil, the Norwegian state oil company who she worked for in both Norway and the US. Mrs. Formato graduated with an MBA from Columbia University Business School, NY in 1997. A native of Norway, Mrs. Formato lives in Charlotte with her husband Brian and daughter Olivia. |
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Henry M. Kearse, Jr.
"Monty", Fair Isaac Corporation
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Monty is employed by Fair Isaac Corporation as a consultant in the
Collection and Recovery Solution group. He has been a member of the
Fair Isaac Team or its predecessor companies for the past 17 years.
Since 1996 Monty has presided over the electrol process in the
Elizabeth neighborhood. He currently serves as the Mecklenburg
County Board of Election's Chief judge for voting precinct 109.
Monty has been a member of St. John's Baptist Church since 1970 and
currently is the chairman of St. John's International House
Committee, the committee that oversees the relationship between
International House and St. John's Baptist Church. Monty graduated
from the College of Business Administration at UNCC and has a
Master's Degree in Business Administration from Wake Forest
University. He lives in the Elizabeth neighborhood with his wife and
three children.
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Julio N. Manso, Bank of
America, SVP, Global Human Resources, Executive Talent Acquisition
and Development
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| Julio Manso is a
Leadership Development Executive with Bank of America. He supervises
the team that executes the Bank's strategic acquisition initiatives
via retained executive search partners. He is also responsible for
senior leader assignment management and executive on boarding
development. Julio joined Bank of America in 2003 as Vice President
of Learning and Organizational Effectiveness for the Consumer
Banking and Consumer Products Technology. He assumed his current
role in the fall 2006. Before accepting his Bank position, Julio
spent over twelve years in a variety of roles in the aviation
industry, including customer service, operations, sales and
marketing, cargo business, and human resources and many others.
Julio graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University
of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration degree
from the University of Pittsburgh. He ad his family reside in
Charlotte, North Carolina. |
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Brad Merlie, Managing
Director-Operations Systems, Piedmont Natural Gas |
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Brad joined Piedmont Natural Gas in 2007. His role as managing
Director-Operations Systems includes system wide responsibility for
gas measurement, gas control and data acquisition systems. Before
accepting this position, he was employed with Transcontinental Gas
Pipeline (which later became Williams) and has an international
background which includes work in Germany and Venezuela, where he
learned to speak fluent Spanish. Brad began college at Murray State
University before transferring to North Carolina State where he
completed his degree in Civil Engineering. Brad has also lived in
Kentucky, New Jersey, Houston and spent 10 years in Atlanta. He now
resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Barbara and has
two children.
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Monte L. Ritchey, Conformity Corporation
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| Monte Ritchey is the President of the Conformity
Corp. Among others, Mr. Ritchey is responsible for the investigation of development
opportunities, construction administration and the coordination of marketing and sales.
The Conformity Corporation has been recognized by the American Institute of architects and
Mr. Ritchey has been honored as a “Preservationist of the Year” by Historic Charlotte, Inc.
and by the Business Journal as one of its “40 under 40.” Mr. Ritchey has been active on
several City of Charlotte advisory committees and is a member of the Urban Land Institute
and the Congress for New Urbanism. Mr. Ritchey was nominated to attend the United States
Military Academy by both Senator Arlen Spechter and Congressman John P. Murtha and attended
the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
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| Felix von Uklanski, Merrill Lynch |
| Felix von Uklanski works as an International
Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch in Charlotte. Felix started his career with ABN Amro
Bank in Amsterdam and Houston after receiving his MBA in Business Administration from
Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Felix moved to London, England to join
Service Corporation International's Mergers & Acquisition group and was then recruited
by Citibank’s Media & Communications group as a Vice-President. He is fluent in German
and also speaks some Dutch, French and Spanish. He is an active member of the German
American Chamber of Commerce and the Charlotte South Park Rotary Club. Felix lives
with his wife, Candice Langston, a Charlotte native, in Cotswold. |
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