As chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission, Douglas Welton has a front-row seat to the complexities of Charlotte's rapid growth. In his role, he faces the challenges and opportunities presented by the city’s expansion, engaging with developers, city staff and residents alike. Welton's tenure has been marked by a focus on increasing housing supply, advocating for density in appropriate areas and fostering community involvement. His vision for Charlotte's future is one of thoughtful...
Jun 14, 2024•30 min
In his day job, Brian Kahn is the Charlotte office managing partner at McGuireWoods. But Brian also has a side-hustle: He is a founder, writer and co-producer of "Charlotte Squawks," a long-running and critically acclaimed comedy stage show poking fun at local politics, pop culture and sports. On this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Kahn discusses the importance of creativity and humor in law and theater, and how he balances both of his passions. He also gives a glimpse behind the scene...
Jun 08, 2024•23 min
The city of Charlotte has struck a deal with Tepper Sports and Entertainment on funding renovations at Bank of America Stadium, the home to the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. The city, which would spend $650 million in tourism tax money for the project, says the deal makes smart business sense because the stadium is responsible for more than $1 billion annually in economic impact to the Charlotte region. This newsy and bonus episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast examines the economic effe...
Jun 04, 2024•13 min
Imagine strolling down a vibrant street, filled with neighbors stopping by a community farmer's market, admiring local artwork or grabbing lunch at a food truck. That's SouthPark Community Partners's vision for the SouthPark area in south Charlotte. In April 2024, SouthPark Community Partners released a comprehensive vision plan aimed at enhancing SouthPark's economic vitality and quality of life. The plan, developed through extensive community engagement, outlines 64 projects to shape SouthPark...
May 31, 2024•30 min
One glance at Blair Primis’s LinkedIn profile, and it’s clear that community involvement ignites his passion. Primis serves on the board for numerous nonprofits and organizations in Charlotte, including Charlotte is Creative, 7th Street Public Market, Carolina Farm Trust and Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center. In his day job, he’s the chief marketing officer of Flagship Specialty Partners, a healthcare management services organization for oral surgery practices. He’s a well-known name in Charlo...
May 24, 2024•32 min
Running a nonprofit is tough. But it’s even tougher without the right technology. That’s the challenge that Charlotte-based Apparo — which itself is a nonprofit — is trying to help solve. Apparo plays a vital role in Charlotte’s nonprofit community, by giving charities access to technology solutions and other resources to help their organizations run smoother and smarter. Kimberly Lanphear serves as CEO of Apparo, and Arno Czerveny — who is the head of investment banking, research, government, a...
May 17, 2024•25 min
Balancing work and family life can be a challenge for workers and companies. On this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Sarah Olin and Elena Arecco Bridgmon discuss their experiences building support systems for working parents and helping companies foster a culture that values and accommodates employees’ family responsibilities. They founded Charlotte-based LUMO , which offers coaching and training programs. It originated from their personal experiences as working mothers and corporate pr...
May 13, 2024•33 min
George Sistrunk was a Charlotte lawyer who enjoyed home brewing. But about 15 years ago, he and three lawyer friends decided to take beer-making to the next level and had the idea of turning their garage hobby into a brewery. That’s the origin of Town Brewing Co., a brewery in Charlotte’ Wesley Heights neighborhood. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Sistrunk talks with host Steve Dunn about making beer and turning it into a business — as well as the parallels to his legal career a...
May 04, 2024•29 min
Charlotte is a fast-growing city. And it's also one of the lowest-density major cities in the U.S. What are the implications of that? And what moves should Charlotte make to accommodate all these newcomers? In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we talk with Shannon Binns, executive director of Sustain Charlotte . It's a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for sustainable development and urban issues in the Charlotte region. Binns founded the nonprofit in 2010 with a focus o...
Apr 26, 2024•32 min
Aleksandra Degernes is the visionary founder of the Eastern European Business Network in Charlotte. Originally from Russia, Alexandra immigrated to the United States in 2013 and quickly recognized the need to unite and empower Eastern European professionals and entrepreneurs in her new community. With a background in event production and a passion for fostering connections, Alexandra has led the Eastern European Business Network in providing invaluable resources, networking opportunities and adv...
Apr 19, 2024•27 min
Wegmans recently gave Charlotte some long-awaited news : that it’s opening its first store in the Charlotte region in 2026 in Ballantyne. But how did it choose the location? What can shoppers expect? And why is there such interest in a grocery store? In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, The Ledger’s Cristina Bolling takes a closer look in a conversation with Hallie Johnston, Wegmans' North Carolina district manager. They discuss the store's features, why Ballantyne is a good fit and ...
Apr 16, 2024•7 min
Glenn Proctor is a certified professional coach, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, retired newspaper editor, mental health advocate and instructor, Marine Corps gunnery sergeant and a Vietnam veteran. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Proctor discusses how he uses his personal experiences to educate and support individuals and organizations in their understanding of mental health. He talks with host Steve Dunn of Miles Mediation & Arbitration . This podcast was produced by Li...
Apr 12, 2024•26 min
Bob Durkin is the co-founder of Southern Entertainment, a Charlotte-based events and production company that's put on over 500 live music events around the country. Durkin and his business partner, Rob Pedlow, got their start in Charlotte by owning bars in uptown like Dixie’s Tavern. Durkin and his team are gearing up for the first Lovin’ Life Music Festival, a weekend-long, all-genre music festival in the First Ward neighborhood in uptown Charlotte from May 3 to May 5, 2024. Over 40 artists wil...
Apr 05, 2024•25 min
Emily Harry is a co-founder of Baby Bundles, a nonprofit organization in Charlotte that provides essential items to mothers in need as they leave the hospital with their newborns. Harry founded the nonprofit alongside Heather Leavitt and Cat Long 11 years ago to honor the babies that they each lost. Baby Bundles offers bags filled with necessities like clothing, blankets, books, and toys, aiming to alleviate stress for new moms who may not have had a baby shower. In this episode of The Charlotte...
Mar 24, 2024•22 min
Charlotte’s dining scene is widely seen as improving — and that also goes for Charlotte’s retirement communities, which are offering seniors many more options nowadays as a way to distinguish themselves from competitors. On this edition of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, food writer Hanna Raskin of the online publication The Food Section shares her assessments of Charlotte retirement community dining, after touring six upscale spots with her dad. Among her finds: tuna poke nachos, butternut squash...
Mar 15, 2024•21 min
Emily Jensen Wheeler is the new executive director of Dress for Success Charlotte, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the workforce with a network of support, business attire and development tools. During the month of March, Dress for Success Charlotte hosts its biggest fundraiser of the year, the “Your Hour Her Power” campaign. Every day this month, female leaders across Charlotte will be asking people to donate one hour of their salaries to support Dress for Success Char...
Mar 08, 2024•24 min
Amy Hillis is the co-founder of Social Pet Hotel and Daycare, a pet care company with two locations in Charlotte and one location in Pineville. Hillis started the business with her husband, Bill, in 2014 to offer customized, high-end care for Charlotte’s pets, including daycare, boarding and grooming. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Hillis talks about her journey as an entrepreneur in the pet care industry and the evolving landscape of pet care in Charlotte. For more information...
Mar 02, 2024•30 min
For the March 2024 primary election in Mecklenburg County, what is on the Republican ballot? What do voters need to know? In this special express version of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, editor Tony Mecia talks with Republican former Charlotte City Council member Kenny Smith and Ledger elections researcher Sucharita Kodali about the candidates for office — who they are, why they say they’re running and how the races are shaping up. And we do it all in under 12 minutes. We’ll give you the overvie...
Feb 18, 2024•12 min
For the March 2024 primary election in Mecklenburg County, what is on the Democratic ballot? What do voters need to know? In this special express version of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, editor Tony Mecia talks with Bryan Holladay of CLT Public Relations and Ledger elections researcher Sucharita Kodali about the candidates for office — who they are, why they say they’re running and how the races are shaping up. We’ll give you the overview you need to be informed about races for county commission...
Feb 16, 2024•11 min
Karen Graci is the former executive director of PFLAG Charlotte, an organization supporting parents, families and friends of LGBTQ+ individuals. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Graci shares her personal journey as a parent of a LGBTQ+ child and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. She also delves into the importance of support groups, education and advocacy, highlighting the need for understanding and acceptance. She talks with host Steve Dunn of Miles ...
Feb 09, 2024•26 min
Heather Call Fuller is an attorney with Lincoln Derr law firm in Charlotte. She started her law career working with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., defending the United States in medical malpractice cases. After her time at the Department of Justice, Fuller took a break to focus on raising her three children over the next 14 years. When she decided to return to law, she encountered obstacles related to licensing requirements and had to overcome the hurdle of retaking the bar exam. ...
Feb 03, 2024•25 min
Brian “Heff” Heffron is the owner of The Comedy Zone, a comedy club inside the AvidXchange Music Factory that has hosted seasoned comedians like Wanda Sykes, Ben Schwartz, Janelle James, Pete Davidson and Marcello Hernandez. Additionally, Heffron is actively involved in Laugh for a Cure, an organization he co-founded with his wife, aimed at using comedy to raise funds for breast cancer research. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Heffron discusses his experiences in the industry, h...
Jan 27, 2024•24 min
Tonya Jameson serves as the director of civic advancement for Leading on Opportunity, a part of Foundation for the Carolinas, working to improve economic mobility in the Charlotte area. In addition to her role with Leading on Opportunity, Jameson is also a member of the Citizens Review Board, which hears complaints regarding allegations of misconduct by police officers, and works as a motorcycle instructor with Motorcycle Safety Foundation. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Jameso...
Jan 19, 2024•26 min
Josh Jacobson is the founder and CEO of Next Stage, a Charlotte based social impact consulting firm that works with nonprofits. Next Stage operates The UnFundable Project, an initiative that raises awareness about a concept called trust-based philanthropy. The Charlotte Ledger is a media partner for the initiative. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Jacobson shares his insights on how nonprofits operate, what trust-based philanthropy is, and what the Unfundable Project is doing for...
Jan 12, 2024•27 min
Banking, leadership and philanthropy have always been intertwined in Charlotte, and we explore that history and those connections in a conversation with Dee O’Dell, head of business banking sales at U.S. Bank, which is the fifth-largest bank in the country. O’Dell is based in Charlotte, where U.S. Bank has about 1, 200 employees, and his division serves customers nationally that have between $2.5 million and $25 million in annual sales. O’Dell has served in multiple community roles, including ch...
Jan 05, 2024•25 min
Sonja Nichols is the owner and president of the Southern Lion, a multi-vendor shopping venue that opened in September in a former Sears building in the Carolina Place Mall in Pineville. The Southern Lion features many of the same vendors who previously sold goods at the Blacklion Home Furnishings Marketplace that operated for 27 years just a mile away from the new Southern Lion. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Nichols shares her insights about what it's been like opening the Sou...
Dec 15, 2023•33 min
What will tomorrow’s workplaces will look like? And what can employers and workers do to prepare? The Charlotte Ledger published a 4-part special series called “The Future of Work” examining the forces that are changing workplaces in Charlotte and around the country. Reporters delved into how mentorships have changed, Charlotte's struggling office market, the future of office amenities, and how small towns are luring in remote workers. You can read the complete articles at charlotteledger.substa...
Dec 10, 2023•23 min
Joe Hamby serves as director of community education at Roof Above, an interfaith nonprofit working to ensure everyone has a safe, affordable roof over their head. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Hamby reflects on the challenges that come with his work but how the success stories help him find purpose. He also shares more about how Roof Above is working toward the goal of ending homelessness in Charlotte. He talks with host Steve Dunn of Miles Mediation & Arbitration . This p...
Dec 01, 2023•31 min
Kristen Wile is the founder of Unpretentious Palate , a subscription-based publication that covers Charlotte's dining and drinking scene. Unpretentious Palate focuses on in-depth coverage, including executive chef changes, restaurant openings/closings and detailed restaurant reviews. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Wile talks with Ledger editor Tony Mecia about Charlotte's evolving restaurant scene and the challenges of providing independent coverage of restaurants in an era dom...
Nov 20, 2023•28 min
Tracy Hewett is a retired district family court judge in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Hewett finished her bachelor’s degree in her late 30s and then attended law school as a single mom while also working as a truck driver. She served as a public defender for 10 years and then joined the bench in 2017. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Hewett reflects on her career journey, retirement, and her experiences as a judge in North Carolina. She talks with host Steve Dunn of Miles ...
Nov 10, 2023•27 min
