The Connectors - The networkers who bring together people and resources to get things done
Rhonda Bellamy
President & CEO, Arts Council of Wilmington & NHC
As its founding executive director, Rhonda Bellamy has led The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County since 2012. She also chairs Arts North Carolina, a statewide arts advocacy organization.
Why She’s a Connector:
The arts council works to support and advocate for local artists and establish the area as an arts destination – a mission that places the council at the center of Wilmington’s arts community.
Under Bellamy’s leadership, the arts council has taken on more in the last year.
For example, the council hosted and produced the Wilmington Theater Awards for the first time in 2023. The event, previously put on by the StarNews, sold out and was met with enthusiasm.
The council also commissioned a mural for downtown Wilmington’s Bijou Park and oversaw the commissioning of another mural for the lobby of the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute.
Bellamy continues leading the art council’s contributions to Wilmington’s planned Rail Trail and its Fourth Friday Gallery Nights. She’s also leading a rebranding of the Wilmington Arts Summit to better appeal to art leaders in the Southeast.
Before leading the arts council, Bellamy spent over 25 years as a local news director and talk show host for Cumulus Media.
Millions in Impact: A recent study found that 1.2 million people attended arts events in New Hanover County last year. Their total event-related expenditures, excluding the price of event tickets, added up to more than $56.3 million.
Laura Brogdon-Primavera
Director of Programs and Initiatives, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Laura Brogdon-Primavera heads up many initiatives for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, ranging from the chamber’s long-running Leadership Wilmington to a program aimed at local middle schoolers.
Why She’s a Connector:
As the chamber’s director of programs and initiatives, Brogdon-Primavera works to link Wilmington residents with the resources they need for future leadership and career development.
Brogdon-Primavera has helped more than double participation in the chamber’s Career and Leadership Development Academy seventh-grade program. The academy grew from around 40 students to nearly 90 in its second year.
In partnership with New Hanover County Schools, the 10-month program provides middle school students with opportunities to learn about careers, leadership and future education pathways. The program aims to build skills needed for today’s workforce. Brogdon-Primavera has also established an eighth-grade mentor program for participants.
She’s helped launch the chamber’s Young Professionals Council and Women’s Business Owners Council and continues to support Leadership Wilmington in its 38th year.
Looking to the future, Brogdon-Primavera wants to expand the Career and Leadership Development Academy to reach more students. Bolstered by $2.8 million in state funding approved this year, the middle-school program is slated to expand to all seventh graders in New Hanover County who want to participate next year.
Earning Quarters: At 13, Brogdon-Primavera’s first job was wiping serving trays at TJ’s Deli in Winston-Salem, where she earned quarters to play Super Mario Brothers.
Chakema Clinton-Quintana
VP-Director, Channel
As the leader of Live Oak Bank’s small business center, Channel, Chakema Clinton-Quintana has brought her 20 years of bank regulatory and compliance experience to the role since 2021 – the founding of the center. Clinton-Quintana said Channel has fostered relationships with over 600 small business owners in the region.
Why She's a Connector:
Channel promotes inclusive business, supporting entrepreneurs with an emphasis on minority-owned businesses. The organization has helped 82 small businesses become limited liability companies.
“Of the small business owners Channel has worked with, an impressive 85.4% are from minority backgrounds. This emphasis on assisting minority-owned businesses not only reflects the center’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity but also helps boost economic opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs,” Clinton-Quintana said.
Clinton-Quintana said one thing she wants to see change in the region is Wilmington adopting a growth mindset regarding affordable housing.
Recognition Roster: Clinton-Quintana has racked up a list of awards from the community during her time as director, receiving the 2022 New Hanover County Equity Award for Business and the 2022 JC Community Award.
Jerry Coleman
Director, CFCC Small Business Center
With decades of business consulting experience based on owning his own small business in Wilmington, Jerry Coleman leads the Cape Fear Community College’s Small Business Center. The small business center provides free seminars, confidential counseling for local entrepreneurs, and an information and referral center.
Why He's A Connector:
In his role, Coleman connects area small business owners with resources to help them get off the ground and grow.
“We will work with them as long as necessary to keep them going and help them achieve their goals and be successful in the long run,” Coleman said.
Coleman worked with Genesis Block this year on the establishment of a food incubator for culinary entrepreneurs, Block Eatz, at CFCC’s north campus.
He is also involved with Wilmington’s Health Homes Program, which connects women- and minority-owned businesses with contracts for repairing damaged homes in low-income communities.
Coleman serves as a mentor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and he is a member of N.C. Ecosystem Technology Economic Engine’s leadership team. The group’s goal is “to improve quality of life and coastal resilience on the national level by driving innovation and workforce development through advancing Ecosystem Technologies in Eastern North Carolina,” Coleman said.
Award-Winning: Coleman was awarded State Director of the Year by the N.C. Community College System’s Small Business Center Network and was recognized with an Award of Excellence for counseling support resulting in sales growth and job creation.
Bill Early
Executive Director, Brunswick Business & Industry Development
It’s been a busy year for Bill Early and economic development in Brunswick County. Early helped recruit two companies expected to bring 660 jobs to the county.
Why He's A Connector:
With decades of economic development experience under his belt, Early has headed up Brunswick Business & Industry Development (BID), a nonprofit that provides business development services to Brunswick County, since 2018.
India-based Epsilon Advanced Materials announced plans in October to invest $650 million in a 1.5-million-square-foot facility to produce graphite for electric vehicle batteries. The project is expected to create 500 new jobs in the county. (Read more about the project
here.)
That announcement created a need for infrastructure improvements. Brunswick BID is working with local partners to extend water lines and wastewater service into the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park and construct a 1-million-gallon water tank.
Also in August, Ohio-based industrial construction firm Industrial Reliability and Repair announced plans to relocate to the Leland Innovation Park and add 160 jobs over five years.
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. Officials said the Brunswick BID team has long advocated for the construction of speculative buildings to help meet industry needs.
Future Investment: Heading into 2024, Early plans to continue working to add to Brunswick County’s local portfolio and bolster recruiting efforts for new investment and employment opportunities.
Beth Gaglione
Wilmington Branch Director, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
As director of the food bank’s Wilmington branch, Beth Gaglione manages the nonprofit’s work to provide food to those in need and build solutions to end hunger in Southeastern North Carolina, including in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties.
Why She's A Connector:
To fulfill the organization’s mission to nourish people in need, Gaglione navigates partnerships with the community and manages fundraising campaigns.
Her efforts have resulted in a new 35,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2023 on Greenfield Street to accommodate the distribution of an additional 4.2 million pounds of food annually. Gaglione was a part of a team responsible for raising the funds necessary to build the new food bank, which required investments of $12 million and included a $1 million commitment from locally based fintech company nCino.
The new food bank in Wilmington includes a commercial kitchen to produce 5,000 hot meals a day, a fresh food marketplace, a volunteer center and a 30,000-square-foot warehouse.
What's Cooking: Gaglione said in a previous WilmingtonBiz Magazine article this year, “As the Food Bank expands, so can our work in nutrition education. Our partners, like Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and Catholic Charities, have found recipes, classes and cooking demonstrations to make a real impact on health and well-being. The commercial kitchen we have today will play a key role in furthering these efforts.”
Anne Gardner
CEO, Cape Fear Realtors
The area’s Realtors association hired Anne Gardner for its top post in 2019. After serving in the industry advocacy leadership role for the past four years, Gardner recently announced that she will depart the group at the end of the year and move back to Virginia.
Why She's a Connector:
During her time this year, Gardner led an organization with 3,700 Realtor members from the city of Wilmington and across a six-county region of Southeastern North Carolina.
The group is funding a two-year position for a campaign director to collaborate with the Wilmington Relators Foundation. The $2.5 million capital campaign, which kicked off in November, will fund building 48 single-family homes on Carolina Beach Road to address workforce housing.
Also in 2023, the group launched a workplace culture project “to transform legacy department channels into an equity-based collaborative grounded in values of accountability and belonging,” Gardner said, adding that Cape Fear Realtors’ management team took on the project internally instead of hiring a consultant.
Before coming to Wilmington, Gardner was CEO of the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has more than two decades of experience in leadership in real estate associations.
Recapping: “We’re grateful for Anne’s dedicated service and outstanding contributions as our chief executive. Her expertise led to the success of critical initiatives since joining Cape Fear Realtors in 2019. Anne’s leadership guided us through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and to complete the renovations of our building – Terraces on Sir Tyler,” Steve Mitchell, 2023 president of CFR, said in the release announcing Gardner’s departure. “She has successfully implemented new practices, initiatives, and programs. Her impact will continue to encourage us to be exceptional stakeholders in our real estate industry.”
Johnny Griffin
Executive Director, Wilmington Regional Film Commission
Wilmington’s film industry has had an eventful year, and Johnny Griffin is in the thick of it. Griffin is the only employee at the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, handling promotion, client relations, incentives and working with Wilmington’s various production companies to market their business to film companies worldwide.
Why He's a Connector:
Griffin has been at the helm of the film commission for 24 years and is one of the first seven film commissioners in the world to secure a Certified Film Commissioner status, he said.
During industry strikes this year, Griffin worked on bringing attention to Wilmington’s production workforce and helping find other projects while productions halted. With the writers and actors strikes now resolved, filming is gearing to ramp back up on the projects that still remain in the pipeline, including for Netflix’s popular Outer Banks show.
Griffin is also working with the expanding Dark Horse studios as well as Cinespace studios, which recently acquired the Wilmington and Atlanta studios of EUE/Screen Gems in a historic deal for the Wilmington film industry.
“2024 will be the beginning of the next chapter in Wilmington film,” he said.
On The Roadie: Griffin’s first job in the industry was as a motorhome driver for actor Charlton Heston. In this job, Griffin said he learned a production team was all about hard work. He said if you put in the time, you would get the opportunities.
Jahleese Hadley
Director of College Access, Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW)
Jahleese Hadley supports the growth of the school’s college access program and helps students through the college application process at the all-girls charter school.
Why She's A Connector:
This year, GLOW marked its first class of graduating students. The state’s first single-gender public charter school launched in 2016 with a mission to prepare girls from diverse backgrounds for college.
Of the roughly 50 students in the inaugural graduating class, 96% went to college – 72% of that group were their family’s first-generation college students – and the group received more than $3 million in merit scholarships.
Hadley leads GLOW’s college access department, which links students to opportunities and resources they need to succeed after high school.
The three-person department serves the entire school population by organizing college trips, external programming, alum programs and professional development for the school’s teachers.
Realizing Dreams: Hadley began her career working with students straight out of college as a college adviser with a community development organization.
Naari Honor
Talent Manager, StepUp Wilmington
Local job placement nonprofit StepUp Wilmington serves residents impacted by unemployment or underemployment. As the organization’s talent manager, Naari Honor leads recruitment and works to foster relationships with other community groups and leaders.
Why She's a Connector:
At StepUp Wilmington, Honor links those looking for work with businesses needing workers.
She also works to create pipelines that bring those facing barriers into StepUp programs to give them the education and training they need to get a job. The group often serves those affected by incarceration, homelessness, recovery, domestic violence and other challenges.
Honor joined StepUp Wilmington this fall. She previously worked for the Cape Fear Workforce Development Board as the group’s business engagement manager. There, she developed the Invest Partnership Program, which provided support and micro-loans for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Wilmington.
At StepUp Wilmington, Honor also leads the organization’s Jobs Week, a program that prepares students to enter the workforce. She aims to help StepUp Wilmington expand its reach into Brunswick and Pender counties by leveraging her experience, network and existing partnerships.
Service Overlaps: Honor wants to see an open line of communication between organizations in the Cape Fear region that focus on adult education and employment. This partnership could help prevent the service overlaps that sometimes occur.
Kim Hufman
President & CEO, Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau
Kim Hufham has worked for the CVB for more than 30 years.
Why She's A Connector:
Hufham oversees and manages destination budgets, public relations, and sales and marketing efforts for the New Hanover County organization while advocating for local and statewide tourism issues.
Last year, New Hanover County ranked seventh in the state in visitor spending with more than a billion dollars, a milestone spending figure for the county.
Hufham led the implementation of three new marketing strategies during 2023: a mobile trip guide to assist with directing visitors; an ambassador online training course for tourism partners and residents “to better educate them of all there is to do and see in our destination”; and an out-of-state marketing campaign to target six critical markets with lower awareness of Wilmington and its Island beaches.
She also completed a partnership with Wilmington International Airport for inbound marketing of Avelo Airlines and Sun Country to promote visitation to the area.
The Riverwalk Assessment Study and Tourism Master Plan are current projects. “The 10-year master plan will guide the direction for New Hanover County working with tourism partners, local governments and municipalities, stakeholders and residents,” she said.
First Job: A lifeguard as a teenager. “I think the biggest lesson I learned from that experience – besides I wish I had used more sunscreen – was how to handle people of all ages,” Hufham said. “On a daily basis, I dealt with a range of different types and ages of guests and what each of their expectations were of the lifeguards on duty. I also learned you had better stand up for yourself in a polite way but to never be a pushover.”
Velva Jenkins
CEO, YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear
In her third year as the head of the YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear, Velva Jenkins is leading an organization that’s evolving with the addition of new programs and the retirement of others.
Why She's a Connector:
Jenkins plays a crucial role in guiding the development of programs to empower and advocate for women and people of color in the Wilmington area.
Under her leadership, the YWCA launched a pilot program called Leadership for Inclusive Communities. The 10-month leadership program is aimed at senior leaders in the nonprofit, public and business sectors, equipping participants to advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity.
The organization launched a Learn to Swim pilot program this year in partnership with the YMCA. The program targets second graders from New Hanover County Schools, especially those attending Tier 1 schools. This year, the YWCA also hosted its second annual health summit, an effort Jenkins developed in 2021.
After 38 years, the organization’s board of directors and leadership decided to retire its Women of Achievement Awards. The group has said it will explore new ways to celebrate the community.
Before joining the YWCA, Jenkins was vice president of continuing education, economic and workforce development at Brunswick Community College.
Swimming Milestone: The YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear began offering swimming lessons and other aquatic programs in 1979. Next year, the organization will celebrate 45 years of aquatics programming.
Lisa Leath
Chief People Officer, Vantaca
As part of Wilmington-based Vantaca’s executive team, Lisa Leath is responsible for the company’s human resource strategy. Vantaca, which landed again this year on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., is a software company focused on community association management.
Why She's a Connector:
Leath is also involved in other human resources-related projects, helping area employers grow their teams. This year, she wrapped up her second season of the “HR Nightmares” podcast with a growing global listenership. On it, human resources experts discuss work problems and HR topics.
The company she founded, Leath HR Group, now run by Andy Almeter, took home a MADE Award from the Business Journal as a supporting business to local makers.
Leath also co-chairs the Tech Talent Collaborative, a group aiming to help employers work together to collectively determine demand for critical technology skills and positions in the area. Its goals are to help tech-focused employers open untapped talent pools collectively over the next one to two years, attract tech workers to the Wilmington metro over the next five years and map workforce pathways to help local Wilmington talent move into higher-wage and higher-skill jobs over the next 10 years, according to Leath.
Chamber Roles: This year, Leath served as vice chair/public policy committee chair for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce board of directors, helping shape the chamber’s legislative agenda. She is slated to serve as chamber board president next year.
JC Lyle
Executive Director, WARM NC
At the helm of the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry (WARM) since 2009, JC Lyle has helped the nonprofit boost its revenue and productivity while advocating for affordable housing across the Cape Fear region.
Why She's a Connector: As executive director, Lyle oversees WARM’s daily operations and plans. The organization rebuilds homes in disrepair or weather-damaged across a seven-county coverage area, providing low-income residents with repairs they often need to stay in their homes.
Lyle is also an N.C. Housing Partnership member and chair of the Wilmington Planning Commission. In different ways, both roles allow Lyle to advance conversations about affordable housing and land use in the Wilmington area.
This year, Lyle led WARM’s purchase and renovation of an office and warehouse that will serve as the nonprofit’s regional headquarters and center for homeownership. She also helped secure a $872,000 workforce housing grant for WARM from New Hanover County to repair 40 homes over the next two years.
Lyle created and led a coalition of housing-related groups in Wilmington with a shared goal of reducing poverty through homeownership. This partnership resulted in a collaborative funding proposal submitted to the New Hanover Community Endowment.
She also aims to grow WARM’s presence across its service area and expand its partnerships and volunteer base.
Planning Past: Before stepping into her role at WARM, Lyle worked at McKim & Creed on subdivision design, rezoning and permitting throughout coastal North Carolina.
Heather McWhorter
Director, UNCW CIE
Connecting entrepreneurs with resources and ideas and helping make Wilmington an innovation hub is at the heart of Heather McWhorter’s responsibilities at the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where she served as interim director for a year before being named to the permanent position in July 2022.
Why She's a Connector:
Currently, McWhorter is organizing Global Entrepreneurship Week Wilmington, hosted by UNCW but drawing on resources in Brunswick and New Hanover counties.
Before joining the CIE, McWhorter was at the N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center, where she created a statewide Business Launch program and helped hundreds of small businesses weather disasters such as Hurricane Florence and the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also chairs the Wilmington Business Coalition, serves on the All Ages, All Stages Governor’s Task Force and the Leland Economic Development Committee and leads the Turnaround Task Force focusing on low-performing schools in New Hanover County. Connection and collaboration have been central to McWhorter’s career, which she began as a defense subcontractor tasked with gathering such varied groups as weapons system managers and NASA officials and helping them find compromise, allowing them to move forward with environmental solutions.
By the Numbers: The CIE last year worked with 236 entrepreneurs, 190 volunteers and 700 UNCW students. It also helped organizations create 50 jobs and raise $25 million in capital.
Chris Montero
Co-Owner & CEO, Perfect Touch Rental
Chris Montero launched an event and party rental company in early 2020 with Evie Morales. It weathered the pandemic dips and has been growing, including hiring more employees and purchasing a warehouse. Meanwhile, Montero has also widened the platform for other regional Latino business owners.
Why He's a Connector:
Montero was appointed to chair the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s Latin American Business Council, whose mission is to “strengthen the community of Latino businesses and professionals of the Cape Fear region.”
He also sits on the 11-member New Hanover County Hispanic-Latino Commission, formed this year to advise the county board of commissioners on issues related to the Hispanic and Latino community and to serve as a liaison.
Montero and Morales won the Coastal Entrepreneur Award this year in the minority-owned business category.
Looking Ahead: “I would like to see this region develop more resources to meet marginalized people where they are with culturally competent solutions,” Montero said when asked about an area of improvement for the region. “This ranges from business development to affordable housing to health care and education. While this area is thriving economically, there is still a significant wealth and resource gap for many communities.”
Cameron Moore
Executive Officer, Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association
Cameron Moore has been the executive officer for the WCFHBA since 2014.
Why He's a Connector:
Moore manages the not-for-profit trade group and is responsible for day-to-day 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.
Additionally, 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.
In 2023, under Moore’s leadership, the WCFHBA earned two statewide awards from the N.C. Home Builders Association: Best HBA Marketing Campaign for its Taste of Home event and Best HBA Parade of Homes Marketing for the association’s 2023 Parade of Homes.
Outside of Work: Moore is an avid outdoorsman and spends much of his free time hunting or out on the water.
Megan Mullins
Chief Marketing and Engagement Officer, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
This year, Megan Mullins spearheaded the development of the NC Career Coast, a talent attraction brand and website launched by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.
Why She's a Connector:
As the chamber’s chief marketing and engagement officer, Mullins builds relationships with companies across the Cape Fear region. She also leads the chamber’s communication, marketing and public relations strategies to enhance the visibility of the Cape Fear region and chamber members.
The NC Career Coast initiative aims to draw new workers and industries to the area. Chamber leaders worked with Development Counsellors International, a marketing firm specializing in economic development campaigns. The project has involved working closely with human resources and marketing leaders from prominent Wilmington corporations and small businesses.
The new website allows workers considering a move to Wilmington to explore the region’s industries, lifestyle and housing costs through a cost-of-living calculator. It also includes a job board, allowing area employers to reach a broader audience.
Mullins, who joined the chamber’s staff in 2019, will continue to promote the NC Career Coast website and brand messaging in the coming year.
Chamber Stats: The chamber has more than 1,000 members, representing over 40,000 employees in Southeastern North Carolina. It’s run by a staff of eight.
Tracey Newkirk
President, Genesis Block
Tracey Newkirk founded Genesis Block in 2019 with her husband, Girard. The incubator provides business development services supporting small business owners, entrepreneurs and early-stage startups. Genesis Block focuses on supporting ventures led by minorities and women.
Why She's a Connector:
Newkirk is responsible for the execution of operations at Genesis Block as well as Genesis Block Foundation, a nonprofit advancing entrepreneurship in underprivileged communities.
This year, Genesis received a $125,000 Truist Grant award to establish a Vocational to Entrepreneurship (V2E) program creating pathways to entrepreneurship for food or contracting trades, Newkirk said. The company also grew Conversations to Contracts to over 600 attendees in 2023.
Current projects for the company include working with NCDOT to build the Cape Fear Disaster Recovery Database and to create an innovation corridor in Jacksonville, North Carolina. This year also marked the opening of Block Eatz, a rotating kitchen incubator for entrepreneurs in the food and drink industry in partnership with CFCC. Newkirk said she hopes to expand awareness of Genesis Block Academy by working with her partners across the state in the coming year. Newkirk added she thinks Wilmington needs to listen to its small businesses to solve the community’s biggest problems.
The More the Merrier: Newkirk hopes to expand the Genesis Block company by one employee in the next year who will focus on capacity building, she said.
Khalilah Olokunola
Owner, ReEngineering HR
Khalilah “KO” Olokunola founded ReEngineering HR, which uses industrial and organizational psychology and HR management practices to help businesses.
Why She's a Connector:
Before she opened her business, Olokunola was the chief people officer at TRU Colors, a Wilmington brewery that employed gang members to address violence and socio-economic issues. When TRU Colors abruptly shut down in the fall of 2022, Olokunola worked on her own to help place some of the workers with other employers in the area.
She has worked on developing tools for fair chance employment programs and advocates for more inclusive hiring practices. Olokunola said she has partnered with private investors to create career tools and an AI-driven platform for untapped talent, particularly justice-impacted individuals, and employers.
Board Work: This year, Olokunola was named DEI committee chair of Sustainable Brands’ advisory board and a member of its steering committee. Locally, she also serves as Genesis Block Foundation’s vice chair.
Yolanda Pollard
Director, UNCW Swain Center
After a yearlong search, UNCW tapped Yolanda Pollard to serve as head of the school’s Swain Center, which connects the business community to university experts. The center also provides professional training and executive coaching for clients and is a base for work on regional economic analysis.
Why She's a Connector:
Pollard began her role on July 10. Before landing at UNCW, Pollard held various industry leadership roles.
She worked in strategic communications at GE Vernova, a portfolio of GE’s global power businesses, and at Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 utility company. Before that, Pollard led customized corporate training programs for the University of New Orleans.
“It is an honor to continue the rich legacy of the Swain Center’s commitment to business leadership and economic development,” Pollard said at the time of her appointment this year. “I welcome the opportunity to partner with all key stakeholders in this capacity to enhance the region’s growth and progress.”
Degrees Depth: Pollard holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in management from Troy University and a doctoral degree in executive leadership from the University of Holy Cross.
Tammy Proctor
Executive Director, Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism
Previously Pender County’s tourism director, Tammy Proctor became the chamber’s executive director Dec. 1 after serving in an interim executive director role since earlier this year.
Why She's a Connector:
Proctor is responsible for gathering new members, creating and executing programming, and working with businesses to connect them to resources. “We work in partnership with four municipalities and two counties in a region that is rapidly growing,” Proctor said.
This year, the chamber started early planning for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge, a Revolutionary War battle in February 1776. “This has been an exciting project in that we are connecting groups and volunteers under the careful leadership of Moore’s Creek National Battlefield and volunteer association,” Proctor said about anniversary events for 2026.
Current projects include expanding the networking opportunities through the chamber’s WomenConnect program; raising awareness of the importance of shopping local in the chamber’s Keep It Local campaign; continuing economic development efforts; and providing services and resources to member businesses
Full Circle: Proctor previously served as Topsail chamber’s executive director from 2013 to 2015. “I’m excited to be back here,” she said. “It’s like coming home.”
Scott Satterfield
CEO, Wilmington Business Development
After growing up in New Hanover County and graduating high school and college in Wilmington, Scott Satterfield now aids economic development in the region by assisting in the site selection process, providing industrial expansion and relocation services and acting as a liaison between businesses and local government. The nonprofit organization is funded mainly through membership, an annual golf tournament and sponsorship opportunities.
Why He's a Connector:
Satterfield has led Wilmington Business Development since 1995, helping businesses expand into the Wilmington region. This year, the organization helped with a land purchase in Blue Clay Business Park, the facility’s first deal. A Francini Inc. affiliate purchased 6.3 acres in the business park for $250,000 in February 2023.
In September, Wilmington Business Development aided in a deal with a German company, Kesseböhmer. The storage solutions company purchased enough land to build a 93,000-square-foot facility along U.S. 421 N. The latest deal facilitated by the nonprofit as of November is located at Wilmington Business Park. SANY America Inc., a subsidiary of an offshore engineering machinery manufacturer, leased 532,427 square feet of space in the Wilmington facility.
Scout's Honor: Before working at Wilmington Business Development, Satterfield served as the Cape Fear Council of the Boy Scouts of America district executive for four years.
April Scott
Director, BCC Small Business Center
In her seventh year as the director of Brunswick Community College’s Small Business Center, April Scott continues to support local entrepreneurs in growing their businesses through free classes and one-on-one training. Scott has guided over 30 entrepreneurs in the past year.
Why She's a Connector:
After creating the Womenpreneur Empowerment Summit last year and spearheading an effort to create more intentional opportunities for Hispanic entrepreneurs, Scott continues to make the entrepreneurship scene in Brunswick open to anyone. She led the second annual Womenpreneur summit in November with panel topics including access to capital, identifying target markets and legal considerations for business owners.
She said she learned she was a born leader and fixer after her first job in a mall fast-food restaurant. Scott once worked as a nurse before she shifted to a career in business and served as the executive director of the Carousel Child Advocacy Center after working for the nonprofit for 12 years. The organization supports and advocates for children who are victims of abuse. She got her MBA from Webster University and accepted a position with Brunswick Community College’s Small Business Center.
In the Issue: Scott was featured in the summer issue of WILMA magazine and said the profile was a recognition she appreciated for helping local business owners. “I love what I do, and my reward is when I’m able to help someone reach their goals,” she said.
Sheri Shaw
Assistant Dean for Student Success and Academic Advising, UNCW CHHS
On campus, Sheri Shaw connects College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) students with resources. Off-campus, Shaw is active in connecting different circles around the region.
Why She's a Connector:
Beyond her role at UNCW’s CHHS, which includes 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, this also was Shaw’s second year as interim program director of Coastal ROOTS, or Restoring Our Opportunities Toward Success, a summer bridge program that aims to “to enhance the student experience and foster a sense of campus and cultural belonging” for incoming freshmen. Shaw is working with CHHS’ Pre-Health Coordinator to expand the school’s iHeal summer camp for rising ninth graders and also working with CFCC and UNC Office of Rural Initiatives on SEEDS, or Students Engaged in Enriching Diversity in Sciences, a scholarship initiative.
Beyond the university, Shaw, a kidney donor, serves as a board member for the Willie Stargell Foundation. In December, she wraps up her time as co-chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s African American Business Council. She is also a member of WILMA’s Women to Watch Advisory Board.
Team Approach: Shaw, along with Crystal Pellom and Constance Foreman, plans social events for minority professionals through their group, Three Ladies in Wilmington.
Barnes Sutton
Economic & Community Development Director, Leland
When Barnes Sutton stepped into the town of Leland’s economic and community development director role earlier this year, the town was considering a proposed multi-million-dollar minor league baseball stadium development.
Why He's a Connector:
Sutton leads the planning and implementation of initiatives that promote Leland’s economic and community development. That often involves forging relationships with business leaders, industrial developers, government agencies and community organizations.
Sutton stepped into the role after former director Gary Vidmar retired in June. Sutton previously was a community development planner for Leland. He gained prior planning experience working for the town of Navassa and Pender County.
Sutton took the reins in managing the development and completion of a feasibility analysis and economic impact study for the proposed baseball stadium. He continues to guide the town’s leaders as they weigh the feasibility of the stadium and surrounding development.
Sutton is working on a draft of the town’s first economic incentive policy to spark innovation and redevelopment throughout the area. He also assisted with the adoption of Leland’s first economic development strategic plan, which outlines the town’s economic development goals over the next four years.
Big Growth: Located in North Carolina’s fastest-growing county, the population of Leland is also on the rise. The number of people living inside the town’s limits climbed by 22.4% between 2020 and 2022, from a population of just over 23,000 to more than 28,500.
Linda Thompson
Chief Diversity & Equity Officer, New Hanover County
Linda Thompson in 2020 took the role of chief diversity and equity officer at the then-newly 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:
This year, Thompson’s office continued its mission to provide training and education around inclusive work environments – with the county’s 2,000 employees and through outreach training to local nonprofits and small businesses.
In the community, Thompson and her office organized a two-day Equity & Inclusion Summit this fall, bringing together speakers and panels to discuss pressing diversity, equity and inclusion topics in areas ranging from human relations to health equity.
The office continued its Equity Awards event to highlight and honor individuals in the region for their efforts in expanding and elevating equity and diversity.
And in November, she partnered with other groups to commemorate the 1898 Wilmington massacre and coup. Because this year marked the 125th anniversary, 25 events took place in October and November, including a symposium.
Training Goals: The Office of Diversity and Equity’s goal is to train more than 2,000 residents annually in the areas of diversity and inclusion.
Meade Van Pelt
Executive Director, The Harrelson Center
As head of The Harrelson Center, Meade Van Pelt supports and leads the Cape Fear region’s campus hub of humanitarian service organizations.
Why She's a Connector:
Van Pelt leads a staff of 12 in establishing a sustainable culture of support, stability and advancement for nonprofit work in the Wilmington area. The Harrelson Center is home to 22 nonprofit partners and 17 associate partners.
From Feast Down East to Eden Village, The Harrelson Center and its partnering nonprofits work to link residents in need with services and resources.
Van Pelt started the director role in 2016, following a 21-year career with Pitney Bowes, Inc., a shipping and mailing company.
She’s working on a collaboration to launch an evidence-based family and community justice center, located strategically near the New Hanover County courthouse. The center would serve and care for victims and bring justice and safety to the region. Van Pelt is also looking into capacity-building services for the success of local nonprofits.
This summer, The Harrelson Center finished converting its fourth and fifth floors into eight class-A partner suites and a shared conference room with a 25-person capacity. The $1.5 million renovation adds to the center’s capacity, allowing more nonprofits to establish a presence in the space.
Former Jail: The Harrelson Center was once a former New Hanover County jail, which moved out of the space at the end of 2004.
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 leads an organization that provides tools and support to its 1,200 members during a tumultuous time in the real estate industry.
Her recent efforts include national and regional development of a new association executive orientation; serving on the NC Realtors Bylaws Committee; advancing the regional multiple listing service; and continuing BCAR Gives Back, creating at least 12 opportunities a year for Realtors to give back to their community.
Walsh is a May 2023 graduate of the Duke University Leadership Forum; was a featured guest on the Lending Forward podcast; served as a National Association of Realtors speaker; and was a Brunswick County Leadership Program speaker.
What Would You Change About the Region? “That’s tough – this region is pretty amazing – as evidenced by the number of people moving here,” Walsh said. “A larger supply of housing inventory to meet all price points would help.”
Heather Wilson
Executive Director, Cameron Art Museum
Heather Wilson stepped into the Cameron Art Museum’s top role in June after more than 15 years of working in various museum roles.
Why She's a Connector:
As Wilson establishes herself at the museum’s helm, she’s focused on deepening connections with the community. She hopes to broaden the museum’s relationships with education and youth development groups, businesses and nonprofits to further the impact of the arts across the Cape Fear region.
Wilson served as the museum’s interim director following the retirement of former executive director Anne Brennan in March. Wilson was selected as the museum’s permanent director in June. She joined the museum in 2006 as its development officer. In 2019, she became the museum’s deputy director.
Wilson led the museum’s strategic planning process in those roles and served as the project director for “Boundless,” a public sculpture commemorating the U.S. Colored Troops.
New Exhibits: It’s been an eventful year for the art museum, which included the opening of two new exhibits and the launch of the Director’s Circle, a new upper-level giving society. Wilson is currently working on a new exhibition from American painter and sculptor Thomas Sayre, slated to open in April.
Read more about the 2023 WilmingtonBiz 100 honorees by clicking here.
