The Influencers: The changemakers, in front of or behind the scenes
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.
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 left-handed 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 25-year 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-of-the-art baseball stadium in Wilmington, inspired by my love for Durham Bulls Athletic Park.”
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.
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 long-term 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 44-year 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.
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
Ed Ellison heads up Cape Fear Academy, where he leads a team 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 full-service 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 full-service 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 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 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 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 post-pandemic 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 low-income 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.
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.
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 small- and 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 award-winning 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 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 master-planned 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 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 city-owned 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.
BJ Singh
CEO, Filmwerks
BJ Singh leads Rocky Point-based Filmwerks, a company that builds temporary and semi-permanent 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.
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 NCCCS-Artificial 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 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 critical-access 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
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 Bank campus, SPARK Academy’s Early Childhood Development Center and Commodore Club at Wrightsville Yacht Club.
The company has witnessed strong year-over-year 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.
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 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
Dean, UNCW College of Health & Human Services
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 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 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 post-doctoral 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.”
Margaret Weller-Stargell
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 evidence-based 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.
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 second-largest 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 long-term 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.
Read more about the 2024 WilmingtonBiz 100 honorees by clicking here.