We’re excited to introduce you to an important and select group of Charlotte residents — the nominees of the Charlotte Ledger’s 2025 40 Over 40 Awards, Presented by U.S. Bank!

These 135 people, all ages 40 and up, are bringing a host of backgrounds, skills and passions to communities all across Charlotte. They were nominated last month by their friends or peers as people who are making a difference and deserve to be recognized.

Our panel of independent judges, who were chosen for their wisdom and thoughtfulness, are now undertaking the weighty task of identifying 40 winners from this impressive group. Once the winners are selected, we will announce them in a special edition of the Ledger on April 7, and we will honor them at a festive celebration on May 8 at Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts, 1030 Woodward Ave., near the exciting Camp North End part of town. It will be a fun celebration!

Tickets are on sale now!

Tickets for 40 Over 40

The Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Awards is in its sixth year, and it has become one of Charlotte’s most anticipated annual awards programs. We believe in celebrating those who are using the wisdom, strength and experience they gained in their 20s and 30s and beyond to change their communities for the better. Age, after all, is a superpower!

We could not put on the 40 Over 40 Awards without the incredible support of our roster of first-class sponsors: U.S. Bank, Ducie Stark of Dickens Mitchener Residential Real Estate, By George Communications and Charlotte ToolBank. Thank you to them! (If you or your company would like to be a sponsor of 40 Over 40, there’s still time! Click here and drop us a line.)

👏 And now, without further ado, here are our nominees:

  • Bryan Adams, Partner, Van Hoy, Reutlinger, Adams, Pierce & Tisdale

  • Montez Alford, CEO and Founder, CORT Collaboration of Resources & Technology LLC

  • Alexandra Arrington, Founder, Money Magnets Club

  • Rodrick Banks, Senior Vice President, Lead Community Relations Consultant, Wells Fargo

  • Suzanne Bereis, Senior Commercial Property Manager, Grubb Properties

  • Gilberto Bergman, Founder and CEO, Bergman Brothers Staffing

  • Angela Best, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Community, and Education, Truliant Federal Credit Union

  • Christopher Boe, Dean of the Graduate School, Pfeiffer University

  • Carla Boles, Honors Faculty, UNC Charlotte

  • Kurt Bouley, Executive Engineer, Messer Construction

  • Marcus Brimley, Senior Project Director, CAA ICON

  • Jessica Bronzert, Founder & CEO, The Sparks Group

  • Andy Bunn, Owner, Star Dog Charlotte

  • Amanda Burch, Constituent Services Division Manager, City of Charlotte

  • Kristy Busija, CEO and Founder, Next Conversation Consulting

  • Caroline Calouche, Executive and Artistic Director, Caroline Calouche & Company

  • Suzanne Canali, Chief Legal Officer, Safe Alliance

  • Shawn Carr, Managing Director/Partner, Technology, Products Industry, Accenture

  • Darci Carter, Owner and Educational Advocate and Consultant, Marvelous Minds

  • Bo Caudill, Co-Managing Partner, Villmer Caudill, PLLC

  • Jada Charley, CEO, Crittenton of NC

  • Sherri Chisholm, Executive Director, Leading on Opportunity

  • Tiara Cloud, Owner and Senior Marketing Consultant/Marketing Director; Anayah Graphics and Victory Christian Center

  • Steven Cole, Metrolina Market President, Veterans Bridge Home

  • Kathie Collins, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, Inc.

  • Johnny Conklin, Founder and Managing Partner, 16 South Capital Partners

  • Daniel Coston, Concert Photographer, Daniel Coston Photography

  • Whitney D'Allaird, Founder and Executive Director, For Students

  • Jeremy Davids, Senior Account Executive, VISA

  • Cary Davis, Shareholder, Robinson Bradshaw

  • Jennifer De La Jara, Director of Philanthropy, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont

  • Adrienne Dellinger, Executive Director, Clayworks

  • Dr. Samantha DeLoache, Pharmacy Manager and Entrepreneur, Kintegra Health Pharmacy

  • Tayuanee Dewberry, CEO, Girl Scouts Hornets Nest Council

  • Frank Dominguez, General Manager, WDAV Classical Public Radio

  • Lewis Donald, Founder/Owner + Smoke Tender at Sweet Lew's BBQ and Carolina BBQ Festival

  • Marinn Esch, Executive Coach & Founder, Leading Beyond

  • Susan Evren, Executive Director, The Go Jen Go Foundation

  • Whitney Feld, President, Bissell Ballantyne Legacy Foundation

  • Alix Felsing, Coach and Entrepreneur, Self-Employed

  • Meg Fencil, Director of Engagement and Impact, Sustain Charlotte

  • Karen Gipson, Executive Director, Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte

  • Angela Gordon, Owner/Executive Director, Spotlight Performing Arts Academy

  • Lori Gougeon, President and CEO, InReach, Inc.

  • Mike Grippo, Owner & Principal, Playbook Management Company

  • Cherie Grisso, Chief Financial Officer, Aldersgate Retirement Community

  • Ruth Ann Grissom, Writer, UNC Charlotte Urban Institute; Co-Leader, Latta Park Project

  • Nicole Hanks, Co-Executive Director, Charlotte Angels

  • Carol Hardison, CEO, Crisis Assistance Ministry

  • Hannah Hasan, Writer & Producer, Epoch Tribe

  • Greg Hatcher, Managing Director, Hatcher Law Group

  • Sarah Henderson, Board Member, Next Step Clubhouse

  • José Hernández-Paris, CEO, Latin American Coalition

  • Brooke Hodge, Executive Director, Aldersgate Retirement Community

  • Charles Hollar, CEO, LA Hollar

  • Martha Honeycutt, Program Director, ANSWER Scholarship’s Mentors for Moms

  • Christen Hoover, Senior Director of Advancement, Lions Services, Inc.

  • Amy Horner, Founder and Principal Consultant, True Nine

  • Betty Howell-Gray, PhD, Retired Educator

  • Gregory Jackson, Founder/Executive Director, Heal Charlotte

  • Sallie Jarosz, Senior Investment Real Estate Banker, Retired

  • Nikki Jarrell, Tax Managing Director, KPMG LLP

  • Amy Johnson, Principal, Strata Project Management Group

  • Heather Johnson, Executive Director, Council for Children's Rights

  • Sharon Jones, Founder and CEO, the dot. Consulting and the Dottie Rose Foundation

  • Carlos Jorge, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Companion Health, PLLC

  • Nathalie Jorge, CEO and Co-Founder, Companion Health, PLLC

  • Kim Lanphear, CEO, Apparo

  • Wendy Laxton, Chief Financial Officer, Laxton CFO Services

  • Jeremy Letterman, Lead Singer, Even The Losers, a Tom Petty Cover Band

  • Kristen Lieber, Author and Co-Owner, Bark and Books, LLC

  • Kelly Little, Founder & CEO, The Urban Institute

  • Gary Little, MD, SVP, Region Chief Medical Officer, Atrium Health, part of Advocate Health

  • Allison Lucas, Global Communications Director, GlobalLogic

  • Keith Luedeman, Board Chair, Innovate Charlotte and Queens Entrepreneur Leadership Circle

  • Spencer Lueders, Owner & President, State Building Services

  • Jason Luker, Chief Operations Officer, Charlotte Museum of History

  • Camille Maara, Co-Executive Director, Charlotte Angels

  • Doug Madar, Founder, Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps

  • Kim Marks, Principal, Progressive Companies

  • David McGibbon, Partner, Baringa

  • Rodney McGill, President, Save Our Children Movement Inc.

  • Phillip McLamb, Co-Founder and COO, Resident Culture Brewing

  • Ayisha McMillan Cravotta, Academy Director, Charlotte Ballet Academy

  • William McNeely, Founder and CEO, Do Greater Charlotte Foundation

  • David Middleton, Interim CEO, Aldersgate Retirement Community

  • Jerry Morris, Founder and Director, Honor the Warriors Foundation

  • Cary Murphy, Chief Strategy Officer, Brandon

  • Nancy Nicholson, Yoga Instructor and Wellness Coach, Self-Employed

  • Eric Norman, Realtor, The McDevitt Agency

  • ShaVodka Nowacki, Social Worker/Therapist, Love Family Services

  • The Adult Staff of Evolutionary Aquatics, Swim Coaches, Evolutionary Aquatics

  • Michael Orzech, COO and Co-Founder, Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce

  • Kathy Pressley, Vice President of Asset Management, MECA Commercial Real Estate

  • Angela Pullom, Risk Management Principal, Duke Energy

  • Drew Quartapella, Business Strategist and Managing Member, FMQ Partners

  • Moira Quinn, SVP Communications, Charlotte Center City Partners

  • Tory Raether, Senior Vice President, Private Advisor, and Team Chief Investment Officer, Variant Path Group within the Rockefeller Global Family Office

  • Joan Randall, Co-Executive Director, Victorious You Press and The Boost Pad

  • Marcus Reddrick, Criminal Justice Re-Entry Supervisor, Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services

  • Allison Rhodes, Executive Director, TreesCharlotte

  • Jason Rhymer, Director of Youth Ministries, Myers Park United Methodist Church

  • Winston Robinson, Founder, The Applesauce Group

  • Hailey Rorie, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Isabella Santos Foundation

  • Shaheedah Ross, Program Director, City Startup Labs

  • Rodney S. Sadler Jr., Associate Professor of Bible and Director of Center for Social Justice & Reconciliation, Union Presbyterian Seminary

  • Steve Sawyer, Senior Vice President | Portfolio Management, U.S. Bank

  • Sean Seifert, Executive, Carolina Theatre

  • Cel Smart, Senior Project Manager, Ready Fitness, Inc.

  • Steve Smith, Executive Vice President, McKenney's, Inc.

  • Todd Smith, Executive Director, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

  • Ron Sodoma, CEO And Founder, Doma Vida Capital

  • Ketan Soni, Partner, Soni Brendle PLLC

  • Keith Stanley, CEO and President, University City Partners

  • Gina Stewart, Executive Director, VisArt Video & Cafe

  • Erin Stone, Physician, Tryon Women’s Center

  • Kristi Straw, Founder and Chief Empathy Officer, Lighthouse Leadership Consultants

  • Trish Stukbauer, Owner, ie marketing; Editor, Catholic News Herald

  • Amy Sullivan, Director of Business Development, Brasfield & Gorrie Construction

  • Matt Susong, Senior Lead Program Manager, TIAA

  • Rachel Sutherland, Founder and CEO, Rachel Sutherland Communications

  • Danyae Thomas, Director of Programs, The Parks Community Development Corporation

  • Amanda Thompson, Math Specialist, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

  • Blake Van Leer, Chief Strategy Officer and Board Member, SG Benefit Providers

  • Jill Vande Woude, CEO and Partner, Your Farms Your Table and Restaurant Constance

  • Hogan VanSickle, Attorney and Disability Advocate

  • Matt Villmer, Co-Managing Partner, Villmer Caudill, PLLC

  • Lisa Vogel, Senior Managing Director, Newmark Title Services

  • Cherise Walker, Chief of Staff, Mecklenburg County Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC) Board

  • Clint Watson, President & Co-Founder, Ember Group Consulting

  • Kate Weaver, Executive Director, NAMI Charlotte

  • Kristi Wells, CEO, Safe House Project

  • Emily Wheeler, Executive Director, Dress for Success Charlotte

  • Christopher White, Chief Operations Officer, LIFESPAN Services

  • June White, Beloved Neighbor, Retired

  • Venitra White-Dean, Founder and Executive Director, The Frankie Mae Foundation

  • Donja Williams, Executive Director, Freedom In Me Business Showers

➡️ More information on 40 Over 40 here.

➡️ Full contest rules here.

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