New Members
Welcome Diana Gbalah!
Diana Gbalah is an accomplished IT Systems Analyst from West Africa with a Master's Degree in IT Management and over a decade of experience across various industries. Known for her compassion and commitment, she's passionate about helping people, spreading lover, and supporting her community. A dog mom and travel enthusiast, Diana also enjoys singing and sharing joy wherever she goes. Having graduated summa cum laude at just 19, she's now channeling her expertise and big heart into opening a home care agency to make a difference in people's lives.
Welcome to CNR Diana!
Greetings Sheri Lowe (center left) and
Larry Key (center right)!
District Governor William Bradley (extreme left) and CNR President Kim Darden (extreme right) induct new members Sheri Lowe (center left) and Larry Key (center right) into the Charlotte North Rotary Club at The Rusty Bucket.
Sheri Lowe was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She moved to Florida after her high school years and received her BS in Public Relations at the University of Florida. She began her work in healthcare, specifically hospice, in 2002 and has been a passionate advocate of end-of-life care ever since.
Sheri relocated to North Carolina in 2012 and has been a Manager of Business Development with Novant Health Hospice for nearly 9 years. She received her Masters in Leadership from Grand Canyon University and works at applying her Servant Leadership education daily with her business development, bereavement and volunteer services team in her current role.
Sheri is the proud mom of 3 rescue doges. She enjoys time outdoors and finding opportunities to support her community through volunteering and giving back.
Larry Key is a native Charlottean. He attended Independence High School and after graduation enlisted in the United States Army, where he served for three years. After that time, he continued servicing in the Army Reserve for an additional twelve years. In 1977, he started a career at the United Parcel Service (UPS) where he worked for 40 years. Now, he finds himself embarking on a new journey -- exploring and thinking, how he can make a difference for the betterment of our society in this, our ever-changing world. As luck would have it, he met James Young who hired him and his new adventure has allowed Larry to be of service to others, which gives him great fulfillment. Larry has been married to his wife, Vanessa Taylor, for 43 years, has three wonderful kids; all of which are very accomplished professionals, and a beautiful granddaughter who lives in Charlotte.
Welcome to CNR Sheri and Larry!
Welcome Stanford Mitchem!
Stanford Mitchem, a Charlotte, NC native, first fell in love with the art of cooking as a young boy helping his grandmother Bessi out in the kitchen. While having no formal culinary education, Stanford studied under famed Chef Adrian Williamson, and was thrilled to jump straight into his career path when the two decided to open and co-own Chef Adrian's Real Smokehouse BBQ in Myrtle Beach, SC. Stanford later returned home to North Carolina and began shadowing personal chefs who curated dining plans and schedules for special dietary needs and preferences, before eventually starting his own endeavor "Cooking With Stanford" where he helps men bring more romance into their relationships with simple, elegant and tasty meals. Stanford has traveled extensively to offer his culinary expertise throughout the entertainment industry. He is also a personal chef and consults with catering companies helping them innovate and succeed. Today, Stanford continues to offer his services far and wide. He takes pride in continuing to educate himself with new techniques, recipes, and approaches on a regular basis, and is always looking to get outside his comfort zone. As his career moves forward, Stanford hopes to be able to provide teaching and training to share his wealth of knowledge with his community.
Welcome to CNR Stanford!
Greetings Sparkle Young!
CNR Member James A. Young presents his wife and new member, Sparkle Young, with a Rotary Pin.
Sparkle Young is a native of Wilmington, NC. She is married to the love of her life, James A. Young. Sparkle graduated from Leeward Community College in Honolulu, HI with an associate's degree in liberal arts. She has been employed by the federal government for over ten years in different capacities. Her current capacity is as Lead MSA, working at South Chardotte.
She has been awarded two civilian achievement medals from the Department of Defense during her tenure with the federal government. Sparkle is the owner of Queen City Express Notary and Owner of Redi Lift, LLC, a non-emergency medical transportation business.
Sparkle enjoys traveling to exotic locations throughout the world with her husband. She also enjoys shopping, movies, sports and reading books. A fun fact about Sparkle is she was named after the moving Sparkle.
Welcome to CNR Sparkle!
Welcome Antoine Southern!
CNR President Kim Darden presents Antoine Southern with a Rotary pin.
Antoine Southern was born and raised in Houston, TX. After graduating from Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, he attended Harvard Law School in Cambridge, MA. Following Law School, he moved to New York City to practice law in 2017. He practiced Corporate Transactional Law at some of the top law firms in large acquisition finance transactions. Following a brief summer in Charlotte during the pandemic to escape NYC, Antoine moved to Charlotte in 2023. He is currently Co-Founder and President of Common Area Credit Inc., a private lender to homeowners' associations and a former client.
Welcome to CNR Antoine!
Greetings James A. Young (left) and
Adolphus Bethune (right)!
James A. Young is a native of Staten Island, NY. He has one son, Giovanni Young, and a wife, Sparkle Young. He has resided in South Charlotte since September 20, 2023. James is a 24.5 year veteran of the United States Army. He retired in 2017, with the rank of First Sergeant. He has been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he earned numerous awards including two bronze stars. James attended Howard University, Tarleton State University, Central Texas College, and Leeward Community College. His education includes four associate degrees in culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, general studies, and business administration. His GPA afforded him an opportunity to become a member of the Epsilon Delta Pi and Central Texas Business and Marketing Association.
He went on to become an adjunct instructor for the University of Phoenix, Central Texas College, and the University of Maryland -- University College. He is an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the National Association of Minority Contractors, The Killeen IBCC, Disabled American Veterans, and he is a Veterans Administration volunteer. James is also the founder and co-owner of two trucking companies, AOT and Always Moving Freight Incorporated. He also has a real estate business in Killeen, TX.
Lastly, James has been a Rotarian for roughly two years in another state and has led major projects in sport of RYLA for his previous club.
Adolphus Bethune is a distinguished entrepreneur, veteran, and dedicated family man with a rich background marked by service leadership, and innovation. Born and raised in Richmond, VA, and Miami, FL, Adolphus began his academic journey at Virginia State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) and then pursued a Master of Science in Management and Administration (MBA) from Troy University. He served 26 years as an engineer with the Department of Defense, the United States Army, and both is deployments and career have taken him around the world with many different military and government organizations.
In 1998, Adolphus founded Bethune-Gibson Marketing/Consulting Group (BGMG) which specializes in online marketing, defense contracting, and problem-solving. In addition, Adolphus is a licensed Legal Shield insurance service provider and specializes in small business, group/employee benefits, and identity theft protection. Beyond his professional and military accomplishments, Adolphus served as an Associate Professor at North Carolina A&T State University, where he shared his knowledge and experience with the next generation of engineers and leaders. Currently, Adolphus works as a Small Business Consultant and is passionate about empowering others and sharing his journey, insights, and experiences through his podcast, "Who Are You with Adolphus Bethune". The podcast aims to inspire listeners to pursue their own paths to greatness by highlighting stories of perseverance, leadership, and success. Adolphus is a published author, dedicated military veteran, and remarkable professional while also being a devoted husband and father to six young men and two young ladies.
Welcome to CNR James and Adolphus!
Welcome Charles Lewis Jr.!
Charles Lewis Jr. Charles Lewis Jr. recently retired after 28 years at Wells Fargo in the IT department. He currently volunteers at the Blumenthal theater and VA in Charlotte.He is married to Lisa of 29 years and has 2 sons Brandon and Christian and likes to read, cook, travel, general conversation and golf. He is interested in Rotary for the opportunity to serve his community.
Welcome to CNR Charles!
Greetings Dr. Devon Hairston!
Dr. Devon (Da'Vaughn) Hairston Devon M. Hairston was born in South Carolina and in 1998, she started with the N.C. Army National Guard 30th Engineer Brigade to help with her fund college. During that time, she became an administrative specialist after four months of training. she transferred to the U.S. Air National Guard and worked to obtain a flight nurse certification, serving in the U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard in Charlotte, NC. She is a retired disabled veteran of 21 years in service, with the last rank of Major (O-4). Dr. Hairston holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Johnson C. Smith University, and Bachelor (2004) and Masters (2010) of Nursing from Winston-Salem State University. In 2013, she obtained her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chatham University, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She has served as a part-time virtual faculty member at Walden University in the School of Health Sciences Nursing Department and later taught in the Master of Nursing (MSN) program. Professionally, Dr. Hairston has worked as a community-based counselor, at Carolinas Medical Behavioral Health Center, as a nurse practitioner in occupational and psychiatry medicine, a hospitalist, and in home health. Currently, she works for the federal government in the Department of Defense/U.S. Army civilian at the Military Entrance Station (MEPS) as a testing administrator in Charlotte, North Carolina. Devon is a mother of three boys and wife to husband, William, of 12 years. She loves shopping, being with her family and friends, self-care, and having alone time. She volunteers her time with Project Outpour, providing mobile showers to individuals in need and, with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
Welcome to CNR Dr. Hairston!
Welcome Donna Liles!
Donna Liles is originally from New Jersey. She enlisted in the United States Navy April 1980 and completed active duty as a YN2 (Yeoman Second Class) in June 1992 with a Honorable Discharge (12 years). The military provided many opportunities and experiences and being a Navy Veteran has also awarded her with many benefits and opportunities. Donna attended Central Piedmont Community College and completed phlebotomy training. Over career she has served in various roles such as Assistant to Director of Operations at Corporate 7-12, Credit Analysis, Card Replacement and Travel Counselor for American Express, and Trained phlebotomist. Donna is currently retired with 1 adult daughter and 1 adult granddaughter. Her passion is being a blessing to others as we never know when our situation may change.
Welcome to CNR Donna!
Greetings Denise Conner!
Denise Conner is a United States Air Force Veteran. I am married to Jerome Conner, a United States Navy Veteran. Together we have 5 beautiful adult children. Denise earned her degrees in the following areas: Business, Religious Studies and Sociology. She is an ordained Elder in the AME Zion church and very active in her local church. She has worked at several jobs since I left the military including working as a volunteer youth minister. She also volunteers with a local organization that helps expecting teens who have nowhere to go as well as volunteering at a local hospital with the NODA program (No one dies alone), and NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).
Welcome to CNR Denise!
Welcome Darryl Forbes!
Darryl Forbes is a retired federal employee with the U S Postal Service having served 36 years, most recently as a Sales and Marketing Manager. Darryl is also a former CT Army National Guard veteran with six years of service. He is currently a volunteer at the Veterans Medical Center in Charlotte, NC and a volunteer tutor for Heart Math Tutoring, a non-profit educational organization here in the Charlotte area. Darryl was previously a member or leader for several safety and emergency teams while employed with the postal service. He owns a small real estate investment business with his wife.
Welcome to CNR Darryl!
Greetings Brandon Terrell!
Brandon Terrell grew up in Burlington, North Carolina. Brandon received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Pfieffer University. Brandon served in the U.S. Air Force for seven years. Brandon has over 20 years of Business and Human Resource experience in multiple industries (Military, Banking and Insurance), consulting in an advisory role to Senior Business leaders. Brandon worked for Wells Fargo as Vice President, Human Resource Business Partner, supporting the Head of Business Banking and Sales, Chief Financial Officer, and Compliance/Risk Officer. Brandon’s last position was Senior Director, Human Resource Business Partner at TIAA. During his six-year tenure he rotated through the Corporate Functions (Compliance, Risk, Legal, Finance and Audit supporting the Human Capital strategy for each Corporate Function. Brandon lives in Charlotte with his wife Algenia and his son Nicholas.
Welcome to CNR Brandon!
Welcome Ronald Richburg!
Ronald Richburg was born in Summerton, SC on June 28, 1963. His formative years was spent in South Carolina before migrating to New York City as a twelve-year-old. He graduated from Christopher Columbus HS in 198 and attended Jacksonville College in Texas on a basketball scholarship. While in college Ronald mentored children at the local high school, helping them maintain good grades and encouraging them to further their education. He only spent a year and half there before returning to New York City where he attended BMCC and obtain a A.A.S. degree in Business Management. After graduating he started to work for TIAA-CREF in there accounting department and worked there for four years before joining the ranks of the New York City Department of Corrections (DOC) in 1988. As a Correction Officer, he worked with the youth as a mentor –encouraging them to get their education and get their lives back on the right track. Ronald also served as a member of an organization called Concerned Black Men where we mentored children from elementary age to college. After thirty years with DOC, he retired in early 2018 and relocated to Lancaster, SC later that year. Ronald’s passion is mentoring and being a role model for the youth.
Welcome to CNR Ronald!
