2011 Engage Charlotte Board Members

Jonathan Utrup, Chair is a senior analyst at Bank of America with experiences ranging from consumer product finance to compliance. He is a recent graduate from Winthrop University's MBA program and has a bachelor’s degree in finance from University of Toledo. He actively displays leadership in Habitat for Humanity building projects, Crown Financial Coaching and mission trip fundraisers. Recreation includes traveling, personal fitness, outdoor activities, volunteering and the occasional game of Texas Hold 'Em.

Jonathan is a very driven and motivated individual, open-minded and always up for new experiences. He enjoys social and professional networking and prides himself of having friends of so many different backgrounds. He finds a competitive strength and talent where he’s good at many things, but great at just a few. His motto: "Life is so very brief ... let's enjoy this gift and make each other better people."

Meigan Powell, Past Chair of Powell & Partners Creative has used her skills as a media buyer, planner and marketer to enhance the success of brands such as Wachovia, GM, Zatarains, Arby’s and Benihana, to name a few. Her wide-ranging New York agency experience spans projects as diverse as devising media plans for Six Flags theme parks, and implementing all local Hispanic broadcast buys and merchandising for Heineken, Heineken Light and Amstel Light. Better yet, her bachelor’s degree in art and design, means she also has high creative wattage, making big-idea contributions to brainstorming sessions with clients’ “buzz’ marketing efforts.

Andrea Arevalo is a Change Manager for Bank of America, where she specializes in facilitating change projects for the Leadership Development team. Andrea holds an International MBA from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science in communication studies from Northwestern University. In addition to her involvement with Engage Charlotte, Andrea has also volunteered with Junior Achievement and Citizen Schools.

Andrea’s weekends usually involve culinary adventures inspired by Clean Catch Fish Market or the King Street Farmers Market, running or yoga, and making plans for her next international vacation.

Skyne Betha, Manager of Supplier Diversity at Compass Group North America, Foodbuy Division, is responsible for the company’s corporate-wide program. This includes implementing and developing processes, procedures and communication to increase business with minority and woman-owned business enterprises. A native of Rose Hill, North Carolina, Skyne earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration from Mount Olive College.

In addition to her involvement with Engage Charlotte, Skyne is also a board member of the Diversity Business Council and volunteers for the non-profit organization Gifted Girls and Emerging Young Leaders, a program that will impact the lives of girls in grades six through eight by providing leadership development, civic engagement, enhanced academic preparation and character building.

Ollie Chandhok has been with the Charlotte Business Journal for three years as a Circulation Sales Executive. He recently made the move over to the advertising department at the Charlotte Business Journal, and is helping his clients build their brands and grow their business. Ollie is ranked as a top 3 circulation sales executive within American City Business Journals and earned the companies top award; The Eagle, in 2009 for his performance. He enjoys sharing both his expertise in sales and knowledge of the Charlotte Business Journal to help readers further their careers and business through its content.

Originally from Toronto, Ollie moved to Charlotte to attend Queens University where he played on the school’s golf team. He currently lives in Matthews with his wife; Kenna and children; Olivia and Ace.

Courtney Colosi relocated from Rochester, NY to the Queen City in 2007. She is currently a Contingent Resource Consultant onsite at Duke Energy with Guidant Group. In addition to Engage Charlotte, Courtney is Director of Community Involvement for Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC), where she is directly responsible for the organization’s outreach events and fundraisers.

Courtney also donates time and energy to The Komen Foundation and Habitat for Humanity. In her spare time, Courtney enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, working out, or taking her pup, Canoli, for a stroll. Courtney graduated from State University Of New York at Buffalo with a degree in Communication and minor in Marketing.

Wes Misson is an attorney in the banking and finance practice group at the law firm of Mayer Brown LLP. He regularly represents both foreign and domestic banks in a variety of securitizations as well as cross-border financings for private equity and real estate funds. An Ohio native who grew up in Virginia, Wes moved to Charlotte in 2007 after graduating law school with honors at The Ohio State University where he served as a managing editor for The Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law and as a member of the National Moot Court Team. He obtained his bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also spent time abroad studying international law at Oxford University. Wes represents his firm in the Young Lawyers' Section of the Mecklenburg County Bar and also actively participates in various charitable activities. Aside from the office, Wes enjoys staying active, traveling, meeting new people and is a passionate sports fan.

Ashley Peeler serves as the Director of Development and Marketing for the STARS Alliance, an NSF-Funded program that advances innovation through regional partnerships to broaden participation in recruiting, bridging and retaining underrepresented students in computing. As part of the Diversity in Information Technology Institute, Ashley works to leverage the annual STARS Celebration through corporate supporters, Alumni and civic engagement to expand the STARS Alliance and increase its participation and visibility. A North Carolina native, she received her undergraduate from Western Carolina University with a BFA in Graphic Design and is actively pursuing her MBA at Wingate University. In addition to her role at UNC Charlotte, she has spent her entire career as a Development professional with several non-profit agencies. Her experience ranges from the Virginia Symphony, Chrysler Museum of Art, American Cancer Society, Easter Seals UCP and the Matthews Playhouse. Ashley is also an active member of the Charlotte Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is a current Board Member for Engage Charlotte Young Professionals.

Robert Rhyne graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s in computer science. Throughout his college career, he was a member of the University Honors Program (UHP) and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Robert interned for the non-profit group Youth Service America (YSA) in Washington, D.C., during the summer months of 2005 and for the investment company Vanguard during the summer months of 2006. Robert has been with Wachovia since June of 2007 where he is a Web developer in the Technology Operations Group. He likes to stay active in the community through volunteering. Robert also enjoys reading, spending time with friends and traveling.

Demond Richardson is a Sourcing Manager on Wells Fargo’s Supplier Diversity team, He is responsible for strategy development, supply chain partnering, relationship management and MWDBE outreach and engagement. Demond is able to impart valuable input and guidance, due to his experiences as a global supply chain sourcing professional, a small business owner and as an attorney negotiating contracts related to technology and the sports and entertainment industries.

Being a proud native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Demond is energized and enthused by his community development and mentoring activities and achievements. Demond is a mentor and advisor for West Charlotte High’s Emerging Leaders Program, Villa Heights Elementary School and the Emerging Leaders Summer Program for Black Males. Demond assists the community by providing many hours of pro bono legal services in the areas of contracts, consumer protection and elder law.

Demond serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Minority Supplier Diversity Council. He is also a member of the Procurement Corporate Advisory Board for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and an active member of the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, African American Real Estate Professionals of Charlotte and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Demond received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law where he received the distinguished Earl Warren Legal Defense Scholarship. Demond currently lives in Charlotte with his beautiful wife Angela and their two wonderful, brilliant and entertaining children Selassie and Nia.

Megan Sadler is an attorney in Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman, PA's Commercial Litigation practice group and regularly assists closely held businesses to resolve simple and complex commercial disputes in federal, state as well as the North Carolina Business Court. Megan moved to North Carolina in 2001 to attend law school at Wake Forest University School of Law where she served as the 2003-2004 Research Editor for the Wake Forest Law Review and graduated cum laude in 2004. From Winston-Salem, Megan moved to Raleigh to clerk for a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

In 2005, Megan moved to Charlotte to work with her firm and, like many of her fellow West Virginian's, fell in love with the Queen City. Megan is significantly involved in serving on the board for Ten Thousand Villages of Charlotte as well as the Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman Charitable Foundation and supporting St. Innocent's Orphanage and Project Mexico.

Curtis Watkins works for Duke Energy in Global Technology Development, exploring emerging technology in the utility sector ranging from electric vehicles to energy storage to clean combustion, as well as managing international partnerships with companies in areas such as Japan and China. In addition to his involvement on the board for Engage Charlotte, Curtis also serves as a commissioner on the Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission and the Historic District Commission, is Vice President of the Wilmore Neighborhood Association Board, and volunteers his energy experience for other local economic development efforts such as with the Energy Capital Committee.

In his spare time Curtis enjoys working on classic cars, learning to play musical instruments, reading, writing, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and spending time with his family. Curtis holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and various project management certifications.

Chad Zalesiak is the Charlotte account manager for CSC Leasing, a technology financing company with corporate offices in his native Richmond, Va. CSC Leasing provides custom lease solutions to meet the ever-changing business and competitive needs of growing organizations – from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Chad is a political science and economics double major graduate of Hampden-Sydney College (2008). Outside of Engage Charlotte, Chad is involved in several areas of Charlotte, including coaching youth lacrosse and serving as an Ambassador for NCTA (North Carolina Technology Association). His brother Mark is a student at the College of Charleston, his father is an engineer for Dominion Power, and his mother is the Head of the Lower School at Hilton Head Preparatory School. In his free time, Chad enjoys hunting, fishing, surfing, cooking and live music.