David Darnell has the gift of being able to command any room when he is speaking. As Co-Chief Operating Officer for Bank of America, it's part of Darnell's daily routine. That's why he was just as surprised as the chamber audience he stood before on Thursday when he suddenly became choked up and at a loss for words.

His momentary lack of swagger was the result of something so raw and so real it caused all in the room to pause too. He was deeply moved by the enormity of a project he's led since 2010. Though Darnell's been out of the chamber chair role for more than a year now, his commitment to the Charlotte Minority Economic Development Initiative (CMEDI) is as strong now as it was then.

In fact, Darnell has been a passionate proponent of the need to transform Charlotte's business community to make it the most inclusive in the country for many years. A native Charlottean, he's worked his way up to the second-in- command at Bank of America but never forgotten his hometown roots and the importance all small businesses bring to our community.

There's no doubt David would credit the phenomenal success CMEDI has achieved in such a short amount of time to everyone involved. After all, that's real leadership isn't it? Instead, he found himself standing at the podium today unexpectedly accepting the heartfelt gratitude of the many lives he's already helping to change.