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Friday, March 12th 7:30 pm
Peter Gorman
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Peter C. Gorman, Ed.D., has more than two decades of experience in education. He has been superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools since July 2006.
Gorman, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, began his educational career in Orlando, Florida, in 1987 after graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He worked as a teacher, principal and administrator in Orange and Seminole counties before being named superintendent of schools in Tustin, California, in 2001.
He holds a master’s in business administration from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and a master’s and doctorate in education from the University of Central Florida. Gorman is active in the Charlotte community, serving on the boards of several agencies and organizations. He is also a member of several national advisory boards for public education.
Gorman and his wife, Sue, an interior designer and community volunteer, have one daughter who attends a CMS middle school.
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Saturday, March 13th 3:00 pm
Mike Collins
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For 11 years, Mike Collins has been host of Charlotte Talks, a daily, award-winning hour-long talk show on 90.7 WFAE. He also finds time to appear regularly as an actor on area stages. Favorite roles include John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, John Adams in 1776, Julian Marsh in CPCC Summer Theatre’s 42nd Street and Werner Heisenberg in Copenhagen at Charlotte Repertory Theatre where he also appeared in The Exact Center of the Universe, Psychopathia Sexualis, and Drop Dead (directed by Olympia Dukakis). He directed CPCC Summer Theatre’s recent production of South Pacific as well as area productions of Gypsy, and Oliver!, and recently directed, produced and appeared in The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s production of Charlotte Squawks: 6 Degrees of Desecration.
Mike is also President and Creative Director of Collins, Haynes & Lully Advertising.
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Sunday, March 14th 3:00 pm
Harry Swimmer
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His family’s love of horses, a philanthropic spirit, and a curiosity about life’s next ventures, turned out to be the fate-filled formula that triggered Harry Swimmer to investigate therapeutic riding programs. But it was witnessing the transformation when placing a friend’s seven year old disabled daughter onto a horse that propelled Harry and Marylin Swimmer to convert their family farm into Mitey Riders. After a successful insurance career, Harry turned the management of Swimmer Insurance Agency over to his son and returned to his alma mater, Penn State, to undergo training in therapeutic riding. Today, Mitey Riders offers equine assisted therapy to over 70 families with special needs children, at no cost. Consistent with garnering programs to serve the community, Harry was also instrumental in bringing Shalom Park (JCC) to the Charlotte community.
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Wednesday, March 17th 7:30 pm
James Campbell
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With a B.S. Business Administration as well as a Master in Education Curriculum & Instruction, James has been a part of the Human Service industry for over 10 years. For the past 4 years, he has been with Easter Seals United Cerebral Palsy also teaching Marketing/Business Education courses at the high school level. James has been married for 23 years to the same woman : ), with 3 wonderful kids. The oldest is a student-athlete at Davidson College, his daughter will be attending Methodist University this fall and his youngest son will be a senior and the starting quarter back for Kannapolis A.L.Brown High School. James enjoys reading about ancient cultures and religions, in addition to fishing and listening to all kinds of jazz. He espeically loves the piano, saxophone and violin.
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Thursday, March 18th 7:30 pm
Pat McCrory
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Pat McCrory joined Moore & Van Allen as its Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives in 2010. Mr. McCrory focuses on helping new and existing clients develop strategic initiatives in dealing with complex and sustainable policies which are important to both the public and private sector.
Both Charlotte, North Carolina, and Mr. McCrory gained national prominence during his historic seven term leadership tenure as the Mayor of Charlotte (1995-2009). Charlotte became an economic hub in transportation, banking, manufacturing, energy and travel/tourism bringing thousands of new jobs to the region. Mr. McCrory implemented innovative and sustainable transportation and land use plans that have been touted nationally as success templates for other cities and municipalities.
Mr. McCrory also served as Chairman of the US Conference of Mayors’ Energy and Environmental Committee. In 2003, he was appointed to the National Homeland Security Advisory Board by President Bush which he served on for three years. As an expert on municipal issues, Mr. McCrory has testified in front of Congress and is a frequent guest on national broadcast and cable news shows. He is also a full time co-host of a local NBC weekly news show. Mr. McCrory is frequently asked to consult with other cities and participate in policy development with prominent national think tanks.
McCrory was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Catawba College in 2001.
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Saturday, March 19th 7:30 pm
Mike Whitehead
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Mike Whitehead is the founder and CEO of Whitehead Associates Inc, a consulting firm specializing in developing leaders and performance-focused cultures. Mike has designed and delivered consulting engagements to many organizations, including Fortune 500 companies like Time Warner Cable, Harris Teeter, Springs Industries, Duke Energy, Carolina Tractor and Keynote Corporation, among others.
Mike has also served as a consultant, facilitator or speaker to countless community and non-profit audiences such as Leadership Charlotte, Mecklenburg County BAR’s Leadership Institute, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, The Forum for Corporate Conscience, North Carolina Association of CPA’s, Charlotte Regional Real Estate Association. He has served as board member of several organizations including the Dowd YMCA, Jacob’s Ladder Job Center, and the Alexander Youth Network, among others. Currently he serves as a board member for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools’ Parent University, and Queens University School of Education, and is recognized for providing his services pro-bono to many community organizations.
A vital and balanced quality of life plays a major role in Mike Whitehead’s personal life as well as his practice. He has been married for 22 years to Beth Murray Whitehead and has two teenage children of whom he is ‘most proud.’ Mike enjoys skydiving and real estate investing, and it is not unusual for him to begin his day with a five or six-mile jog, an early morning basketball game, yoga, or a 5:00 a.m. motorcycle ride.
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Saturday, March 20th 3:00 pm
Michael Marsicano
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Michael Marsicano is President and CEO of Foundation For The Carolinas, a community foundation which distributes $100 million in grants annually. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as President and CEO of the Arts and Science Council in Charlotte. Michael is a native of New York and has three degrees from Duke University. He is married to the Reverend Leslie Montfort Marsicano (Assistant Dean for Academic Administration at Davidson College) and they have three sons, Chris, Jamie and David. Michael enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with this family, and gardening. Playing For Others has a special place in his heart and that of his son Jamie who is committed to the mission of the organization.
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Saturday, March 20th 7:30 pm
Jeff Elder
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Jeff Elder is the social community manager for Lowe’s Home Improvement, and formerly a columnist at The Charlotte Observer.
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Sunday, March 21st 3:00 pm
The Honorable Anthony Foxx, Mayor of Charlotte
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Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, is Mayor of the City of Charlotte. He began his political career in 2005 with his election to City Council as an At-Large representative and served two terms before being elected Mayor in 2009.
As a Council member he chaired the Transportation Committee and was a member of the Economic Development and Planning. He was Council’s representative to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Development Corporation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Foxx has been a member of the Mecklenburg County Education Budget Advisory Committee since 2002. He has served on the boards of the Mecklenburg County Bar Foundation, Community School of the Arts, YMCA Camp Thunderbird, Trust for Public Land (Carolinas Region), and Focus on Future leaders.
He has been recognized as one of the Charlotte Business Journal’s “40 under 40″ and is a recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award.
Mayor Foxx received his Bachelor’s degree in history from Davidson College and his Law degree from New York University School of Law. He is a member of the Mecklenburg County Bar and a graduate of its Leadership Institute.Prior to joining Hunton & Williams law firm, he served as a law clerk for the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, and a staff counsel to the United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary.
He and his wife, Samara, have two children.
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