2010 Engage Charlotte Board Members

Meigan Powell, Board 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.

Jonathan Utrup, Vice-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."

Tameka Green, diversity generalist at Compass Group North America, is responsible for the internal and external communications of Compass Group’s diversity strategies and initiatives. A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Tameka earned a bachelor's in interpersonal and organizational communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to her involvement with Engage Charlotte, Tameka volunteers as an individual rights committee member for Lifespan Services, an organization that assists children and adults with development disabilities, a member of Bethlehem Center’s Scholarship Selection Committee and is a member of Habitat for Humanity’s web team.

Reema Hagez was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Raised in Richmond, Va., she moved here in 2000. Reema graduated with a bachelor's in business management with a concentration in entrepreneurship from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a human resources advisor in Advice and Counsel at Bank of America and specializes in handling complex employee relations issues. Reema is delighted to be part of Charlotte’s dynamic business community including the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Engage Charlotte. One of her favorite things is to provide newcomers and citizens with valuable reasons to call this fascinating city home. During her spare time, she loves going to the beach, traveling, exercising and attending international gatherings.

Andrea Miceli is an associate consultant for Whitehead Associates, Inc. and specializes in facilitating conversations that bring clarity and action to develop successful leaders and results-oriented teams. Additionally, Andrea has a specialty in designing internal corporate communication projects, which she is currently doing for Michelin’s International Mobility 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 also volunteers with Junior Achievement and participates in weekly French conversations at the International House.

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.

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.

Kyle Woodruff is a vice president of business banking for First Citizens Bank, one of the largest family-controlled institutions in the United States, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. His focus is on working with medical/dental practices and small businesses in the Charlotte area to facilitate their banking and lending needs. A North Carolina native, Kyle was born and raised in Wilmington. He graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in 2005 with a major in economics. He moved to Charlotte after completing First Citizens Bank’s Banker Development Program in 2006 in Raleigh. He is currently pursuing a master's in business administration at Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management. Kyle is actively involved in fundraising efforts for UNC Chapel Hill as co-chair of the Young Alumni Council. He is also involved in fundraising for the Boy Scouts of America and other charitable organizations through the Ballantyne Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Risk Management Association in Charlotte.

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.