2010 Engage Charlotte Board Members

Joel Canino, Board Chair is an associate at Defender Capital, a private wealth management boutique in Uptown Charlotte. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Joel attended Palm Beach Atlantic University in Palm Beach, Florida, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in international business. In addition to his involvement with Engage Charlotte, Joel serves on the marketing committee for Hands on Charlotte, as a coach/mentor for 2Xsalt Ministries, vice president of public relations for Toastmasters International, and is a fundraiser for the Charlotte Chamber. Joel enjoys playing soccer and basketball, spending time with family, and meeting new people here in Charlotte.

Meigan Powell, Vice-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.

Tameka Green Caprise, 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.

Amy Hutchison works in resource development for Bethlehem Center of Charlotte, a non-profit serving inner-city children and families. Amy graduated in 2004 from the University of South Carolina, where she was active in several different philanthropic endeavors, including Habitat for Humanity and CMN’s Dance Marathon, and was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa. Outside of Engage Charlotte, Amy serves on the advisory board of Club Red where she heads up the membership committee, serves on CharlotteONE:’s Connecting Team (where her job is to “make people friends”), leads a small group for her church’s youth group, is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Charlotte Photography Meetup, and can be found frequenting PRSA Young Pros events. Amy is a “pseudo” Charlotte native, having lived in York County (Rock Hill, Clover and Lake Wylie) for the past 16 years. About her life in Charlotte, she’ll tell you, “I sleep in Rock Hill, I LIVE in Charlotte.”

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.

Valerie Morini is the events manager for FABO, an art gallery representing the work of more than 60 local artists. She also serves as a business development and marketing consultant for several non-profit organizations based in the U.S. and abroad. Valerie earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and foreign affairs from The University of Virginia where she was a varsity athlete and worked as a marketing assistant for the sports marketing and promotions department. Originally from Philadelphia, Pa., Valerie returned in 2007 as a marketing account manager for a firm serving client J.P.Morgan Chase Bank. In 2009 she became the director of public relations and corporate events for LEAPS Lax, a local non-profit organization focusing on youth development through lacrosse training and educational mentoring. While in Philadelphia, Valerie began consulting for non-profit start-ups and was an active member of Young Involved Philadelphia, Philadelphia Non-Profit Leaders, Diverse Philly and Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Since moving to Charlotte Valerie has become involved in the Charlotte Chamber, Charlotte Young Professionals and Young Affiliates of the Mint.

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.

Jonathan Utrup 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."

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.