New Members
Welcome Diana Gbalah!
Diana Gbalah is an accomplished IT Systems Analyst from West Africa with a Master's Degree in IT Management and over a decade of experience across various industries. Known for her compassion and commitment, she's passionate about helping people, spreading lover, and supporting her community. A dog mom and travel enthusiast, Diana also enjoys singing and sharing joy wherever she goes. Having graduated summa cum laude at just 19, she's now channeling her expertise and big heart into opening a home care agency to make a difference in people's lives.
Welcome to CNR Diana!
Greetings Sheri Lowe (center left) and
Larry Key (center right)!
District Governor William Bradley (extreme left) and CNR President Kim Darden (extreme right) induct new members Sheri Lowe (center left) and Larry Key (center right) into the Charlotte North Rotary Club at The Rusty Bucket.
Sheri Lowe was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She moved to Florida after her high school years and received her BS in Public Relations at the University of Florida. She began her work in healthcare, specifically hospice, in 2002 and has been a passionate advocate of end-of-life care ever since.
Sheri relocated to North Carolina in 2012 and has been a Manager of Business Development with Novant Health Hospice for nearly 9 years. She received her Masters in Leadership from Grand Canyon University and works at applying her Servant Leadership education daily with her business development, bereavement and volunteer services team in her current role.
Sheri is the proud mom of 3 rescue doges. She enjoys time outdoors and finding opportunities to support her community through volunteering and giving back.
Larry Key is a native Charlottean. He attended Independence High School and after graduation enlisted in the United States Army, where he served for three years. After that time, he continued servicing in the Army Reserve for an additional twelve years. In 1977, he started a career at the United Parcel Service (UPS) where he worked for 40 years. Now, he finds himself embarking on a new journey -- exploring and thinking, how he can make a difference for the betterment of our society in this, our ever-changing world. As luck would have it, he met James Young who hired him and his new adventure has allowed Larry to be of service to others, which gives him great fulfillment. Larry has been married to his wife, Vanessa Taylor, for 43 years, has three wonderful kids; all of which are very accomplished professionals, and a beautiful granddaughter who lives in Charlotte.
Welcome to CNR Sheri and Larry!
Welcome Stanford Mitchem!
Stanford Mitchem, a Charlotte, NC native, first fell in love with the art of cooking as a young boy helping his grandmother Bessi out in the kitchen. While having no formal culinary education, Stanford studied under famed Chef Adrian Williamson, and was thrilled to jump straight into his career path when the two decided to open and co-own Chef Adrian's Real Smokehouse BBQ in Myrtle Beach, SC. Stanford later returned home to North Carolina and began shadowing personal chefs who curated dining plans and schedules for special dietary needs and preferences, before eventually starting his own endeavor "Cooking With Stanford" where he helps men bring more romance into their relationships with simple, elegant and tasty meals. Stanford has traveled extensively to offer his culinary expertise throughout the entertainment industry. He is also a personal chef and consults with catering companies helping them innovate and succeed. Today, Stanford continues to offer his services far and wide. He takes pride in continuing to educate himself with new techniques, recipes, and approaches on a regular basis, and is always looking to get outside his comfort zone. As his career moves forward, Stanford hopes to be able to provide teaching and training to share his wealth of knowledge with his community.
Welcome to CNR Stanford!
Greetings Sparkle Young!
CNR Member James A. Young presents his wife and new member, Sparkle Young, with a Rotary Pin.
Sparkle Young is a native of Wilmington, NC. She is married to the love of her life, James A. Young. Sparkle graduated from Leeward Community College in Honolulu, HI with an associate's degree in liberal arts. She has been employed by the federal government for over ten years in different capacities. Her current capacity is as Lead MSA, working at South Chardotte.
She has been awarded two civilian achievement medals from the Department of Defense during her tenure with the federal government. Sparkle is the owner of Queen City Express Notary and Owner of Redi Lift, LLC, a non-emergency medical transportation business.
Sparkle enjoys traveling to exotic locations throughout the world with her husband. She also enjoys shopping, movies, sports and reading books. A fun fact about Sparkle is she was named after the moving Sparkle.
Welcome to CNR Sparkle!
Welcome Antoine Southern!
CNR President Kim Darden presents Antoine Southern with a Rotary pin.
Antoine Southern was born and raised in Houston, TX. After graduating from Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, he attended Harvard Law School in Cambridge, MA. Following Law School, he moved to New York City to practice law in 2017. He practiced Corporate Transactional Law at some of the top law firms in large acquisition finance transactions. Following a brief summer in Charlotte during the pandemic to escape NYC, Antoine moved to Charlotte in 2023. He is currently Co-Founder and President of Common Area Credit Inc., a private lender to homeowners' associations and a former client.
Welcome to CNR Antoine!
Greetings James A. Young (left) and
Adolphus Bethune (right)!
James A. Young is a native of Staten Island, NY. He has one son, Giovanni Young, and a wife, Sparkle Young. He has resided in South Charlotte since September 20, 2023. James is a 24.5 year veteran of the United States Army. He retired in 2017, with the rank of First Sergeant. He has been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he earned numerous awards including two bronze stars. James attended Howard University, Tarleton State University, Central Texas College, and Leeward Community College. His education includes four associate degrees in culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, general studies, and business administration. His GPA afforded him an opportunity to become a member of the Epsilon Delta Pi and Central Texas Business and Marketing Association.
He went on to become an adjunct instructor for the University of Phoenix, Central Texas College, and the University of Maryland -- University College. He is an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the National Association of Minority Contractors, The Killeen IBCC, Disabled American Veterans, and he is a Veterans Administration volunteer. James is also the founder and co-owner of two trucking companies, AOT and Always Moving Freight Incorporated. He also has a real estate business in Killeen, TX.
Lastly, James has been a Rotarian for roughly two years in another state and has led major projects in sport of RYLA for his previous club.
Adolphus Bethune is a distinguished entrepreneur, veteran, and dedicated family man with a rich background marked by service leadership, and innovation. Born and raised in Richmond, VA, and Miami, FL, Adolphus began his academic journey at Virginia State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) and then pursued a Master of Science in Management and Administration (MBA) from Troy University. He served 26 years as an engineer with the Department of Defense, the United States Army, and both is deployments and career have taken him around the world with many different military and government organizations.
In 1998, Adolphus founded Bethune-Gibson Marketing/Consulting Group (BGMG) which specializes in online marketing, defense contracting, and problem-solving. In addition, Adolphus is a licensed Legal Shield insurance service provider and specializes in small business, group/employee benefits, and identity theft protection. Beyond his professional and military accomplishments, Adolphus served as an Associate Professor at North Carolina A&T State University, where he shared his knowledge and experience with the next generation of engineers and leaders. Currently, Adolphus works as a Small Business Consultant and is passionate about empowering others and sharing his journey, insights, and experiences through his podcast, "Who Are You with Adolphus Bethune". The podcast aims to inspire listeners to pursue their own paths to greatness by highlighting stories of perseverance, leadership, and success. Adolphus is a published author, dedicated military veteran, and remarkable professional while also being a devoted husband and father to six young men and two young ladies.
Welcome to CNR James and Adolphus!
