The Charlotte Ledger Podcast

Charlotte is a fast-growing city. And it's also one of the lowest-density major cities in the U.S. What are the implications of that? And what moves should Charlotte make to accommodate all these newcomers? In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we talk with Shannon Binns, executive director of Sustain Charlotte . It's a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for sustainable deve...

Aleksandra Degernes is the visionary founder of the Eastern European Business Network in Charlotte. Originally from Russia, Alexandra immigrated to the United States in 2013 and quickly recognized the need to unite and empower Eastern European professionals and entrepreneurs in her new community. With a background in event production and a passion for fostering connections, Alexandra has led the E...

Wegmans recently gave Charlotte some long-awaited news : that it’s opening its first store in the Charlotte region in 2026 in Ballantyne. But how did it choose the location? What can shoppers expect? And why is there such interest in a grocery store? In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, The Ledger’s Cristina Bolling takes a closer look in a conversation with Hallie Johnston, Wegmans' N...

Glenn Proctor is a certified professional coach, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, retired newspaper editor, mental health advocate and instructor, Marine Corps gunnery sergeant and a Vietnam veteran. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Proctor discusses how he uses his personal experiences to educate and support individuals and organizations in their understanding of mental health....

Bob Durkin is the co-founder of Southern Entertainment, a Charlotte-based events and production company that's put on over 500 live music events around the country. Durkin and his business partner, Rob Pedlow, got their start in Charlotte by owning bars in uptown like Dixie’s Tavern. Durkin and his team are gearing up for the first Lovin’ Life Music Festival, a weekend-long, all-genre music festiv...

Emily Harry is a co-founder of Baby Bundles, a nonprofit organization in Charlotte that provides essential items to mothers in need as they leave the hospital with their newborns. Harry founded the nonprofit alongside Heather Leavitt and Cat Long 11 years ago to honor the babies that they each lost. Baby Bundles offers bags filled with necessities like clothing, blankets, books, and toys, aiming t...

Charlotte’s dining scene is widely seen as improving — and that also goes for Charlotte’s retirement communities, which are offering seniors many more options nowadays as a way to distinguish themselves from competitors. On this edition of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, food writer Hanna Raskin of the online publication The Food Section shares her assessments of Charlotte retirement community dinin...

Emily Jensen Wheeler is the new executive director of Dress for Success Charlotte, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the workforce with a network of support, business attire and development tools. During the month of March, Dress for Success Charlotte hosts its biggest fundraiser of the year, the “Your Hour Her Power” campaign. Every day this month, female leaders across Ch...

Amy Hillis is the co-founder of Social Pet Hotel and Daycare, a pet care company with two locations in Charlotte and one location in Pineville. Hillis started the business with her husband, Bill, in 2014 to offer customized, high-end care for Charlotte’s pets, including daycare, boarding and grooming. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Hillis talks about her journey as an entrepreneu...

For the March 2024 primary election in Mecklenburg County, what is on the Republican ballot? What do voters need to know? In this special express version of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, editor Tony Mecia talks with Republican former Charlotte City Council member Kenny Smith and Ledger elections researcher Sucharita Kodali about the candidates for office — who they are, why they say they’re runnin...

For the March 2024 primary election in Mecklenburg County, what is on the Democratic ballot? What do voters need to know? In this special express version of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, editor Tony Mecia talks with Bryan Holladay of CLT Public Relations and Ledger elections researcher Sucharita Kodali about the candidates for office — who they are, why they say they’re running and how the races a...

Karen Graci is the former executive director of PFLAG Charlotte, an organization supporting parents, families and friends of LGBTQ+ individuals. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Graci shares her personal journey as a parent of a LGBTQ+ child and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. She also delves into the importance of support groups, education and advoca...

Heather Call Fuller is an attorney with Lincoln Derr law firm in Charlotte. She started her law career working with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., defending the United States in medical malpractice cases. After her time at the Department of Justice, Fuller took a break to focus on raising her three children over the next 14 years. When she decided to return to law, she encountered o...

Brian “Heff” Heffron is the owner of The Comedy Zone, a comedy club inside the AvidXchange Music Factory that has hosted seasoned comedians like Wanda Sykes, Ben Schwartz, Janelle James, Pete Davidson and Marcello Hernandez. Additionally, Heffron is actively involved in Laugh for a Cure, an organization he co-founded with his wife, aimed at using comedy to raise funds for breast cancer research. I...

Tonya Jameson serves as the director of civic advancement for Leading on Opportunity, a part of Foundation for the Carolinas, working to improve economic mobility in the Charlotte area. In addition to her role with Leading on Opportunity, Jameson is also a member of the Citizens Review Board, which hears complaints regarding allegations of misconduct by police officers, and works as a motorcycle i...

Josh Jacobson is the founder and CEO of Next Stage, a Charlotte based social impact consulting firm that works with nonprofits. Next Stage operates The UnFundable Project, an initiative that raises awareness about a concept called trust-based philanthropy. The Charlotte Ledger is a media partner for the initiative. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Jacobson shares his insights on ho...

Banking, leadership and philanthropy have always been intertwined in Charlotte, and we explore that history and those connections in a conversation with Dee O’Dell, head of business banking sales at U.S. Bank, which is the fifth-largest bank in the country. O’Dell is based in Charlotte, where U.S. Bank has about 1, 200 employees, and his division serves customers nationally that have between $2.5...

Sonja Nichols is the owner and president of the Southern Lion, a multi-vendor shopping venue that opened in September in a former Sears building in the Carolina Place Mall in Pineville. The Southern Lion features many of the same vendors who previously sold goods at the Blacklion Home Furnishings Marketplace that operated for 27 years just a mile away from the new Southern Lion. In this episode of...

What will tomorrow’s workplaces will look like? And what can employers and workers do to prepare? The Charlotte Ledger published a 4-part special series called “The Future of Work” examining the forces that are changing workplaces in Charlotte and around the country.  Reporters delved into how mentorships have changed, Charlotte's struggling office market, the future of office amenities, and how s...

Joe Hamby serves as director of community education at Roof Above, an interfaith nonprofit working to ensure everyone has a safe, affordable roof over their head. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Hamby reflects on the challenges that come with his work but how the success stories help him find purpose. He also shares more about how Roof Above is working toward the goal of ending ho...

Kristen Wile is the founder of Unpretentious Palate , a subscription-based publication that covers Charlotte's dining and drinking scene. Unpretentious Palate focuses on in-depth coverage, including executive chef changes, restaurant openings/closings and detailed restaurant reviews. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Wile talks with Ledger editor Tony Mecia about Charlotte's evolvin...

Tracy Hewett is a retired district family court judge in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Hewett finished her bachelor’s degree in her late 30s and then attended law school as a single mom while also working as a truck driver. She served as a public defender for 10 years and then joined the bench in 2017. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Hewett reflects on her career journey, re...

Lauren Deese is the executive director of Charlotte Wine + Food, a nonprofit organization that brings together Charlotte’s wine and food connoisseurs to raise money for children’s charities in the area. Charlotte Wine + Food hosts a weeklong event every April with wine auction and dining events across the city. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Deese discusses Charlotte Wine + Food’...

In a special mini-podcast that clocks in at an easy-to-listen-to 8.5 minutes, we discuss the 2023 CMS school construction bonds that are on the ballot in Mecklenburg County. What do they do? Why do supporters say they are needed, and why are some people opposed? What would be the effect on taxes? Ledger editor Tony Mecia answers these questions and others, based on his reporting on the issue. For...

In a special mini-podcast that's under 10 minutes, we discuss candidates running for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education in 2023: Who are they? Why are they running? What's at stake? There are 14 candidates running for 3 seats. Ledger editor Tony Mecia discusses the race with WFAE's Ann Doss Helms and Ledger elections researcher Sucharita Kodali. For more information about the 2023 electi...